Buff Babe Fitness Apparel

Super exciting news!! We now offer fitness apparel! We have a few designs up and will be putting more on through out the week! http://buffbabefitness.spreadshirt.com/

#happytraining

Be Proud of All That You Do

These past few months have been some of the most rewarding moments of my life.  (As well as for my husband. He is currently prepping for NPC USA nationals this coming weekend in Las Vegas.)  I have worked harder than I have ever worked in my life. I have pushed my mind, body and spirit to the limit. My children have been such good sports spending countless at the gym, Costco, and helping me cook. My husband and I have sacrificed time together to make sure we got our training done each day. It has not been easy but we could not be more proud of our hard work.

Many people have made comments like "It's not fair that you look that way", or "Duh, why would you do all of that, or want to look like that". I know people do not mean to be hurtful or disrespectful when saying this, but these comments do it. It is fair that I look like this, I work very hard to gain this look to compete and a look that I love and am PROUD of. I could compair it to if I said something to the effect of someone being overweight and making a rude comment, it is not a place to give your opinion.  

Being proud of your accomplishments is something I have learned to start embracing. I have worked hard for my body and accomplishments. I have spent so much time and pushed my body to the limits to achieve my goals. Being proud is not a bad thing, it is not something I should push under the rug or be ashamed of. 

My message to everyone is simple. 

"Don't wait until you've reached your gaol to be proud of yourself. Be proud of every step you take toward reaching the goal."

Buff Babe Fitness Training Packages

Buff Babe Fitness

Lindsey Stroud

buffbabefitness@hotmail.com

801-815-6355

Personal Training:

My mission is to provide you with the best experience when it comes to diet and training. I create a custom program to help you achieve you goals and dreams. Each client is very unique and we work to address your concerns and give you the results you deserve. Keep in mind that even with all the tools I give you, you must work hard to get the results.

Packages:

Weekly: Once a week we will meet you check your progress and adjust your nutrition and workout. (This can be done in person or via phone/email). We will create a diet and workout for you to do on your own.  This is a great option for busy individuals because the workouts are on your time. It also keeps you accountable for your actions and we can adjust the meal plan and exercise to fit your needs each week.

Price: $25

Biweekly: Every other week we meet to check your progress and adjust your nutrition and workout. (This can be done in person or via phone/email). We will create a diet and workout for you to do on your own.  This is a great option for busy individuals because the workouts are on your time. Because it is biweekly we create a larger meal plan for more options.  This plan is best for individuals that can hold themselves accountable and have some experience with diet and exercise.

Price: $35

Diet and Exercise Plan: This plan is for someone who wants just a great plan to get started or go a new direction with their health and fitness needs. We create a meal plan with multiple options for each meal and a comprehensive workout to achieve your goals.  This plan is great for individuals that just want to meet one time and continue on their own.

Price: $75

Custom Package: We can create a custom package if you have other needs you would like met, I am more than happy to help with anything you need!

Price: TBD 

Dedication...

It Has Been A Minute...

I cannot believe it has been a month since I have posted, I feel so lost without working on my blog and post but I did need to take some personal time. And that's the theme of this post, Personal Time.

To stay I am busy it a bit of an understatement. But I do not think I would have it any other way. I love being a mom and wife, running every which way and barely getting sleep at night, but I know I have to make time for myself and make sure I am happy so I can be the best mother and wife I can be.

Training is my personal time. The gym is my quiet time, my time where I can reflect on my day and what the week has in store.  Training is where I create my body I have always wanted, where I work off my stress and keep in shape to keep up with a busy life.

This past year when I decided to start training for my first NPC bikini competition I had to make the tough decision to put training at the top of my personal list. I spent (and continue to spend) every free moment at the gym,; lifting, doing cardio, posing, and working hard for my dream. 

