Are you Changing or Transforming your body?

It has been awhile since I took the time to sit and write to the world. To express a vision leaving people empowered, fulfilled, and ready to take on their life and their body! I wanted to use this post to get back to the reason of "why" we do what we do. Why do we workout? Why do we choose vegetables over a decadent chocolate cake? Why do we wake up early to go do cardio before work? Something to look at is if we do it from a place of empowerment or a place of not enough or finding happiness only when you reach a certain goal. 

Recently, I have taken the Landmark Forum (if you haven't yet, ask me about it) and it opened me up to a new world of possibility. Not only in my business, but also in how I show up in the lives of others as a personal trainer. I discovered most of my clients were coming to me because they wanted to change something about themselves. They did not like their love handles, the back fat hanging over their bra, the beer gut, or how skinny they felt. The context in which they started their training programs was based on making the way they already looked wrong and making the way they wanted to be right. What effect does this have on your training? 

When you go into a situation already disempowered you immediately create a space where happiness is absent until your goal is reached. This is why a lot of people quit early on or get discouraged when results do not happen quickly. I'm sure most of you know what I am talking about and have experienced it in some way! You find this amazing new diet that's finally going to get that extra 20 pounds off before the holidays. You have that cute red dress you have been dying to fit into for years and your sure this diet is going to work. Its been two weeks, you're only down two pounds, and the red dress still doesn't fit. GAH!!!! All you can think about is how you're going to have to wear pants and semi-cute top for Christmas. For crying out loud, this is seeming to be a disaster and you still can't stand how I look in the mirror. This creates a negative relation to anything fitness and a persons self-image! Ok ok, you're probably like seriously Angela what the heck am I supposed to think when something doesn't work? 

Take a second and try this on...........

Imagine beginning any fitness/nutrition regime with the mindset, "I am already perfect the way I am, but I am choosing to transform my body in a different way." HOLY FREEDOM!!!! In doing this you allow yourself to start from a place of empowerment! When you come from empowerment you are unstoppable. Imagine if you decided to lose 20 pounds because you wanted to see more muscle. You walked into the gym ready to fulfill on your commitment because it was something you chose and were excited about. You shared yourself with everyone around you and you kept your word to yourself and lost 20 pounds! Can you imagine? 

Personally, I know all too well what this feels like. I used to be a person, and still am sometimes, who was ran by my emotions. My successes and failures were what made who I was as a person. If I didn't have the perfect body or I looked to manly then how could anyone ever want to listen to me or help me. I remember days I would cry and wouldn't even want to lift weights because I was afraid it would take away my femininity. I was showing up at the gym disempowered and wanting to change everything about me I thought didn't look good or was wrong about me. It wasn't until I took this seminar did I realize I was resigned from doing what I love. I stopped living freely and fearlessly. I wasn't choosing my life I was basing my decisions on the considerations I had of others. So I opened my eyes and decided to lift heavy weight and sweat all over the place because it excited me and I LOVE IT! So I come to you with an important question.............What excites/inspires you?

With all of that said......

I am committed to empowering people on fulfilling what matters to them! I am constantly discovering my passion for transforming people’s bodies and lives. I create a fun environment and tailor my programs to fit the busy lifestyles of people wanting to excel in all areas! 

If a transformation is something you want in life or you have any questions reach out to me on instagram or through email!

Email: Afernandez143@gmail.com     IG: @fitnezamazon

Have you tried this supplement yet?

Most of you have seen the latest bodybuilder or fitness model repping their favorite supplement companies, but few of you know what really works. Let alone how it works, why it works, and what makes a supplement superior to another. Right? Trust me if I was in your position I would feel the same way too. Luckily, I have spent quite a bit of my free time trying a plethora of supplements some of which do not work for me and others I run and tell everyone about. As most of you know I am an ambassador for Ergogenix on bodybuilding.com and I rave about their products constantly! I have been in the fitness industry for about 7 years and this company has the first pre-workout my body has yet to become adapted too......along with many other notable points I will list below.

For you skeptics out there, remember this is solely my opnion, and this blog is based on what clients and personal experience has shown me.

