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Get Rid of Weight Loss Fallacies Once and For All!

March 31, 2014 by Leave a Comment
Melissa BnA

“I now weigh 142 pounds and it just keeps coming off! The compliments come from people every day. I am a more confident and outgoing woman now. I do not want this journey to end! I will continue to strive toward my Venus Index Measurements. I love the Venus Factor program! Anybody can do this! Thank you for changing my life forever!”

 

Melissa Drachenberg placed Ninth in our VT-9 Venus Transformation Contest.

 

 

Melissa is very busy with her exciting and successful life, but she had a lot to say about how the Venus Factor program worked for her, in her own words:

The twelve-week contest was beginning and I felt confident enough to join. Just four weeks prior to the contest, I became a Venus member. I was 170 pounds when I joined. By the time the contest began, I had already lost eleven pounds and I could see a big difference in the way my clothes fit. I was still very uncomfortable taking pictures and knowing other people would be looking at them for this contest. I was wearing a size 12-14 pants at the time. The excuses of, “weight comes with age” and “it’s a lot harder to lose weight now that I’m in my 40’s,” had to stop!!!!!

It is important to know that this twelve week contest was a contest I did for me and not for anyone else. I didn’t join to win or impress other people. I joined to see my very own progress and change in twelve weeks. Every week I lost about two pounds and if I didn’t lose pounds, I lost inches. I faithfully counted calories, ate two meals a day, and did my three workouts a week. For the longest time I did not buy new clothes because I knew I wouldn’t be in that size for long and I didn’t have the money to waste. Belts became my best friend. Just recently, I finally went and bought clothes because I felt I looked frumpy with my baggy clothes. I am now into a size 6-8 pants. Never have I been this size! The measurement change has been just as amazing!

I now weigh 142 pounds and it just keeps coming off! The compliments come from people every day. I am a more confident and outgoing woman now. I do not want this journey to end! I will continue to strive toward my Venus Index Measurements. I love the Venus Factor program! Anybody can do this! Thank you for changing my life forever! 🙂

Height 63”

Start:  Weight 159 pounds, Shoulders 44”, Waist 33”, Hips 43”

End:  Weight 142 pounds, Shoulders 39”, Waist 29”, Hips 37”

 

Congratulations on your success Melissa.  We at the Venus Factor wish you all the best, we hope you are proud of your success, and we are very happy for you!

 

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Filed Under: transformation, Uncategorized, weight loss Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Avoid Discouragement and Gain Your Best Physique Ever

March 28, 2014 by Leave a Comment
Jenny Weaks and John Barban

Jenny Weaks and John Barban

 

As we move into the final stretch of the Venus Transformation Contest VT-10 some of you have probably learned a few things; such as we are all human, we all stumble forward, and the results of our work dramatically delay the consistent daily efforts.

John talks about the delayed rewards in his interview with our VT-9 first place winner Michelle Hahn.  The interview is motivating and well worth the listen.

Here are some tips for staying on track during the final home stretch as well as life long strategies to keep your shape:

 