I will not lie to you and say that it was an easy choice to make, it was probably one of the hardest I have had to do.  I had to make the choice to use my personal time for the gym rather than a Friday night with the girls, rather than going to get my nails done, and having to put some other projects on hold (which explains why I had to take some time off from this blog). But the most rewarding part besides getting into the best shape of my life was that I made a choice to focus on just myself for once it my life. I did not let the outside distractions of life pull me away from what I wanted to do.

There are days when it is hard, when people say "Why put yourself through that", or "Just take a break and come out!". But to tell you the truth those temptations are making me stronger. I have learned who my true friends are, I have learned how to make smart decisions about eating and training, and also have had some amazing times with my family since we spend a lot more time at home.

The purpose behind all of this is to tell you that you can do it to, you just need to make that commitment to your personal time and work hard. If you truly want to achieve something like this you can, you just need to make it yours.

Recipe Friday (Saturday) April 20, 2012

Healthy Lasagna Recipe

This is one of my family's favorite recipe when we are not doing show prep, it's a healthy take on lasagna and can be altered to include your favorite veggies, meat, and cheese.

Ingredients:

-whole wheat pasta or veggie pasta (I don't use lasagna noodles but you can)

-1 can of all natural tomato sauce (try one that includes your favorite spices)

-1 bag of shredded low fat or fat free mozzarella cheese

-1 lb of 99% fat free ground turkey (or use the kind of meat your prefer)

-16 oz of fat free sour cream

**veggies if you wish

To Do:

-cook pasta and meat and set aside

-create a layer of pasta, meat, tomato sauce, sour cream, (veggies) and cheese

-Repeat 2-3 times and finish with cheese

Bake for 20 minutes at 375 

*you will notice it cooks fairly quickly so keep an eye on it

Enjoy!

Diet and Competing...My Personal Experience

I have had so many people call, email, and Facebook me about my diet and experience while doing the NPC body building  show in March 2012. The question I get asked most often is "Can you share you diet with me"? I really wish it was that simple, but it is a bit more complex.  In this post I will answer that and other questions I have been asked. If you do have any other questions feel free to email me!

Diet:

-As I stated above I always get asked to share my diet with others, why this is not as simple me emailing it to you is my diet is custom to me and my goals (competing in a bikini body building show).  I worked with a personal trainer who customized my diet each week according to my progress and how close to the show we were.  While doing this process my diet was depleted of fats and carbs and then the carbs where added back in 2 days before the show to create the look needed to look great on stage.

-"Where can I start when I want to change my diet?" For this I would say keep it simple. There are some really easy things you can do to have a healthy diet. Think whole grains, fruits, veggies, lean meat, low fat or non fat dairy, healthy fats, and eating smaller meals every 2-3 hours. And most important DRINK WATER! You would be so surprised at how many calories the average person drinks in a day, that right there is a great way to cut unnecessary calories from your diet.

-If you decide you want to go into a more detailed plan for nutrition GET A PERSONAL TRAINER!!!! I do not think people truly understand how much goes into a nutrition plan that is custom to you, a personal trainer will create a perfect guild for you to transform you body into exactly what you want (YOU must follow the plan, as YOU are in control).  I am a personal trainer and I still hire one to help me achieve my results. Shane and Tiffany Heugly (click here for their website) have helped me so much trough this journey and can help you too!

Competing:

-When you are thinking of doing a show there are a few things to consider. One, this is a VERY large time commitment, I personally spend 2-3 hours a day at the gym.  You must give 110%, the diet can be very hard sometimes, and sometimes you really want to give up. But in the end if you push through (typically you spend 16 weeks training), you will be so happy! The feeling I had the day of the show and being on stage is like nothing I have ever experienced.  I would also highly recommend having a plan for after the show. Your body will go through so much during those weeks of training and  if you suddenly stop it can be very hard emotionally and physically.

