RESULTS from Hammer and Chisel

I did it!

I completed Hammer and Chisel. An 8 Week strength training program designed to get you lifting iron and pushing your limits 6 out of 7 days a week. AND I did this, all by myself!

The hardest part about doing this program, was the fact that I was doing it alone. I didn't have an accountability partner. I didn't have a group of online friends doing it with me. It was just me. Me and my own motivation to get'er done. Every day I had to wake up and press play, whether I wanted to or not because I chose to make it public. THAT was the key in to how I was able to make it to the end. Pulling my online friends along for the ride, knowing they watch my social media and ask me about it was my way of holding myself accountable. So to all of them, I say THANK YOU. Thank you for encouraging me, supporting me, "liking" my posts, commenting underneath them, and simply caring to see me finish 8 weeks of a program, I decided was good for me! LOL


GOALS

As a Beachbody Coach, and only having completed 2 21 day programs, I felt I needed to test my fitness and knowledge base a little bit more, to better Coach my clients. I didn't finish Body Beast for various reasons, so I thought because I was familiar with Autumn Calabrese's fitness approach to strength training, I may like the combo of her and Sagi better than Sagi alone. So for me, this was about completing 8 weeks!

Completing this program wasn't necessarily about losing weight. My body seems to be its happiest at 150 lbs. I have always been an active person, even while training for half marathons and triathlons I never really fluctuated with my weight. So I know it's most content in the 150 zone.  I was more focused about tweaking my nutrition and challenging myself with a strength training program. Goal #1, finish it and not quit half way through like my first attempt and #2, push myself. No excuses. Put the Beachbody Performance RECOVER to the test on my muscle recovery.

I also wanted to successfully complete this program as a vegetarian. I didn't see a lot of dietary options in the meal plan for me, so I sought the help and guidance of my friend and nutritionist to help me come up with a plan that will in fact fuel these work outs and help expand my own veggie repetoire. It was nice to work directly with someone who could customize those needs for me. I highly recommend seeking that expertise if you have special dietary needs!


MOTIVATION

To keep myself focused and on track and accountable to completing the 56 days of this program, I used social media and my friends/followers to keep me motivated. I would post sneak peeks into my work outs to inspire others on my Instagram and then report in with my daily accomplishments. I wasn't using those platforms to brag, it was more of a means of accountability. Doing this program alone took a lot of mental will power and on the days I just didn't want to, and there were many of them, I had to remember that I am sharing this journey so people want to see the struggle and the successes.

On top of that my husband deployed for 5 weeks. He left the week after I started.  Every time he leaves, I use my work outs as my means of stress relief, but also as motivation to get "hot" upon his return. Whatever it takes, right? So while he was gone, I woke up each day with the goal of WOWING him upon his return. Not that he doesn't already make me feel sexy and attractive, but because I needed something to PUSH me! A lot of progress can happen in 5 weeks, so I wanted to take advantage of that....and in fact, he did notice :-)


NUTRITION

My nutrition was dialed in, but not perfect. I "cheated" aka lived! I enjoyed a glass of wine every night. I celebrated my son's birthday with cake and ice cream. I treated my kids to froyo. I mean, it's ok to have that healthy balance. I am never going to DEPRIVE myself from living! I was just very conscious about how much "living" I did :-) I kept my proteins varied. I tried new things like tempeh. Varied up old favorites like quinoa, lentils, pumpkin seeds, cauliflower, spinach. I liked doing new things and expanding my cuisine.

I definitely upped my water intake. I tried to drink even more throughout the day to help keep my system running. Not to mention my home gym was in the garage and it was JUNE...so it was hot, hot hot! Sweat plus heat....MORE WATER! If you struggle with that too, try using an App. There are water drinking apps that help you create water alerts to remind you to DRINK! Annoying at times, but effective :-)

Lastly, I was lazy about my shakes. I love them, but didn't commit to drinking them every day. So, in an effort to follow the program as designed AND to test the benefits of drinking a smoothie every day, I commited to it the entire series. So every day, after my fasted work out, I had my daily dose of Cafe Latte Shakeology. I documented my daily dose, every day on Instagram. Here is DAY 61's pic!

