Siwicki Fitness Blog
Why Choosing Safe Cookware is so IMPORTANT
SAFE COOKWARE. Why should you care? Per the Environmental Protection Agency, chemicals used in cookware (particularly nonstick) have been linked to a variety of disturbing health effects including: cancer, kidney damage, developmental brain damage in children, thyroid disease, hormonal disruption, immunological effects, and heart disease. Read the latest blog for more information on safe cookware and why it is so important.
What is the Perfect Diet?
What is the perfect diet? To help figure it out, researchers are looking to our hunter-gatherer ancestors, known for excellent metabolic health as well as their relative lack of chronic diseases and obesity. A recent study, published in the Obesity Reviews journal, analyzed diets, lifestyles, and physical activity levels of hundreds of modern hunter-gatherer societies to research best practices for maintaining health.
Energy Boosting Breakfast Ideas to WAKE YOU UP
The foods we eat in the morning set the scene for our eating habits throughout the day, and what better way to rise and shine than with a breakfast of champions to fuel us with energy? Incorporating a mix of energy-boosting foods earlier in the day will not only help power us through to lunch but also sharpens our brains. Check out this blog for energy-packed breakfast options!
Why Rest Days?
Rest days are just as important as exercise. In fact, a successful fitness regimen isn’t complete without rest days. Taking regular breaks allows your body to recover and repair. It’s a critical part of progress, regardless of your fitness level.
The Brain-Changing Benefits of Exercise
What if I told you there was something that you can do right now that would have an immediate, positive benefit for your brain including your mood and your focus? And what if I told you that same thing could actually last a long time and protect your brain from different conditions like depression, Alzheimer's disease or dementia?
Summer Cocktails + Unexpected Power Foods
Sangria & Margaritas? Yes please! Enjoy recipes for a delicious margarita on the rocks and a raspberry sangria that are both low in sugar and low in carbs. We have heard a lot about the nutritional benefits of things like avocados, kale and berries. I wanted to introduce you to some foods that you may have not heard much about or realized the nutritional benefits of.
Best Protein Powders
There are so many different protein powders on the market - it is important to look at the ingredients to get the best quality protein. Health coach, Amanda from Amanda Lauren Wellness, suggests ten protein powders that help build muscle, fill the body with the nutrients it needs and doesn't contain any chemicals that will have a reverse affect.
Clean Swaps: Protein Bars
Find delicious, clean protein bar swaps for your post-workout snack, health coach approved.
“tomorrow is the first blank page of a 365 page book. write a good one.” - brad paisley
IT’S 2021! LET’S DO THIS SIWICKI FIT FAM! I am pumped to welcome you into the New Year! On the blog this week you can look forward to two delicious dinner meals as well as a breakfast meal, tips to keep your New Year’s resolutions and 18 common tips trainers give to those who are just getting started with a workout routine. I challenge you this week to take a class EVERY DAY THIS WEEK - that’s correct, every day this week! I offer a variety of classes, I want you to start out 2021 feeling the best you have ever felt! YOU WILL NEVER REGRET A WORKOUT! Special reminder: you will receive $15 for every friend you refer & we are offering $30 off monthly packages. Can’t wait to see you all tomorrow! LET’S GO 2021!!!!
“It’s not about what your capable of - it’s what your willing to do.” - mike tomlin
I hope you had the most wonderful Thanksgiving! I know this year things may have been a little different. I hope you were surrounded by people you love and you were able to eat some delicious food. If you have taken any On-Demand classes, let me know! I would love to get your feedback. I have to start out with the MEAL & SNACK IDEAS: roasted vegetable galette, sweet potato rounds with herbed ricotta and walnuts and vegan green bean casserole. Yep, I had Thanksgiving on my mind! They are DELICIOUS and healthy! In the CHALLENGE this week, I would love for you to take a Yoga class. My classes are really high intensity; Yoga would be incredibly beneficial to those of you who take my classes! Thanksgiving reminded me how important it is to recognize the good around us. In my TIP I suggest some ways to recognize the good. In INDUSTRY NEWS I included an article about the benefits of Yoga, and in Health & Wellness I included a really awesome study that included over 150,000 people that studied the physiological science behind working out. Basically, you all are rock stars.
I will be back to my regular schedule on Tuesday. Can’t wait to see all of you! I am going to crush you this week! LET’S GO!