Now on to the good stuff! I have tried everything from C4 Thermal Shock, N.O. Explode, Hemo-Shock, Psychotic, Beet Root Extract, Thriller ect. and I always either crash or just stop feeling the effects. Now we all know you do not have to feel it to know its working, but it is definitley an upside. I would get so frustrated knowing after half of a container was gone I would feel sluggish and unmotivated. This preworkout wasnt doing squat anymore. The process usually took about one month and eventually the time span became shorter depending on the supplement I was taking. Now mind you, depending on your tolerance to stimulants, there will be a difference in your response to most pre-exercise supplements. The point I am getting across is I have yet to crash, I have yet to be unfocused, I have yet to not have a pump during every workout, and I have yet to not want to tell the world about ErgoBlast! It has been over 4 months!

If you have yet to try a supplement or are needing something to help boost you through your workout I would highly recomend trying ErgoBlast because.....

• Insane pump factor with 6grams of citruline (basically makes your muscles feel full of blood and ripped)
• 300mg of caffeine (you would expet to crash right? Nope. At least not for me. I believe this has to do with the l-tyrosine preventing a hard crash and balancing dopamine levels in the brain.)
• 1000mg of Creatine - Helps to build and maintain metabolically active muscle tissue and in turn helps to burn fat 
• 10mg of Zinc - This helps with mild testosterone production, dont worry ladies this will not hurt you, and also acts as an anti-inflammatory and immune booster!! Great for anyone performing an intense workout routine!

These are just some of the main points I wanted to point out! So why should you try it? Well I always blab about the importance of consistency, and these products have definitley helped me stay there! It is always a good idea to have some key players in your fitness routine. These are a few you will always find in my gym bag......

1. Ergoblast Strawberry Ice - Preworkout
2. ErgoAmino Plus - BCAA with Green Tea for an extra boost in the middle of my day 
3. ErgoZZZ - I take two almost every night to help me sleep
4. Dymatize Iso -100 Strawberry Protein - I use this about 2-3x a day

At the end of the day we all have a goal we want to reach.We have sales people trying to make a buck and genuine people sharing genuine results. I choose to be the latter of the two. Remember to choose wisely whenever starting a supplement program and never be afraid to ask for help.

Find Ergogenix Products @ www.bodybuilding.com 

Enter Code: Ergofern10 for an additional 10% DISCOUNT

So you want to be fit?

SO YOU WANT TO BE FIT? YOU WANT THAT SIX PACK? LET ME HAVE A COME TO JESUS MOMENT WITH ALL OF YOU.............

Lately I have been able to observe the many people preparing for a competition, realizing its summer and rushing to the gym, or those jumping on the next fad diet band wagon. Have you ever realized how most people reach for the extreme when starting any new fitness goal. They immediately want to lose 50 pounds or join the next spartan race. Is this a bad thing? No, but it could be setting yourself up for failure as well. Let me explain why.......

I have been in the industry for about seven years and the work and commitment it takes to achieve any one of the goals listed above is a lot larger than you think. You can not obtain any goal doing it half ass. You can not expect to master something if you never practice. You can not expect to get a big paycheck if you do not show up for work. Same thing with fitness, if you do not workout and follow the plan you can not see results. As for the excuses people give, lets name a few:

1. I don't have time
2. I have 2-5 kids I have to take care of 
3. I cant afford a gym membership
4. It hurts when i workout
5. I don't know what to do
6. I am too tired

ALL OF THESE ARE A BUNCH OF CRAP! Now don't go getting all upset and clicking out of this blog like I don't understand the hardships of life. I may not have kids, but I was able to stay healthy and fit while also maintaining a 4.0 GPA and three jobs. The fact is you will ALWAYS have priorities. Your kids are never going to go away, your job will always be there, you will always feel tired at some point. So stop searching for the easy way out. The pill to get you skinny, the boxed up dinners, or the 2 minute workout guaranteed to make you lose 20 pounds in a month. Find an aspect of fitness that works for you and fit it into your life. It does not have to be the same as everyone else, but it does have to be something that pushes you to change! below I will list my opinion towards the excuses listed above: 