-The one thing I was not quiet ready for when doing my first show was how much my relationships with others changed.  Friends suddenly did not want to hang out as I could not go out to eat or go grab a drink.  Family parties were stressful, we were always having to make sure there was something there we could eat.  And there was stress in my marriage as we barely got to spend time together. Remember that these things are just temporary, before you know it you will be on stage and then you can celebrate you amazing accomplishment! And as for the affect on your personal relationships, it is something that can make them stronger.  My husband and I came out on top, we decided it was better push each other to train harder and achieve that dream and we did just that. This coming June we will be celebrating our first wedding anniversary by competing again. We have turned it from something that use to stress us out and pull us apart to the activity that we do together. Oh and as far as the friends matter is concerned, the new friends I made that compete are amazing! Making the experience even better!

Lindsey

Recipe Friday April 13, 2012

This week's recipe is probably the most exciting one I have found in a long time. 

I found this on the Facebook page of Muscle Egg.

Facebook Page

This is a really cool company that sells flavored egg whites by the gallon. I highly recommend checking them out as well.

Also in this recipe I found my new favorite protein powder, 

About Time Whey Protein in Birthday Cake flavor.

I was able to find it on amazon for a good price.

About Time Whey Protein

Click on the link below to view the recipe, enjoy!

Chocolate Pumpkin Protein Cupcakes

Workout Wednesday April 11, 2012

This week I wanted to share a great butt workout! Start with a 10-15 minute warm-up of cardio (your choice) and get ready to work!

-walking lunges 15 each leg (add the ankle weights or dumbbells from last week to increase the difficulty
-squats (base should be the width of your shoulders)
-glut raises (lay flat on your back, bring the knees to a bent position and keep feet flat on the floor, raise gluts up and back down and squeeze)
-leg lifts (begin in the bridge position with knees on the ground and hands under your shoulders, lift one leg up and press sole of your foot the the ceiling while keeping leg slightly bend and squeezing your glut)
-side to sides (begin in a slightly wider squat position and step side to side, squeeze inner thighs as you go)

Repeat 3-4 times

Finish with a 10 minute light cardio cool down

*make sure your knee never goes over your toe in squats or lunges, this will prevent injury.

Happy Training!!

Lindsey

Pumpkin Protein Bars

Hey guys I am so sorry I was not able to get this up on Friday, I was experiencing a few problems with the blog, but here is the recipe I promised. This is one from Jamie Esson and a favorite of my family's. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Protein Bars

Nutrition Facts:

Nutrition (without walnuts): 1 square = 47 calories, .7 g fat, 8 g carbs, 3.7 g protein

Nutrition (with walnuts): 1 square = 63 calories, 2.3 g fat, 8 g carbs, 4 g protein

Ingredients:

§  ½ C Xylitol Brown Sugar Blend (Ideal)

§  1 - 4 oz. jar baby food applesauce

§  2 tsp. ground cinnamon

§  1 ½ tsp. ground ginger

§  ½ tsp. ground clove

§  1 tsp. baking powder

§  1 tsp. baking soda

§  ½ tsp. salt

§  2 tsp. vanilla extract

§  4 large egg whites

§  1 - 15 oz. can of raw pumpkin

§  2 C oat flour

§  2 scoops vanilla whey protein

§  ½ cup almond milk

§  ½ C chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions:

1.     Preheat the oven to 350.

2.     Spray a 9 X 13 Pyrex dish with non-stick spray.

3.     Combine first 11 ingredients and mix well.

4.     Add the final 3 ingredients (4, if adding walnuts), and mix until incorporated. Spread batter into the Pyrex dish and bake for 30 min.

5.     Makes 24 squares.

Everything It Takes

Workout Wednesday April 4, 2012

It's Wednesday which means its time for the WOW (workout of the week). Today's workout is a full body boot camp style training program. It can be done at home, the gym, or at the park with a group of friends.  You will need just a few things (most can be purchased at any sporting goods store or check out your local TJ Maxx, Ross, or Nordstrom Rack).  Before you start the program make sure you are healthy enough to participate in a workout program, this is a high intensity workout and should be done with care. 

