Where do we go from here...

I entered college at the young age of 18, the way most people do. At first I believed it was the place for me, lots of people to meet and places to learn about. I soon discovered that my lack of knowledge in the human body would be an emotional rollercoaster ride for the next 10 years of my life...

High School was awesome for me. Not because of the people, not the teachers, not even the environment... (1/2 mile from the ocean..and something I never took advantage of!!) It was the sports and my need for competitive action. I love sports and playing them on a competitive level. I never imagined what life would be like outside of organized sports in high school, because I did not give it much thought. Unfortunately, nobody ever told me about the essential needs to adapting an exercise routine in my daily lifestyle so that I would stay in shape as I slowly drifted away from the connection I had built with sports.

I spent the majority of my life in organized sports and was a skinny rail of a kid. Once I got to college I ate, drank and gained 20 pounds and over the last 10 years, 20 more. I sought personal training to get me out of the ditch I had put myself in, as I was watching my thighs spread further and further out every time I sat down. Yuk! All I could think about was the parents of a very good friend of mine growing up. When we sold newspapers together, his parents would visit, to buy us a hot chocolate. Whenever they sat down at the bench their thighs were super large and whenever I saw them my thoughts were that I would never let that happen to me. It was happening though, so I started to go to the gym and see what I could do.

The gym was such a tough thing to figure out. There was the ever-so famous, boring, treadmill run, which I could never grow to like. Then the machines..ahh the machines! For those who like machines, good for you, but my body responds well to real challenges so free weights were to my liking. It was now just a matter of how to operate properly with free weights.

At college, the only time I went into the free weight room was to get a locker key. It truly was a mans sport at my school, like walking into man town. I was not very comfortable with the thought of being a part of this, and it wasn't until 2 years later when I graduated that I found the fun in lifting weights. "Body Pump" an awesome weight lifting class designed to help you strengthen your muscles and enjoy the beauty of a good challenge. It was Body Pump in Naples Florida that drove me to love free weights. It wasn't too long after that that I started thinking that personal training would be a great position for me.

my Work Out:

4 sets of 15 walking planks

6 sets of 18 leg lifts

10 sets of 6 tricep dips

5 sets of 10 squats on med ball

hit the bag 10 minutes

Hope you all find your niche in exercise one day,

Your friend in health ministry,

Sarah A. Servant

I love Christmas..

Christmas is such a great holiday. No offense to anyone out there who doesn't celebrate Christmas in the same, happy times to you too.

Last night was dinner with family and friends. We went to an amazing new restaurant the opened up in Norwell call "the Fours." It was very comfortable and the food was delicious. I'm being more health conscious when picking the proper meal in a restaurant. My choice was the arugula salad with filet and toasted pine nuts.

A better way to eat for a more healthy option would be to eat clean. Eating clean, things like fruits, vegetables, nuts, berries and proteins. My favorite things to eat in following these rules are honey coated cashews with sesame seeds. You are allowed to have a little bit of honey in my rule book. If you want to know more about eating clean, I would check out a book called the "Paleo Diet" which essentially incorporates eating food the way people did before processed, perserved and pesticied things came into play. All of these "P" words cause poor digestion and many terrible diseases. Our health has declined significantly over the last 20 years, and more people are theorizing that lack of proper nutrition could be the cause. (I believe it is)

The reason I believe nutrition is the cause is because I take supplements and essential oils. The supplements help me be free from a horrible disease called "asthma" which I felt imprisoned by my whole life. When I stop taking the supplements, my misery returns. I also take essential oils to help with healing. I have avoided 5 colds and beat the swine flu in 2 days from these remedies. Nothing is more amazing to me than how the stuff God put on this earth to grow, is used to heal us. The stuff man made, well that's a whole other topic of discussion...

