Shoe Review: Nike Flex Trainer 2

Anyone who knows me well is aware of my love affair with shoes. I am a sucker for footwear of any kind, but I'm also choosy about what I put on my (tiny) feet. I don't like to feel constricted or contorted when I walk, run, dance, etc. I like for my feet to be able to breathe. That sounds a bit odd, I know, but your feet do need to breathe.

I'm in the process of obtaining a certification as a personal trainer. When I started this course, I realized that I was in need of a pair of training shoes. My inner shoe lover didn't argue with me.

Notice I said training shoes. You're probably thinking, "What's wrong with using running or walking shoes/sneakers?" 

I'm glad you asked.

There is a distinct difference between training shoes and your typical pair of running or walking shoes/sneakers. Training shoes are designed to provide stability and support - that extra "sticking power" - form every angle when you're busting a crazy move during your HIIT (high intensity interval training) routine or performing balance moves (ie. any one-legged exercises). Most typical running and walking shoes/sneakers are built to be used for forward (and maybe the occasional backward) movements only. It's possible to use your favorite pair of running shoes, but I personally lose my balance less often and feel that I get a better workout when I use training shoes when doing HIIT routines, etc.

I'm a long-time Nike customer, so I immediately hit up their selection of training shoes and fell in love with the beauties you see pictured here. Love, love, love the color scheme!

I've been using these shoes for a few months now and I have no complaints whatsoever - great color selection(s) great fit, and just the right amount of support. Bravo, Nike! This girl will be back for more when these wear out.

...or when I decide I need another pair in a different color.

Food Review: Cassey's (Blogilates) Banana Pancakes

Photo by Cassey/Blogilates

Pancakes often get a bad rap for being a carb-loaded, nutrient-lacking foe to a healthy diet. (But they taste sooo good!)

I love pancakes, but I don't like what they do to me, so I've been looking for ways to have my (pan)cake and be able to eat it too. (No pun intended, of course.)

I was poking around Cassey's web site, Blogilates.com, and stumbled across this absolutely amazing banana pancakes recipe.

Yes, friend, you read that right: banana pancakes!

I whipped up a batch of said pancakes, took a bite, and WOW.

That's all I could say for the next few minutes . . . WOW.

These little gems you see pictured above require only two ingredients: eggs and bananas. Super simple, super quick, super easy. Check out Cassey's recipe post here for full instructions on how to make these delectable, darling pancakes.

I was a little worried that these pancakes would taste really egg-ey and not pancake-ey. Boy was I ever wrong! The banana covers up most of the egg-ey tase, and the consistency is starchy like a regular pancake, so I felt very satisfied. I didn't use any kind of syrup or topping - the bananas gave these pancakes all the flavor they needed.

These pancakes kept me full from 7am - noon. I was impressed, and my stomach was happy. I'm usually hungry by 10:30 or 11am . . . not with these little gems in my tummy.

Try your hand at making these scrumptious pancakes, and be sure to check out Cassey's other healthy and delicious recipes on Blogilates.com. Your stomach - and your waistline - will thank you.

I'll make you banana pancakes

Pretend like it's the weekend now

- Jack Johnson -

DVD Review: Ripped in 30

Anyone who knows me very well knows that I am a huge Jillian Michaels fan. Her aggressive, no-nonsense, kick-butt approach to fitness gets me moving like nobody's business. I purchased her newest DVD, "Ripped in 30," about 8 weeks ago and thought I'd share what I liked and didn't like about it with you guys.

To start off, let me give you an idea of how "Ripped in 30" works. It's a four week workout plan (with a bonus meal plan) made up of four progressive workouts, levels 1-4. You start with level 1 the first week, working out 4-5 days a week, progressing in the workouts every week until you hit the four week mark (eg. you're doing level 4 in week 4). Jillian uses her trademark 3-2-1 system in this DVD - three minutes of strength, two minutes of cardio and one minute of ab work, in that order. Each level/workout is made up of a warm-up, three circuits of exercises following the 3-2-1 system, and a cool-down/stretch. Jillian uses Level 1 and 2 as the foundation for the remaining two levels, hammering basic moves to make sure you have good form down "so you're ready when things get a little crazy [in Level 3 and 4]." As always, Jillian includes a modified/beginner version of all the moves for those who are just starting their fitness journey (or for us fitness gurus who need to catch our breath for a bit to keep going) and an advanced version for those who are looking for an off-the-charts fitness challenge.

I liked that Jillian included a meal plan with the DVD as an extra bonus. I'll be honest and admit that I didn't follow it to the letter like she says to in the DVD intro (shhh, don't tell Jillian!). If I had, my results probably would have been even better than they were, but I did find it helpful to use as a general game plan for meals.

I liked that none of the 3-2-1 moves were repeated in any of the levels. That really helped keep boredom and plateauing at a minimum for me.

This might seem silly, but I liked all of the girls she picked to be in this DVD. All of them seem to know what they were doing, and they seem to be having a good time sweating it out with Jillian. And of course Jillian seem to have a blast pushing them around. ;) I got more than one good laugh watching her joke around with them, which helped get me through the workouts.

I wish she had included a little more rest time in between circuits, especially in Levels 3 and 4, but that's more of a personal preference. I had to pause the DVD a few times on Levels 3 and 4 in order to catch my breath, but again, that's more of a personal preference as I don't like keeping my heart rate up super high for extended periods of time. And let me tell ya, your heart is pounding like crazy when you finish, especially the last two levels, so make sure you give yourself plenty of time to recover and cool down.


So, the big question . . . did I get ripped in 30?


Well, I don't really get "ripped" when I do these kinds of exercise programs. That's just how my muscles are. But I did observe a noticeable difference in my muscular strength and reaction time, in the way my clothes fit, in my energy levels, in my muscle tone and in my cardiovascular endurance. As I said before, I didn't follow the meal plan very closely, so that probably affected my results. I apologize for the lack of before and after photos; that would probably give you a better idea of my results.

That's my take on Jillian Michaels' "Ripped in 30" DVD.

Myrna

First Post!

Hi, everyone!

Welcome to Moore Fitness Reviews, where I'll be sharing my thoughts on various fitness products, techniques, etc. I hope you'll find my reviews useful in your own fitness journey.

My first review should be up soon, so stay tuned! Thanks for stopping by!

Myrna