“Thankfulness is the quickest path to joy.” - Jefferson Bethke
I hope you had the most wonderful Thanksgiving! I know this year things may have been a little different. I hope you were surrounded by people you love and you were able to eat some delicious food. If you have taken any On-Demand classes, let me know! I would love to get your feedback. I have to start out with the MEAL & SNACK IDEAS: roasted vegetable galette, sweet potato rounds with herbed ricotta and walnuts and vegan green bean casserole. Yep, I had Thanksgiving on my mind! They are DELICIOUS and healthy! In the CHALLENGE this week, I would love for you to take a Yoga class. My classes are really high intensity; Yoga would be incredibly beneficial to those of you who take my classes! Thanksgiving reminded me how important it is to recognize the good around us. In my TIP I suggest some ways to recognize the good. In INDUSTRY NEWS I included an article about the benefits of Yoga, and in Health & Wellness I included a really awesome study that included over 150,000 people that studied the physiological science behind working out. Basically, you all are rock stars.
I will be back to my regular schedule on Tuesday. Can’t wait to see all of you! I am going to crush you this week! LET’S GO!
“Sometimes we are tested not to show our weaknesses, but to discover our strengths.”
Hope everyone is staying safe out there – I know COVID numbers are increasing. I included an article in INDUSTRY NEWS that addresses our current state, not to scare anyone but to highlight the importance of keeping your immune system strong and making wise decisions concerning where you choose to workout. In the TIP I challenge you to find an accountability partner! Team, finding someone to support and encourage you as well as remind you to keep going – ah, it’s priceless! We are going to do some shadow boxing for the CHALLENGE this week! The MEAL IDEAS cover an awesome salad, soup and a great side dish for Thanksgiving! I included a video that was taken before my wife and I got married so you guys can get a little background on how we met! The videographer for our wedding took it. It’s funny; check it out!!
As always, sending you guys love, stay strong and LET’S GOOOOOOOOOOO!
“SUPERHEROES never quit.”
It’s election time. I know tensions are high and people are extremely stressed. Remember: one of the best things you can do for yourself during a stressful time is to maintain a healthy diet and workout. Your body is worth the investment. I hope that the Yoga class with Sumi this weekend helped to destress you! Don’t forget team, Sumi now will be teaching Power Vinyasa Yoga every Sunday at 9:45 am EST. Thank you for all the wonderful feedback we have received regarding the class. In my CHALLENGE this week, I want you to have fun with planks! I am challenging you to do these planks in some crazy places! Can’t wait to see all the pictures. In the TIP this week, I reflect on the stress people are feeling and the importance of decompressing. Check it out. I figured that comfort meals are pretty important right now, so you can look forward to: Butternut Squash Soup, Sweet Potato Salad & Spicy Salmon Bowls. They are delicious! If you didn’t joint the Beast Before the Feast Meal Plan, it’s still available for purchase and we would love for you to join us, we are having an awesome time sharing our meals on our Facebook group.
Stay safe team, stay healthy and KEEP CRUSHING THESE WORKOUTS!
“each day is an opportunity to improve yourself. take it.”
BEAST BEFORE THE FEAST! Team, we are kicking off a four-week meal plan created by Registered Dietician Nutritionist, Mary Trenda. The holidays are right around the corner, what a great time to recharge our bodies with the fuel it needs to feel energized and healthy. The meals are simple and easy to make. Juliann and I will be right there with you! We created a private Facebook group for people who purchase the meal plan. In the Facebook group you can share your progress and ask questions to the dietician if you have any. If you are looking to shed some weight or just adopt a healthier lifestyle, this meal plan is for you!
In the blog this week you can look forward to: fall harvest honey crisp apple and kale salad, herbed chicken & rice pilaf and chipotle chicken sweet potato skins (these meals do not disappoint), ways to improve your metabolism and how to fight the winter blues.
“Believe in yourself and you will be unstoppable”
Fall is in the air, that’s for sure. In the recipes this week you can look forward to three delicious fall recipes: harvest chicken casserole, white bean chicken chili and buddha bowls. We are gearing up for our 30 Day Siwicki Slim Down! The TIP and CHALLENGE this week include a few things that I am going to require in the 30 Day SSD. Keep your eye out for our release date! In INDUSTRY NEWS, celebrity fitness trainer, Erin Oprea, talks about four common roadblocks that hold you back from achieving your health goals and how to bypass them! We are still battling COVID-19. In HEALTH & WELLNESS, we included an article that talks about mental health during this time. Stay STRONG, Stay HEALTHY and LET’S GOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!