I am being perfectly honest with you in saying I put it to the test. I had heard all the testimonies about how awesome it is for you, and how it made others feel but I was still skeptical. I am a girl who likes to EAT. I mean, EAT-EAT! I had such a hard time thinking a shake would be filling to me. But here I am, 61 days later and still going strong. A shake a day...and I feel AMAZING. The benefits are truly felt and I am not here to convince you of that. If you're like me, you need to experience it yourself. If you don't feel any changes, or an increase in your energy in 30 days, you get your money back. Yes, even if you drink the ENTIRE bag. How's that for a guarantee?

RESULTS

As predicted, my weight did not fluctuate. I weighed myself in the morning, after my work out and before I had my shake. Just like I did going into Day 1 of Hammer and Chisel. I still weigh 150 lbs. However, I can CLEARLY see some inches lost and lean muscle mass and definition in place. WINNING!

I see a smoother core. I see strong shoulders. I see a lifted chest. I see a reduction in my cheek bones. I see leaner quads. Not to mention toned arms in this first pic

In this pic, I see a leaner torso. Inches lost around my hips. A higher  and tighter booty ~ WINNING! Strong shoulders and back. Lean legs. I can totally see how all those pulls up paid off!

This pic is probably the most telling. ABS! See them? I do! I see ABS! And hello hamstrings! I nicely formed hamstring holding up that tighter booty! Notice my bikini bottoms are looser too. They are gapping in the back! WINNING! My arms are leaner, my legs are leaner and I can clearly see a much toner silhouette. I am proud of this! SUPER PROUD.

This program will challenge you. For sure. BUT, you have to WANT to challenge yourself. You have to decide how hard you want to work to GET results. Don't make it easy on yourself. Don't tell yourself you don't want to be sore the next day. That does not CHALLENGE you. Let the Beachbody Performance Line help you with the recovery process. CHALLENGE your limits and tell yourself YOU CAN. I had so many conversations with myself going through these 56 days. Arguing with myself over whether or not I really want to see this through. This was mentally tough completing on my own...and physically demanding but SO WORTH IT

In the end, it's YOU against YOU! Yes it's nice to have a support group doing it right along with you, but in the end, you are creating your own masterpiece and this program will help you get there! Let's 

talk!

WHAT'S NEXT

I am so happy with my results. I am ready to continue to do another 30 days of Chisel along with my TEST GROUP doing the 22 Minute Hard Corps with me.  Mixing the strength of Chisel with the cardio from #22mhc will hopefully keep my fitness as its best as I prepare for my family's vacation next month!

And you KNOW, I will be sending in these pics for my FREE CHALLENGE Tank that I EARNED! With every completion of a Beachbody program you qualify to earn that t-shirt and I will WEAR IT OUT! 

I definitely feel more confident as a Beachbody Coach but also as a walking testimony that you CAN GET RESULTS FROM HOME! I have not been this fit before. Not by running. Not by Triathlon. Not by working out in a gym. THIS format works for me. I am ready to do it all over again...

This blog was about my experience, but I will be doing a FULL Hammer and Chisel REVIEW on my YouTube later today. Please subscribe to My Channel if you'd like to learn more about the program itself. 

CONTACT

If you have questions or if you want to start your own fitness journey but don't know where to start or how...let's TALK! 

Find me here ----------->>>>> CHRISTY KILGORE PERSONAL TRAINER ON FACEBOOK

Leave me some feedback. I appreciate you following along, checking in, and your comments of support

Equipment for Hammer and Chisel

Hi there! My name is Christy Kilgore. Personal Trainer, ACE certified Group Fitness Instructor and an online fitness Coach. I just completed 8 weeks of Hammer and Chisel and wanted to share with you some of the  equipment needs you will want to have on hand to be successful completing this program

To feel better prepared to start the Hammer and Chisel program right when it arrives to your front door, it's a good idea to know what kinds of equipment pieces you will need to jump right into it. That way if you needed to go out and purchase additional pieces, you can do that before your package arrives. Right away, I make sure I am ready to journal the whole process. It doesn't have to be an expensive, leather bond journal, just something that will allow you to track your weights and your experiences as you go. It also allows me to write a little testimony each work out about how I felt during the work out and afterwards. At the end of the 8 weeks, I can look back at how I felt in the beginning to how I felt near the end. It's cool to see that progression that maybe you don't see WHILE you're doing it. So your first equipment need would be a journal.

