February 28, 2017

Nina Talks Podcast Episode #3: Self-Love

Here are the show notes from today's episode: 

What is self-love? according to Wikipedia is regard for one's own well-being and happiness.

5 SIMPLE things that I do daily to help my self-love:

  1. Give yourself daily compliments!
  2. Find your passion!
  3. Write your thoughts down!
  4. Get out of your comfort zone!
  5. Think happy & Positive thoughts!

You can listen to the rest below to get inspired: 





xoxo, 
Nina

February 20, 2017

Nina Talks Podcast Episode #2 : Hello Whimzy

Welcome to episode two of the Nina Talks Podcast Show Notes!

Today I got to interview one of the most whimsical girls I have ever met: Lauren from Hello Whimzy 

  • She is a fellow Utah blogger with a mission to inspire others
  • We talked about the difference between being doers & dreamers
  • She wrote a blog post about what Whimzy means to her but here are my favorite notes from it: Whimzy is what makes you happy.
    Whimzy is where your dreams and aspirations come from.
    Whimzy is imagination. 
  • My cheeks hurt at the end of our convo because I was smiling big the whole time! I'm serious! Listen to it below: 



xo,
Nina

February 12, 2017

Flexibility Class Journal Entry


I wrote this journal for my weight lifting class at SLCC but I thought I would add it to the blog as well for memories. Enjoy! 

Before taking this flexibility class I thought my range of motion was alright. Upon taking the initial evaluation I realized that my body isn’t as flexible as I thought. There are certain areas of my body that did well, but overall my range of motion is normal. It was very interesting to see the difference between the left and right side of my body. I’m left handed so the left side of my body flexibility is a lot better than my right. Another thing that I have found very interesting was that when you are performing a back extension you should always keep your pelvis flat on the mat. I’ve been doing this wrong and thought that the higher I raised my trunk the better.

My initial goals for this class was to improve my hip flexion and extension, and for long term it was to improve my back and hip flexion, rotation, and lateral flexion. Each class challenged me in a different way. I will be honest and say that I haven’t been the best at getting my stretches done each day before my workouts. So being able to understand how important it is to stretch your muscles before and after completing a workout helped me a lot. Especially when the professor went in depth on how to properly foam roll. It was great to learn how to properly foam roll to not injure yourself.
After re-evaluating myself there are a few things that I have learned from the data. My sit and reach test improved by two inches. 

My first test was 25 inches, then my second test ended with 27 inches. I thought that was great improvement since I have learned new breathing techniques that have helped me improve my flexibility.

As for the Tanita scale, there are a few things to mention that have changed this semester, the first being my weight. I started out at 150 pounds due to having upped my calorie intake for the year. And even though I didn’t want a lot to change my weight did go down to 144 pounds. It’s not a huge difference which it is very understandable. After the semester is over I’m planning on changing my macronutrients to get back on track with my weight and diet.

Since the Tanita scale tells me that my BMI is around 25. For my height and weight, it is a lot and it puts me in the “overweight” category, even though I know that a lot of my weight comes from muscle mass. My TBW has significantly changed for the semester which is great. I made myself a goal to drink at least 8-12 cups of water each day. My initial hydration for the semester started at 53% and it ended at 61%. So I would say that I have reached my desired goals.

Overall, my knowledge about flexibly and lifetime wellness has expanded and I’m happy that I decided to take this class. For the past 10 years my focus has mostly been on strength training, with a little bit of cardiovascular activities, but It has been great to learn a new skill that I will take with me for the rest of my life. My plan is to keep foam rolling each day before I start my workouts and also focus on my cool downs.

What made this class interesting to me was that each day was something new. I looked forward to coming to class and seeing what was next. The student presentations were great and they taught me new routines that I’m very excited to try out. The only recommendation I would make is that students communicate with other groups before their presentations so that we aren’t doing the same exact stretches for a full class period.

February 10, 2017

Nina Talks Podcast Episode 1: An Introduction!

Let me introduce you to the Nina Talks podcast!

For as long as I can remember, I always had the idea of creating a podcast to share my thoughts with others. If you know anything about me, you know that I have a few ideas at a time brewing in my mind. This podcast is one of them!

I hope you stick around with me as I navigate this new World and learn as I go. Here are the show notes for episode #1: The Nina Talks Podcast!
  • Background music equals = me shaking to the beat!
  • When I get excited my voice gets a bit pitchy! 
  • Brazilian memories and talks about Brazil
  • My favorite Brazilian restaurants in Utah are Tucanos, Rodizio, Sweet Spot, and Tushar!
  • I talk about BUCKET LISTS and what they mean to me!
  • ALSO! My panda obsession! 

 If you missed it you can listen to it below: 

xo, Nina

February 2, 2017

5 Different Push-ups variations!

Back when I only did intense cardio as my workouts, the word push-ups were not in my vocabulary. I was very afraid of either hurting myself. Or be made fun of for not knowing what I was doing. Girl push-ups were the only thing I could do. When I started to get serious about fitness and shifted my focus to weight lifting, push-ups were just the thing to do. Months after months of training. I perfected the man version of push-ups. There are days that I do about 45-50 push-ups at once. It’s now one of my favorite things to do. Often while at work, I will drop down and do 25 push-ups! Sometimes some of my coworkers do it with me. That makes my day! Here are 5 versions of push-ups that you should try:1. “BOSU push-ups”  Turn a Bosu ball over, so that the half ball portion is on floor. Assume a push-up position and place your hands on the sides of the Bosu’s platform. Brace your core and glutes.  You can also alternate between legs:

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2. “Single leg push-ups” Begin at the top of the Push-up position with one hand out farther in front than the other. Lift the leg on your opposite side, keeping that knee straight and core tight. Keep your back straight and lower the torso under control. When you reach the floor, fire up your pecs and shoulders, and extend at the elbows to return to the starting position. Perform as many reps as you need reps on one side, then repeat with your other hand forward and leg raised.

Alternating-Hand-and-Single-Leg-Push-Up

3. ” Push Up to Side Plank” (or T Push-up) Begin at the bottom of the Push-up with your elbows bent and torso straight. Extend at the elbows to reach the high Push-up position. At the top of the movement, turn at the shoulders and reach one hand as high as possible toward the ceiling. Then reverse the motion and return under control back to the starting position. Switch between lifting your left and right arm on each rep.

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4. “Regular Push-Ups” Start off by lying face down on the floor or on a mat with your feet together and arms shoulder-width apart. Slowly draw your abs in, inhale and raise your body off of the floor until your arms are straight, keeping your head and neck level with your body as this will be your starting position. As you lower yourself down towards the ground, exhale until your chest almost touches the ground and you feel a stretch in your chest muscles. Hold for a count at the bottom position and then return back up to the starting position.

push-ups-demo

5. “Incline Push-Ups” Place your hands on a box, bench, or step instead of the floor. Low your body until your chest nearly touches the bench. Pause at the bottom, and then push yourself back to the starting position as quickly as possible. I have used a tire as well to do these push-ups.

inclinepushups
There you have it! Now, go out and try a new variation for your next Push ups!

XO, Nina