“always persevere, always have a great perspective and always have great purpose in your life.” - russell wilson
Fall is here, team! Change of seasons always seems to encourage me to set new goals for myself. I like to set both a physical goal (stretch more) and an emotional goal (better time management with family and business). Speaking of stretching, my TIP video encourages you to massage the muscles around the knee to protect yourself from injury. In the CHALLENGE, get ready for some high knees and mountain climbers! Recipes this week have a fall vibe to them (green curry chicken, fall humus salad and power butter to add to just about anything). You know I hate diets – in INDUSTRY NEWS I included an article on the dangers of the keto diet. READ IT! Russell Wilson continues to be a powerhouse. In HEALTH & WELLNESS I included an interview with Russell Wilson’s mindfulness coach (pretty interesting, check it out).
“three things in life: your health, your mission, and the people you love. that’s it.” - Naval ravikant
What a week! We are OFFICIAL! Siwicki Fitness, LLC. Feels GREAT to say it! Thank you Siwicki Fit Fam for making this all possible. As we were creating the blog I kept thinking about gratitude and appreciation. I know how important it is to take a moment to soak in the wonderful things that are happening before your eyes as well as the importance of expressing gratitude for the people who helped make things possible. In the TIP this week I encourage everyone to express their gratitude. In the CHALLENGE, we are going to work on those lunges (form is everything and the benefits of doing them every day are too great to not talk about). You can look forward to some delicious meals (honey ginger salmon, Mediterranean salad and a tasty side dish) as well as wellness TIPS from a top celebrity trainer. Don’t forget to share your meals on social media and tag me! I love seeing what you guys are preparing!
“the question isn’t who is going to let me; it’s who is going to stop me”
In the CHALLENGE THIS WEEK, I challenge you to leg kicks. This is a great calorie burner, metabolism and mood booster. In the TIP this week, we are back to sugar. I encourage you to check the ingredients list on foods you are consuming and eliminate any food that includes added sugars in the ingredients list. Rebel Wilson has adopted a new lifestyle (yes, I said lifestyle NOT diet) and she is looking fantastic! Check out the INDUSTRY NEWS article to see what she did to make this lifestyle change. In MEAL+SNACK IDEAS, I have some delicious options for you team: stuffed peppers, tomato cucumber salad and meatball salad. LET’S GO TEAM!
“Success isn’t always about greatness. it’s about consistency. consistent hard work gains success. greatness will come.” - dwayne johnson
Let’s cut right to it – CHALLENGE this week is squat jumps, awesome quick workout that you can do anywhere and it’s fun to do with a partner. You get your cardio and strength in at the same time. The TIP this week is to cut the soda. I provided an article that breaks down the science of what soda and sugary drinks do to your body – yuck. Cutting out soda and sugary drinks is a simple way to keep off those useless sugar calories, you would be surprised at what a huge difference it makes. I promise, you can handle it! Give yourself a couple of weeks, you won’t miss it!
In MEAL+SNACK IDEAS, I included a meal that is a little more decadent, but easy and delicious – White Wine & Cherry Tomato Cod. One of our favorite meals to make is Salmon Rice Bowls, they are nutritious, and you can have them for any meal. I also included a quick salad that only contains a few ingredients but is full of nutrients. In INDUSTRY NEWS I included an article about snacks that you can eat that help conquer your cravings. I am constantly being asked healthy snack options – ask and you shall receive! In HEALTH & WELLNESS I included an article that provides 16 tips to help reduce stress and anxiety – there are some really simple tricks that I personally can say have helped me. Anything that has ever helped me, you better believe I will be sharing it with you.
“Going in one more round when you don’t think you can. That’s what makes the difference in your life.” - rocky balboa
This week I challenge you once again to push-ups. I know it’s a crazy time right now, people are vacationing and busy – push-ups are quick and easy and target every muscle in your body, check out the many benefits of push-ups that I list below the video (I think you may be surprised with some of them). I’m not revealing the TIP, check it out, and let me know how you feel the week after!
In the meal and snack ideas I have Balsamic Braised Chicken (I cannot take credit for this, Juliann just made it and it is DELICIOUS and includes just a few basic ingredients), Fresh Mediterranean Bean Salad, an awesome summer salad filled with protein, and Colorful Taco Bowls, awesome summer dish that is light, quick to make and filled with healthy ingredients.
I am pretty pumped about the article in Health & Wellness. There is so much research out there that supports the mental health benefits of exercise. Psychologists are now suggesting exercise as a remedy to help with the effects of depression and anxiety. Check it out, lots of great information.
Reaching a plateau in your fitness journey is a common experience, but it's also a call to action to refine your strategy for continued progress. Integrating higher protein intake, focused strength training, and the principle of progressive overload into your routine can significantly impact your ability to move past stagnation. Our fitness classes are specifically designed to adapt to your evolving fitness needs, ensuring that you're always challenged and never plateau for long.