You will be doing LOTS of pull ups. If you don't already have a pull up bar installed in your home gym, or have a door jam pull up bar, you can get by with resistance bands. I got mine at Target. It came with 3 different resistances: light, medium and heavy. As you progress through the series, you may find you want to increase your intensity, so going up on your resistance would be a great option. These are the ones I used for the full 8 weeks. Make sure you have a secure spot to use your resistance bands. If you don't, than consider the bands with door attachment. You want to make sure you're safe and that the bands will not snap and break. My husband attached our bands to our garage door track. He first used duct tape to protect the bands and then secured them on top.
I also used my TRX suspension trainers too, when I could.  There are various ways to effectively complete the pull up movements, even if you do not have the actual pull up bar. Do what works for you and challenges you that is also within your budget. Message me if you need modifications to make your work out work for you.

If you don't already own a bench, you can do some of the movements on a stability ball. Pay close attention to the size of your ball and how that fits your height. You want to ensure you are fitted correctly. Instructions are usually included on the packaging. You will find that using the ball over the bench will actually be a little more challenging in some cases, which is potentially a good thing! You're using more core and stabilizers to hold your position versus a static bench. However, if you don't have the bench, you would just simply do a variation of the movement on the floor instead, for some of the cardio segments that use the bench. Still a great modification.

You will be doing some core work on the floor, so if you don't already down a mat or have a carpeted surface you can work from (and use a towel for), you will want to invest in a mat .

In terms of weights, it's important that you go light when instructed, and go heavy when instructed. That will be relative to your fitness. The smaller weights are for smaller muscle groups: tricepts, shoulders, etc and the heavier weights are for larger muscle groups: chest, legs, etc.  So, have a few options at home you can work with...and remember you may need to up your weights over time, as you start to build up muscle strength and endurance. NOT A BAD THING! I was able to find a set of Select Techs off craigslist which worked great for me, but you can also find random sets of weights on there too, or any of the local sports and fitness stores, like Dick's, Academy, Sports Authority, Target, Walmart, etc

I want you to feel prepared so hopefully this will be helpful to you. As you work through the 8 weeks of this program, you may find you need additional equipment. Do what works for you. If you have any questions, you can always personally contact me, I am more than happy to help!

----->>> Christy Kilgore Personal Trainer

GET HAMMERED! 

Becoming a Vegetarian

I thought I would journal my way through these next 21 days. I figure I might as well do that so that it holds me accountable and gives me a resource to refer to at the end of this journey or in a year or tooA month ago, I hosted a 10 Day Clean Eating Challenge group. Clean eating is something I think I do well, but ALWAYS know there is room for improvement. I am very fortunate enough to have friends all around me, who practice healthful living so I asked them to be apart of it. Each friend who presented their story and recipes had such diversity and conviction, that not only did the followers in the group benefit from their story, I did too.

When the group finished, there were some spin off topics discussed. One of which was the food documentary Knives over Forks. I was encouraged to watch it, so I looked it up on Netflix and soaked it all in. Here is a snip it of what this documentary discusses: (you can also view the full documentary on YouTube)

Forks Over Knives

The documentary in its entirety was an eye opener. Much like Food Inc was when it first came out. Why? Because I grew up on a dairy farm. We named our animals. We let them out into the pasture to eat and roam. We fed them whole food. We drank their milk. We ate their beef. We grew our own vegetables in a garden my grandfather maintained. That to me was what ALL farmers did because in my mind, farmers were lovers of animals, not big business capitalists. Boy was a I naive.

I found that watching Forks Over Knives, and hearing the perspective of the presenter, a dairy farmer's child himself, talk about the increased risk of cancer cases, he was convinced derived from the animal proteins we consume, I had to make some changes. Cancer was eating my family alive.