Items needed:

Jump Rope                                                                                   Resistance Band

Free Weights (at least 5lbs)                                                               Ankle Weights

Work Out:

Warm up- begin with jump roping for 60 seconds followed by 15 jumping jacks (repeat 4 times, this is called a super set).

*For the exercises below repeat the super set 3 times before moving onto the next body part.

-Bicep curls for 30 seconds

SS (Super set) with 60 seconds of jump roping

video for bicep curls

-Bent over rows or standing rows with resistance band (put band around a tree, bar in the gym or a banister in your home, step away for more resistance or closer for less).

-SS jumping jacks for 30 seconds

video for bent over rows

video for resistance band rows

-Burpees (with or without push up) or jump squats for 30 seconds

-SS jumping rope for 60 seconds

video for burpees

-Shoulder press with dumb bells (add resistance band to increase difficulty) for 30 seconds

-SS jumping jacks for 30 seconds

video for shoulder press

-Punching (this should be done chest high as if you were punching a bag, to increase the difficulty add your weights). 

-SS jumping rope for 60 seconds

-Walking lunges (add wights to ankles to add difficulty) for 60 seconds.

-SS with jumping jacks for 30 seconds

-Ab crunches and bridges (3 sets of 30 seconds and try to continue through all sets).

-Cool down by walking for 5 minutes.

Keep in mind all of these exercises can have difficulty added by wearing ankle wights or using heavier dumb bells. At any time you feel out of breath or need a rest listen to your body.

I have provided video links for some of the exercises that may be new to you. If you have any questions feel free to email me or contact us on Facebook.

buffbabefitness@hotmail.com

Buff Babe Fitness Facebook Link

Happy Training!

Lindsey

Choose Right

Workout Buddy and Team Heugly

The idea of getting started with a workout plan can be intimidating, but finding a workout partner or team to be apart of can really help you along your fitness journey. Here are a few things I suggest when looking for someone to join you at the gym.
- Find someone who has the same/or close to the same fitness goals as you. That way your workouts will be similar and you can share tips that have been working for each of you. (Always keep in mind that we all respond differently to exercise and diet, and that something that a friend is doing may not work for you).
-Have set times and stick to them.  I also suggest setting a limit on rest times. The gym should be a place to work hard, too many times people spend all their time talking and not focusing. (People always say "I saw you at the gym but did not want to say hi, you seems focused"; as you should be). Keep each other accountable for getting to the gym each time and be a positive reinforcement.
-When training for a bodybuilding show, triathlon, marathon, or other sporting competition consider joining a team.  This allows you to meet others who understand your goals and can help motivate you.  Being part of a team also allows you to have that extra support the day of competition.  And believe me, on those days it is so nice to have someone there who understands who you are going through.

Speaking of teams I wanted to share my team I am apart of when it comes to competing in body building shows. Team Heugly is made up of personal trainer Shane and Tiffany Heugly and do show prep, training, and nutrition plans for their clients.  They provide a great environment to meet people who have the same goals, create support for all their athletes and motivate their clients to achieve greatness. From personal experience I can say it was amazing for my husband and I to meet people who had the same love for something as we did, but to also find people who are going through what we are.  From this experience I would highly recommend that if you are getting ready to put your fitness goals into action, find a team or organization that shares your passion.  You will be surprised at how much it will help you along the way!
Check out their website for before and after photos, videos, and a list of awards.
Team Heugly Website

Here is the link for the video highlights from the NPC March 2012 show.
Video Highlights

NPC March Open Ironman 2012

We survived our first  NPC show this past weekend. My husband and I had spent the past 16 weeks training, dieting, and prepping.  Our lives have basicly consisted of the gym and eating with very little social activitiy. But I can say it was totally worth it.
Since the show I have had so many people ask about my diet and workout plan and how to achieve their own fitness goals. I decides to start this blog as well as a Facebook page to share fitness tips, motivation and inspiration to help others with their journey. I would love any feedback on topics that interest you as well as questions I can help
answer. Feel free to contact on Facebook or email me at buffbabefitness@hotmail.com