Exercise and nutrition go together. We all need to eat healthy and exercise regularly. As a personal trainer, you would think we all follow the rules 100%. I'm one to be honest, the truth of the matter is that when you grow up with bad habits, they die hard. I love pizza, icecream, sweets and especially man made carbs. With a clean diet, I am really understanding how much I love these things. I crave them, and my mouth salivates over something to calm the crave. People say that this too passes, however, I find it extremely challenging to cleanse my body of the things it shouldn't have and rely on the foods it should.

I'm big on rewards based on merit. If you have eaten well 6 days a week, then on the 7th day you should be allowed to eat something that you are really wanting to have. As long as you moderate on your reward, I believe that this method is a solid nutrition routine. I also like to tag an exercise amount on how much I eat. If I want to eat a slice of pizza, then I have to complete 40 push ups for every slice. This way I'm either motivated for the punishment, or deterred by it.

This week is going to be completely busy. I'm so excited for Christmas and looking forward to a mini vacation as well.

my Work out for today:

12 sets of 5 push ups
15 sets of 8 burpees
3 sets of 20 jump squats/20 jump lunges
jump rope 2 sets 2 minutes
lunge 10 yards/bear crawl back 10x

Body weight exercises are a great thing to attempt daily. You don't need equipment, and there are no excuses for getting it done.

Your friend in health,

Sarah A. Servant

Tis' this season

Today is another wonderful blessed day...

It's been a little different schedule today, taking pictures at Calvary Chapel Academy. I haven't had a picture day in a very long time, maybe 10 years plus. It was quite a humbling experience, and this time you see the digital image immediately after. You can chose to take a new one if you like. I opted for a new picture, the lady originally had me tilt my head down a little in the first round. Turns out the double chin action, which I know we all have when angled improperly in photos.

I chose the second picture, no double chins for me.

This holiday past, Thanksgiving, was a good time. I hope everyone was surrounded by friends and loved ones as I was. I made the most delicious pie I have ever eaten. It was a strawberry-cranberry pie with my mom's homemade pie crust, scrumptous! I know I am a personal trainer and all, but I am a realist as well. The majority of the time that I spend eating, it's usually eggs, meat, fruits, veggies, nuts and berries..but on Thanksgiving, pies, turkey and stuffing. Yes I did say 'pies' I ate two pieces.

Working out has become a grateful addiction to me. Lately push ups is an every day thing. If you do them properly, you will experience a very challenging full body workout. I had an old friend we used to call 'scuba Steve' compete with me 6 years ago in a daily push up contest. At that time I had no idea that one day I would become a personal trainer. I ended up quitting because I just couldn't keep up with scuba. He was up to 200 push ups a day and it was so obvious because his entire physique had changed. He was becoming more lean, his upper body had formed the shape of a professional swimmer, and he was losing the old beer gut that he retained over the summer's endeavors.

I ran into scuba Steve about a year ago. I asked him if he was still diligently pushing up every day. He told me that he had to give it up due to he hurt his shoulder. He was a little bummed out about it, but was completing 500 to 700 push ups a day and just wore out his muscles. I learned in school that there is an important part to training the body that must be followed, that is active rest. If you overtrain your muscles, you will likely hurt yourself, and have to start over. In injured times, we all must realize that when returning to the exercise you will not be able to pick up where you left off. It most cases it only takes 48 hours to lose strength, work out until you are fatiqued, but not in pain.

As a trainer, I follow the safety approach to training. I have helped people with chronic knee pain walk again pain free, people with back problems wake up without back pain, and people with shoulder pain recover with a stronger shoulder than before. There is something to working to your level of ability to build up strength and eventually become pain free, and it is super important to know and understand the proper form.

I personally have suffered from knee, back and shoulder pain due to various ridiculous activites. Last year I crashed over the handle bars of my full suspension mountain bike. My really good friend Jonny dukes witnessed the whole thing. It was a bad crash that split open my elbow and tore a muscle in my shoulder. Today, if I stop working out for an extended period of time, my shoulder feels pain.