1. No time? Make time. You make time for everything else in your life. If your job needed you to stay for 30 more minutes I bet you would find the time to do so. Same with exercise. Your body needs you.
2. Kids? Thank God there is a kids club at most gyms and if there isn't then do work at home. Move that sofa over and get er done!
3. Low on money? Thank you YouTube! Search the millions of workouts to help you achieve your goal. You can even try mine out www.youtube.com/c/thefitnezamazon1
4. Pain? You need to figure that out don't you think? Most gyms offer a free consultation and if the pain is that bad you should have been to the doctors yesterday.
5. No idea where to start? Do some research. Ask people, for crying out loud I tell people to leave comments all the time but they don't. Be proactive!
6. Too tired? Welcome to today's society of overworked, underpaid, and overweight. You are the only one who can change your fate. I am always tired, but I am also always happy. Balance is everything!

If you want results then put in the work to achieve them. Drop the cookie cutter routines and wannabe trainers who "think" they know what you need to succeed. Talk to a certified professional, someone who actually took the time to learn how to manipulate the body. Someone who has an education and not just a trophy. Someone who is invested in you and not just your wallet. 

FINAL THOUGHT: How far have your excuses gotten you? Do you have that toned body yet? Did they help you shed 30 pounds? I didn't think so. Lets change it up!

Don't do these 2 things at the gym!!

Your just starting out your new workout routine because summer is on its way! After your first hardcore session you quickly realize how out of shape you really are. We have all been there so don't worry. You end up being sore, or having delayed onset muscle soreness, and cant figure out if you should go to the gym or not. You also are feeling a little sick and are having impaired breathing and trouble focusing. You should go to the gym anyway, right? I mean you have all these goals and you just started, so you must push through. NO PAIN NO GAIN. I hate to be the barer of bad news, but this is the wrong mentality. Your body needs rest. Yes it is a machine, but unfortunately it doesn't run off Pennzoil! So listen up.........here are two things you should never do at the gym!!!

#1: Workout Sore Muscles 

So some basic knowledge before I just say you cant do something, because no one likes being told NO! When you workout you are tearing your muscles at a cellular level. Literally shredding them down so they can repair to a stronger and bigger state. Remember we are talking about your average person who is going to the gym to accomplish some goal (ie. weight loss, lean and tone, or muscle building). Say you go to the gym to have a leg day. You get a great lift, but the next day you can barely sit on the toilet. If you were to go back to the gym and workout legs again while sore, you would be tearing that muscle even more which could lead to worse damage of the tissue. A better idea would be to split up your days...

Monday - Chest and Shoulders 

Tuesday - Legs 

Wednesday - Back and Arms

Thursday - Rest

Friday - Chest and Shoulders 

Saturday - Legs 

Sunday - Back and Arms 

Remember you want to do your cardio after lifts to burn primarily fat. If the above rotation is too much for you, you can split your days into one upper body day and one lower body day. Cycle through these and maybe have a cardio or rest day in between depending on your goals. It is so important to rest your muscles and listen to your body! At least if you split up your days then your still getting the calorie burn as well as chiseling another muscle group. 

#2: Going to the Gym Sick

This is a bigger deal than many people think. My clients know this very well because I have sent them home for coming in to train sick. Yes I serious. First of all your a walking germ on the gym floor possibly infecting everyone else. Now that's not very nice!! Ok, but on a serious note, your body is trying to fight an infection. Basically, the reasons for you feeling tired, full of mucus, and on medication (not always the case). When you workout while sick your body has to use the energy it needed for fighting off your sickness towards increased heart rate, muscle tearing, and additional stressors. You just gave your body twice the work to do, which means the healing process will take that much longer. Learn to appreciate rest and give your body time to do so. 

How to help Muscle Soreness:

1. Use Epsom Salt baths (1-2 cups salt in as hot of water as you can stand)

2. Stretch before and after exercise 

3. Roll your muscles with foam (myofascial release) 

4. Take a magnesium supplement or ZMA 

5. I always take BCAA's before bed, especially after a hard workout. Below I have a brand I represent     and have seen amazing results from!

I know we live in a world of constant movement and change, but it is vital to take a moment for yourself. If you rest your body you will achieve the physique you want in a healthy way. You know the old adage of "Rome wasn't built in a day" well its true. Remember how long it took to get your body out of shape? Well cut it some slack when it comes to getting back into shape! 