So, I thought: why not? Why not give it a try? What do I have to lose, besides a little weight? I am also ALWAYS looking for ways to improve my diet in any way. Trying new things. Sampling new foods. Not to the extreme of course, but incorporating more foods to improve my wellness inside and out. I am convinced going plant based with my eating will help do that for me. And better my odds AGAINST disease, specifically cancer. These next 21 days, I be treating this as an experiment of sorts.I will be honest in the way I proceed forward and I will be real with my journey.Coincidentally, as a Beachbody Coach, I was starting a round of the 21 Day Fix and this round I was interested in seeing if I could see this through with the support of my accountability group, but also combined with a program designed to create better eating habits in 3 weeks through portion control and exercise. I thought it was perfect timing.

So with that, on February 23rd, 2015, I started my path towards a vegetarian lifestyle. With Day #1 under my belt, I wanted to share how it went.

All my meals were 21 Day Fix Approved:

Breakfast:

Greek Yogurt mixed with flaxseed, raw almonds, raspberries, black berries and strawberries
2 mugs of coffee
8 oz of water

Snack was 5-6 baby carrots
8oz glass of water

Lunch:
Chocolate Vegan Shakeology, mixed with 2 tbs natural peanut butter, a banana and light and unsweetened almond milk.
8 oz of water

Snack: pretzels and hummus and some raw pecans and 8 oz of water

Dinner: 3 grade leaf wraps with rice, red peppers and onion and 8 oz of water



I went to be feeling very full but did not eat enough protein for the day. I was three containers short!!! So I definitely need to reevaluate that moving forward. My water was done by 2 8 oz servings too. Something to work through.

Eating more fiber and more dense nutrition is giving me that satisfied, full feeling. Looking at this list of food, doesn't seem like much, but I did feel full the entire day. (and I worked out too)

Going into Day #2, I am keeping the proteins on my mind. I am not trying to deprive myself of any nutrition by doing this. Just need to figure it out.

Who I am, What I can DO!

Hi! I’m Christy. Welcome to my blog.

I’m a SAHM (stay-at-home Mom) turned CPT: Certified Personal Trainer. I’m passionate about fitness and living healthfully and want to help you get to a place where you share that same love for healthy well being too.

I currently train clients at Earlywine Park YMCA as well as at Oklahoma City Community College (OCCC). I also do one-on-one training with women who want to learn how to better manage their hectic lifestyles to create a more balance habit of working out so that they can achieve their weight loss goals and feel better about themselves.

I am willing to travel to your home or work out with you in a public setting; but not in a gym. We will be creative with where we meet and what tools we use. I promise you, you will get a GREAT work out in an hour as I work you through a full body circuit session. We will also end each session with proper stretching of each muscle group we worked out. I firmly believe in the importance of stretching post each work out. **My availability is typically good during the day and some on the weekends. I prefer mornings and afternoons but can negotiate a meeting time**

 

Week Two: Being Creative

Without having a gym membership, I've had to find creative ways for Angela to squeeze in some cardio as well as resistance training. The key to making our time together effective, is being creative in the ways we use the tools we already have. It's not so much important to invest in expensive gym memberships or equipment, if you have the basics already at home.

Work Out #1: yoga mat, "fanny lifter", "box step" and free weights

Work Out #2: Box Step, yoga mat, free weights, physioball and medicine ball

Work Out #3: Elastic bands, medicine  ball, yoga mat, physioball

When we combine our resources we have just what we need to build upper and lower progressive work outs with or without using weights. Simple tools yet very effective.

It's been nice not working out in a gym, to be honest. Being outside makes our time together a lot more fun and less intimidating for someone new to fitness. AND it allows Angela a chance to see you don't need to spend a lot of money to have a space to work out nor do you have to travel very far. Pictured above is her backyard and the space we use at Earlywine Park.

How many of you work out from home? What do you have in your home gym?

Week One: Commitment

Admitting there is a problem is the first step to overcoming a problem. The second step is follow through. This was where my journey with Angela began.

I asked all my contest participants to submit their story; defining where they were in their life and why they needed my help. In addition to that, I asked each one to fill out a questionnaire that held them even more accountable. In doing this, it forced each one of them to look at their problems head on, become vulnerable to the process and then open to changing their habits.

After meeting with Angela I knew she was ready. Not only did she admit her weaknesses and her failures that got her where she is right now, she was willing to try and do new things to get herself back on track. 

She has been so open to this process and what it has to offer. Everything I have asked her to do, she has followed through. From taking her "before" pictures to getting her cholesterol tested, tracking her eating habits for a week, and pushing herself during out work outs. Even when it was tough, she stuck it out and exceeded my expectations.