Two years ago I broke my leg and tore my miniscus snowboarding. After surgery recovery, If I didn't keep my quads strong, I felt the pain in my knee. On a rainy low barometric pressure day I can't avoid the pain, however, if I keep my body strong I never feel the effects. The back is just bad due to posture, my postural muscles are off course so I am constantly readjusting myself and keeping the push ups going so I don't wake up crippled. Staying strong is the key to my survival to keep the pain away. Enough said, getting old takes a toll on your body, however, I know I will be stronger when I get to my 40's then the way I was in my 20's. Looking forward to it.

-Sarah A. Servant

Holidays are approaching fast...

Hello bloggers,

This season, the holidays are upon us. Are you ready for what's to come? Apple pies, turkey and stuffing...stuffing is so good, yet you could eat all of your calories in the stuffing. This weekend, on the 21st I will be holding a free work out/eat right seminar, where I will be handing out some information on work out routines and a meal plan.

I hope that you can make it! There will be lots of good information to be given, no secrets held back. I also wanted to announce that I will be beginning the "BIG 20 Project" this week. Excitedly enough, I am running a program similar to the "Biggest Loser" show on TV. People will receive an opportunity to win free personal training packages.

I'm so excited about all the new things going on. The studio is going great, it's a beautiful and comfortable place for people to come and work out, and for the most affordable prices on the south shore. If you would like more information regarding the promotional rates we are running, please contact us via email at stcbyso@gmail.com.

Stay away from those pies, or at least tag some exercise to everything you eat this holiday. For example, if you chose to eat more than 3,000 calories on Thanksgiving day, do 4 sets of 25 push ups beforehand, you will feel better about having worked for everything you eat. Good luck, and stay well...heard that the swine flu is swiping through our neighborhoods.

Your friend in health,

Sarah A. Servant

New Website...

Sorry Bloggers,

I've been up to hard work. I have redesigned my website again and my friend has helped me turn it to html, and this time it's perfect!!! It's exactly how I wanted it to look all along, sometimes it takes a while to figure out what fits and what doesn't.

I'm so glad and grateful that it's finally finished. So back to business. Word has it that the "swine flu" is going around. I would like to add a few things about killing the virus. There are certain foods that you can eat, such as mangos, cranberries and garlic. The whole cranberries are pretty bitter, but high in vitamin C and not so bad with a mango to chase it with.

The next thing you need to do, take a warm tub with baking soda and Epsom salts. Not only is it soothing and comforting, but a virus can't survive in a hot body, which is why your temperature will spike to 102 degrees or even higher.

Drink plenty of fluids. Was it really necessary to share this one? We should all be drinking 64 ounces or more water a day, so just get it done. You also should plan on sleeping a lot, rest is vital to recovery. When the temperature is high, you are likely to have a headache and are better off sleeping anyway.

I hope none of you out there have to experience the swine flu, be cautious, as it migrates to the lungs as a respiratory infection. Be safe, keep your hands clean, and it wouldn't hurt to eat those "anti-viral" foods today. Take the necessary precautions, so you can lead a safe and healthy winter. I will be saying a prayer for all swine flu victims tonight.

Your friend in health,

Sarah A. Servant
owner/personal trainer
Strength Training Concepts
www.stcbyso.com

Starting up a brand new day...

Today is wonderful...

For a short period of time we will be having some warm weather. I encourage you to get out and enjoy it. Go for a walk. Have you ever tried some of the local hiking spots? There's Wompatuck, hundreds of trails into the wild. There's top of the world in Hull/Hingham, which overlooks the water and has tons of wild life. But my favorite is Norris Reservation, directly across the street from the Norwell Post Office. The reasons I like this simple hiking spot is because it's close to where I live, plenty of dogs visit, it's free, and it's a little over 2 miles with some slightly challenging hills to climb.

If you can commit to walking 2 miles a day, you may be on your way to increased energy. Our bodies were not meant to lead sedentary lives. It is through good nutrition, hydration and exercise that we keep our bodies fueled and ready for action. Our energy does not come from drinking sugar filled drinks like redbull and rockstar. Sugar in large quantities does not represent good healthy eating habits. When you eat clean, like raw vegetables, proteins from nuts and lean meats, you may notice and energy difference for the better. When you combine this with light exercise, your overall health might improve.