My Recommendation: Ergogenix ErgoAminoPlus (has green tea extract) and ErgoAmino (before bed) 

You can get these at bodybuilding.com!

Enter Ergofern10 at checkout to get an additional 10% off!

P.S. I will have a video of my favorite shoulder exercise soon! Don't forget to check out my YouTube for updates! 

www.youtube.com/c/thefitnezamazon1

How to Eat for Fat Loss!

The newest trend out right now "if it fits your macros" is taking the world by storm, and while I understand their mentality I also find it quite absurd. So let me grace you with my rant about quality verse quantity. Say you were obese and someone told you you could only eat 1300 calories per day. It didn't matter what type of food you ate as long as you didn't go over your calories. Well of course you would lose weight especially if you were consuming 2300 calories or more on a daily basis and then start eating half of that. What I want you to understand is many people can lose weight, but many people do not know how to do it in a healthy way. On the same token, if a person has macro goals (protein, carbohydrates, and fats) and eats whatever they want, is this healthy? I can reach my carbohydrate goal by eating 2 snickers and probably lose weight, but how will this work in the long run? It wont.

To all of those people slamming fads down your throat and trying to get you to believe instant fat loss in 24 hours is possible by eating whatever, they are right. Instant water loss is definitely possible. All that crap food is ok in small amounts right? Did we not forget the health aspect of it all? Lets cut the BS and be real about what it takes to look good. I am not going to tell what you want to hear or invent a new diet which fits around your need for tootsie rolls, but I will tell you the truth.

YOU CAN NOT EAT CRAPPY FOOD AND MAINTAIN A HEALTHY, LEAN AND FIT LIFESTYLE!

P.S. If your taking a steroid or other enhancement drug, then you have a leg up and eating Twinkies probably wont kill you. No judgement here, just do not try to preach you only do it through clean eating :)

Am I open to your arguments, yes? Is it better to put an obese person on a whatever you want calories restricted diet so they lose weight? Well yes in the short term that is great. People underestimate how difficult it is to learn to eat healthy. How difficult it is to go from shopping in the middle of the grocery store to only the perimeter. Sounds easy, but honestly I have seen a lot of people fail. In my 7 years of personal training, college, and life, the people who succeeded the most were those who followed my simple steps below.......

Steps to Lean: 

1. Shop on the perimeter of the grocery store (meats, veggies, eggs, iced tea ect) 
2. Only drink water, but save one day to have a glass or two of wine.
3. Eat healthy 85% of the time and treat yourself 15% of the time.
4. Do not workout less than 4 days a week 
5. Stay away from fast food (seriously, that isn't even real food!)
6. Listen to your body. If you eat a food and you get gas, bloating, heartburn and some other ailment then you probably shouldn't eat that. 
7. If your sick or overly tired, then rest. 

On an end note remember fruits are sugar too, vegetables are an amazing way to stay full, and protein is a huge factor in muscle growth and transformation. Instead of fooling yourself into thinking you can get by with just counting calories, try it by eating clean and going to the gym. Remember its a lot easier to maintain a healthy weight than to get there. Also, being the sugar fanatic I am, I have tried every which way to be able to keep eating cookies, doughnuts, and cake. In the long run I just became more frustrated and set myself back when I could have been moving forward.

EAT CLEAN AND BECOME A LEAN MACHINE!

Ever thought about competing?

So as you all know I have begun my 16 week prep for the June 4th NPC Idaho Classic! I will be competing in the figure division and as much as I am excited I am also nervous. Initially I was going to do a weekly update, but have decided to do an update every two weeks instead, This will allow me time to talk about other current fitness topics rather than just myself hehe! I am not sure if you know, but this is my first time competing EVER! Yes, not every personal trainer has to compete to  be good at what they do. Some of us go to college and get certified so we can help a multitude of people. Can you sense my irritation for people who think they can train just because they got on stage? Ok ok so progress update,,,,,,,,,

Week 1

These seven days would have any competitor rolling on the floor laughing. It was like someone put sand in my gas tank and everything stalled. Among my full time job, working out, partying, cleaning, blogging, and working on my brand I for sure was on top of everything, right? WRONG! I would meal prep for three days and then wing it the next couple, which eventually lead to me over eating and reaching for that cookie in the pantry. Oh and cardio, yea I got it in one time hoping to see drastic results. The one thing I did change was the type of food I ate and I honestly cleaned up my diet. This week definitely was a realization, as I really needed to get my shit together.