What has also helped with her progress, is the support of her family. When she committed to this process, her husband backed her up 100%. As a result, he too is benefiting from our time together. I love seeing this family take this journey together. Their example is definitely shaping their son's future as well. So much so he joined us during a few of our work outs ~ even when he was supposed to be napping ;-)

Knowing her family is supporting her, her friends and our Facebook audiences are watching, her commitment to this has really pushed her through...and I can't say enough about it! Keep up the good work. I am so proud of you.

Please follow her progress on her blog as she updates it recounting her work outs, her struggles and her triumphs, as well as follow me here on my blog or on my Facebook page ~ click on my badge link to the top left of my blog!

Thanks for visiting...check back soon!

Meet Angela

This is Angela.

Angela and I will be training together for the next three months. Please follow along with us. But first  here is her story:

Like many first time moms, she puts everyone's needs ahead of her own. She struggles with finding the time and the motivation to get her health back on track. In addition to being mom and wife and managing the household, she also works part time.  While juggling all of this, she self admittedly finds it hard to eat healthfully and both she and her husband are feeling the effects of that:

"My husband and I both are starting to see the effects that bad eating habits and lack of exercise are making on our quality of life.  We want to be the family that enjoys outdoor activities on the weekends.  I dream of the day that we spend our Saturdays taking bike rides, hikes, or nature walks instead of complaining that we are too tired to do anything.  I'm ready to stop making excuses and start working hard to live the life I have been dreaming of".  

I think many of us can relate to where Angela is now.  Trying to find the time for oneself, while having to care for someone who is fully dependent on you. But there is way, it just takes commitment. I am determined to help keep her committed and to find the fun side of fitness.

It also takes a positive support group that will help keep her accountable and motivated. Please be that encouragement to her, and leave comments each time I update my blog on our progress together. The feedback we both get from this will motivate us to do more; push us harder and get the results we both want.

Looking forward to getting started on this path to healthy living! Please "follow" my blog (to the left and click on the blue "JOIN THIS SITE" link under the FOLLOWERS tab) for updates and comment when you can!


Let's get STARTED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Commitment

Commitment is NOT a 4 letter word

(L-A-Z-Y)

It doesn't even contain the same letters.

Are you committed?

I want YOU!

I'm looking for "case studies" to help build my knowledge and experience. I'm willing to offer my services FREE OF CHARGE for three months. I thought I would make it a contest and ask each person to submit to me a video diary or blog entry and tell me why you deserve the help

Make your story real. Tell me where you are in your life, where you want to be, what you're willing to do and why you're the best candidate to work with.

I've been asked "why the blog entry?" for your contest. The answer is twofold. One, it allows the client a time to reflect on where they are now, where they want to be and what they expect out of this experience. By writing out their story, they start to own their history and acknowledge they need help. The second reason is, it allows me to go PUBLIC with my message of good health. I will be documenting our experiences together for the next three months here on Facebook and on this blog, which is the easiest and most affordable way to reach a large audience with training tips and client experiences. 

By making our experiences so public, it holds us BOTH accountable to put forth our best effort and results. It's a win win! So please create a blog if you don't have one already and write out your story. 

Submit that entry to me by next weekend. If you submit a video story instead, upload it to your favorite media sharing site (preferably youtube.com) and send me the link (doozerkilgore@gmail.com). I look forward to hearing your stories and meeting you all soon. :-)

We will start in May so you better hurry!

Send your submission to doozerkilgore@gmail.com and "share" this blog entry on your Facebook wall so your friends can see it too!

Thank you and I look forward to your stories

Healthful Tips #1

Hello everyone,

Each week I am going to share with you some Healthful Tips on what works with my family in hopes that it will inspire you or encourage you to try something new with your's.

I welcome your feedback!

A New Beginning!

Hello and Welcome!

I have started a new chapter in my life and I am excited to take you along on my journey of self discovery and living your best life.

If you scroll down and view to the left of this post, there is a designated area for people who are following this blog. Please click "follow" and comment as often as you want. I love the feedback and will be available to be a help to you whenever you need me.

Thanks for visiting!