A supplemental diet program called slimplicity is what I use for my clients when they need a jump start to their weight loss. With the slimplicity program, the requirement to exercise is to walk 5 miles a day. Walking 5 miles a day could take anyone more than an hour, probably 1.5 hours or a little more. If you don't have time, take a 2 mile walk, try some jumping jacks and push ups. Also, you can look up body weight exercises on YouTube.com for many different exercises and options for working out. Most importantly, find time for yourself and make it a priority, to eat clean and exercise, because this is what may help you in your overall health and your quality of life may reach a new level.

Keep smiling, it helps.

Your friend in health,

Sarah A. Servant

Breaking bad habits

Addictions are bad...everything should be done in moderation, you ever hear that before?

I believe we all have things in life that we struggle with. These trials in triumph are what build our character, in failure are what teach us how to treat one another. Many struggle with weight loss, many with food addictions, or addictions to anything. Addiction is what keeps us from fulfilling our destinies to seek truth in why we even exist.

I believe that I exist to help people, to show them how to stop their addictions to bad things, and focus on moderation. For example, you may have an addiction to come home after a long days work and crash on the couch for 3 hours worth of television. Television is a bad addiction, and is brainwashing. I think the television is a big distraction, that keeps most people from reaching their full potential and possibly even their destiny. If you decided to break away from that negative addiction and fill it with something moderately such as exercise, you would truly see a difference in your mental focus, your strength, your stamina and overall health. Our bodies were made to exercise, and most of us truly lose sight of this.

When I graduated personal training school almost 2 years ago, I weighed 167 lbs, I watched a lot more television with my husband Chip and did not really grasp the regular routine of exercising. This morning I stepped on the scale and am down to 150 lbs. I'm psyched, and although I have a little more to lose and some muscle to gain, my strength, my stamina, and my overall health is phenomenal compared to what it was. I am currently attending the School of Ministry in Rockland, at Calvary Chapel, and everyone here has had a major cold since the start of the school year. I have yet to get sick, I felt a little run down at times, but something minor that a little rest and some good nutrition would solve.

I hope you are all staying well out there in the big bad world of addictions and illness. Drop me an message, let me know what you are struggling with and I will try and help you figure out a way to replace it with something good in moderation.


Yours in health,

Sarah A. Servant

When you go into battle in your own land against an enemy who is oppressing you, sound a blast on the trumpets. Then you will be remembered by the LORD your God and rescued from your enemies. Numbers 10:8-10

Rain, Rain...go away

I can hear the rain making tiny dents in the roof above me.

The rain is both beautiful and tormenting. It is essential to life, yet, who wants to go out in it and get soaked. Especially when it is FREEZING out!!! I enjoy a rainy day if I can relax and get things done at home, but go out in it forget it!

I think if it's truly cold out, I would prefer the snow. You don't get soaked in the snow as much as you would in torrential down pours, which it is doing right now. The forecast for this weekend is wet, wet...and wetter, cold, cold...and colder. It's just a reminder that the winter is approaching.

I just received a wonderful gift from a friend of mine. It's a book called "Love Dare" and is a 40 day journal and action-dare book on how to act, react and treat your spouse. I'm only on day two. I have never heard of this book until now, but I highly recommend it to anyone who is married. It teaches you the bases of love and kindness and challenges you to hold your tongue when things are not the way you want them to be.

Today I am teaching English all day. I feel a slight cold being combated by the two R's=rest and reliv. My nutrition shake keeps me in good health while I have a broken down weak immune system. Working with pre school children, who's immune systems are very weak is a tough challenge for a broken immune system in an adult. I have not fully been sick as of yet, however, I am extremely lucky and smart about what I chose to put in my body.

Yesterday was a not so good day, a path of self destruction. I know I am a trainer, and need to eat well, yet I am realistic. I don't always eat the best, as I was raised in an italian restaraunt and at one point we served ice cream. Not to mention that a doughnut shop that we started was right next door...