Total Weight Loss = 4lbs

Week 2

Ok I finally got  my head on straight and meal prepped for every day that I worked. Yes, I was that

woman walking in with her old school plastic lunch box and munching on my ground turkey meat and edamame beans! It was a little easier to get into a routine this time and I also made sure to get at least get 7 hours of sleep. My boyfriend has been helping me with my daily ice cream cravings as being on my female blessing causes massive sugar withdrawals. The hardest part for me this week was doing my cardio after workouts. When your tired, sore, and just want to go home the only way your going to make it is by forcing yourself on the machine. I did 30 minutes three times this week and will up it as I start to plateau. The best part is I feel I'm going to get to know my body on a whole new level.

Total Weight Loss = 6lbs and down 2% body fat :)

Want to know what I am doing? Check it out below........

Calories: 2000
Carbohydrates: 200 grams
Fat: 56 grams
Protein: 180 grams

If you are planning on doing a show I can not stress the importance of logging your food! Pretty much unless you have a set meal plan written out for you, then you HAVE to log! If you are unsure about where you should start, ask someone. Do not just go on the internet and copy a plan off google hoping you will get the results your seeking. Be diligent in your planning and do not expect to be perfect right off the bat. Even personal trainers with 8 years of experience have to find a way to mesh life and fitness!

FINAL NOTE: 

I will be posting YouTube videos to go along with my every other week updates so be sure to tune in and don't forget to subscribe! Also my website is in the works and almost finished so you will be able to purchase personalized meal plans and exercise routines made by the infamous Amazon! YAY!! 

www.youtube.com/c/thefitnezamazon1 

Get that sexy body doing this!

   

Want to be Tone? Want to be Lean? Check this out!

How many times have you been scared to go into the gym and just push weight? I mean really push as hard as you could? Well many people really can’t remember either, and why is this? There is an invisible floating bubble around every buff bodybuilders head that probably tells people, especially woman, if they lift heavy then they will become unattractive and too bulky. I will let you in on a little secret, THIS IS NOT TRUE! Check out these photos below……These are me (currently going blonde). I lift heavy........

The video you watched above is one of my favorite compound lifts, the barbell row! This is a great way to tone your upper body (shoulders, back, abs ect). If you are focused on losing weight you will want to do 3-4 sets of 15 using lighter weight and short rest periods. It may even benefit you to add some jump rope or step ups immediately following each set of rows. Now for those who are looking to put on size I would recommend 4 sets of 8 or 5 sets of 6 both with 2-3 minutes’ rest in between. Remember if your rest seems to long then you are not pushing yourself at a hard enough intensity. Now some guidelines for how to perform this lift……..

1. Always keep shoulder blades squeezed as if your
   holding a pencil between them
2. Keep your head in line with you spine, if your
   bent over you will look at an angle
3. I always do underhand grip
4. The most IMPORTANT part is keeping your back straight. Go press yourself against a wall if you do know what that feels like. This is essential to prevent injury. Or you can always ask a trainer. 
5. Watch your rest time, it goes by faster or longer than you think.

Last but not least, pushing yourself helps you realize what you are capable of. Go in there trying to accomplish something bigger than just the sheet of paper in your hand or repeating a monotonous exercise routine for days on end. If it feels uncomfortable, you are changing. And yes I know what
that feels like. Check out my announcement below for something surprising!

ANNOUNCEMENT: I am planning on competing at the NPC Figure show on June 4^th, in Boise! I am doing this because I am scared. I am nervous I might not look good enough, or what if I eat a brownie during prep or fall in my heels? Time to go outside of my comfort zone. Needless to say, many of you are inspired by these competitions, and I am going to give you a week by week update on what its really like starting February 1^st, 2016! Subscribe to my YouTube as I will have live footage of meal prep, workouts, and emotional battles!! Wish me luck!