So this was the menu yesterday, and I have used up my one bad day for the week: breakfast sandwich, 2 slices of pizza, icecream two tacos, and a banana...way bad. This morning I felt terrible, as though I was not winning the battle to fight these germs. I woke up early today and prepared my meal plan of a spinach egg white wrap, tuna sandwich, salad, banana, kiwi, apple, three nutrition shakes and a green tea on the way to school. I don't feel great, but it's going to take at least 24 hours before I let go of half the toxins I put in yesterday. So wish me luck, I am still beating the odds of not getting sick from the pre schoolers germs!

To all, have a happy and healthy day, bundle up and if you eat bad, only allow yourself one day a week.

Your friend in health,

Sarah A. Servant

Sunshine Day..

Beautiful sun is shinning, however, I am not warm!

Today is beautiful outside, only you would not really know it unless you were standing in front of the fire place, peering out through the window at the perfect sunny sky. It's cold up here in New England! This weather we are subjected to is a reminder for me to dig out the freezing cold gear, hats, mittens, my big puffy jacket etc...

A friend of mine recently told me that her brother moved to "warm all the time" Arizona. That he called her simply to inform her that this year was going to be record cold weather for us in New England. Oh boy, just another reason to bust out the jump rope or jumping jacks after my morning shower. I believe that I look forward to nothing, when I wake up and hug the covers, hiding my face from that slight bitter spot of breezy coldness that fills the room. My husband is gentle enough to get the fire roaring for me in these cold times. I tend not to get into the shower until I know I can stand in front of the fire place to stay warm for at least 5 minutes. He sometimes provides me with a warm towel fresh from the dryer, although he wastes energy, I do appreciate his kindness.

The studio is open now. I haven't had to turn on the heat yet, however, this time may be coming. As soon as my clients walk in the door, they start working, and as a result they forget about the cold weather for a minute or 10. If you are stuck out in the cold somewhere this winter, with no way of getting warm, I suggest you do some jumping jacks or anything that you know will help your blood pump faster generating warmth. I wish you all well staying warm this winter solstice, and never forget to bundle up.

-Sarah A. Servant
CEO-Strength Training Concepts

the challenges of life day 5

I'm gonna make it!! Am I gonna make it??

Hey,

I have decided 5 days ago that I would take a challenge, and it's a start for what I would like to accomplish in this lifetime. I would like to be a triathlete. This encompasses challenges of biking, swimming and running, the first two of which I have no problem and am not challenged the way I am when I run.

My cardio is not so great. A student asked me just three days ago, 'how did you first notice when your cardio improved?' To which I responded, I am still working on it. Not yet improved....

A man once told me that if you do anything 25 days in a row, you become addicted. I wanted to test his theory, and to my surprise on day 5, I have felt a little lighter on my feet. I let the student know, I am running 25 miles in 25 days. This can't be so hard. I have to take 8 to 10 minutes of my day and hit the track, no big deal. Yesterday was day 5. If it weren't for Lisa meeting me at the pool, I may have passed up day 5 due to over exhaustion. The studio is near completion, about 75% and yesterday I was tired, cranky and just not feeling like a run.

My client called me at 6 pm and wanted to meet at the pool just a mile away. So I ran there, swam 1/2 mile and she drove me home. Day 6 today, the weather is perfect for a run, and I think i'm starting to become addicted. I listen to my christian music and just plug away at the 4 laps. It seems long, mundane, not so much a challenge but a chore. The challenge will be if I run the 25 miles in 25 day. Wish me luck and say some prayers. I have not yet decided what happens after 25 days. We shall see, right? I am grateful for the challenge..let's see if I get addicted.

Running has always been a pain for me. I could swim two miles, ride 111 miles, but running 26 miles, that will be the ultimate challenge. We all have to start somewhere, so with the 1 mile baby steps, I know with God by my side I can do anything.

Sarah A. Servant---sas