  •       Remember what it feels like to eat too much food.
  •       Remember what it feels like to eat at a deficit.
  •       Remember what it feels like to eat just the right amount.
  •       Admit that you must stay aware of food intake for life if you want to keep your shape.  It doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy yourself, just stay aware.
  •       Not gaining weight for a period of time is always a WIN.
  •      With exercise it’s okay to make a grand final push during the last stretch, but after that keep workouts fun and sustainable to avoid burnout.
  •       Focus on eating vegetables; lean protein, and then carbs and fat will generally fall into place.
  •      Treat your food intake like a financial budget.  When we store extra fat it’s like a mortgage debt, it will stay there and it will accumulate unless we make payments.
  •      Don’t fall pray to “hormone mania” and broken metabolism theories (if you are in doubt make a visit to your doctor). For the most part we gain fat as we get older because we have more time to accumulate “debt” without realizing we need to take action.
  •        Exercise does very little to lose fat.  Of course we burn some, but it’s not significant except for very lean athletes (especially males).
  •        It’s okay to skip any meal you want, even breakfast. There is no scientific evidence to prove you need breakfast. Breakfast food companies mainly propagate the myth that you need breakfast.  Breakfast can be whatever food you want, at whatever time you want, sometime after waking.
  •        Even if exercise doesn’t burn as much as everyone thought, of course it improves your health.  Just a little every day is beneficial, even just 20 minutes.
  •        Too much strenuous exercise is counter productive to fat loss because it makes you fatigued, lethargic, and extra hungry due to the stress it’s placed on your body.  Small bursts of any activity you enjoy is great, and just enough resistance training to maintain health and bone density.
  •        Everyone does a “fast” when they sleep at night. So a trick to eating a bit less is to prolong the nightly fast either by eating dinner early then no snacking or no more eating in the evening, or skipping breakfast and just having some coffee instead.  This creates a shorter sort of “eating window” which helps many people stay in budget.
  •       Fasting isn’t for everyone, but if it works for you that is okay too. People have been fasting since the beginning of human kind, for spiritual and religious purposes and also for survival when we were merely hunter/gatherers.
  •        It’s okay to feel hungry sometimes when you are attempting to lose fat, it won’t kill you, and in fact it may be a necessary part of “paying off the fat debt”.
  •        It doesn’t matter when you eat or don’t eat; all that matters is the cumulative daily calories over time.

 

One key thing to remember is that your day-to-day work, effort, and choices are not very exciting at all.  The excitement comes much later, it’s very delayed, and there is not much instant gratification in the actual process.  If you can’t be patient and just keep going you will get discouraged.

To avoid discouragement focus on the process and not the results.  Rejoice in healthy new eating habits that stick, healthy new workout habits that stick, enjoyment of your new healthier lifestyle, and all the other positive things that come along in the process (there are many!)

Before you know it the results will be there and will catch you by surprise and you will have the best physique ever.

It will be just like Jenny who is happy with her physique now in her 40’s compared to any other time in her life. She also learned that you can’t out work too much food. She learned to be patient and she got what she always wanted, in fact even in her 40’s she’s got a physique a teenager would die for.

Jenny is one of our Venus coaches.  She answers questions in the forum and she is our expert on exercise form all keeps all of our exercise documentation up to date.  We will all see and hear more about Jenny very soon. There are new and exciting developments in the works.  It’s something we can all look forward to.

And of course we all very much look forward to seeing the results of VT-10 in just a few short weeks.

The deadline for VT-10 final entries will be April 14, 2014.  There will be more updates on this in email soon.

Keep your eye on the prize.

-Ro

You can find me inside the community here:  RobertaSaum

Filed Under: Shape, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

How Rhea went from Emotional Eating to Total Confidence in Mid Life

March 24, 2014 by Leave a Comment
Rhea conquered emotional eating with the Venus Factor program and Dr. Nicola Bird

Rhea conquered emotional eating with the Venus Factor program, support from family and friends, and listening to Dr. Nicola Bird

 

Rhea placed Tenth in our VT-9 Transformation contest

 

Rhea has been so active and busy enjoying life with her husband, family, and new grandchildren that she never got a chance to interview with John.  But she wanted to share her story and her pictures.  We are very happy for Rhea and her new confidence and new life.  Congratulations Rhea and well done!

Rhea said a key to her success and overcoming emotional issues were the Dr. Nicola Bird podcasts.

 

Dr. Nicola and John talk about many of the issues that are important to start working on right away, before you reach your fitness goals:

 

Dr. Nicola Bird

Nicola’s Online Program

 

Here is what Rhea has to say in her own words:

At 54 and four kids later, I decided I wanted to actually complete one full 12-week program. The “nutritional piece” of most programs I own (30) have too many rules. Being a recovering bulimic, rules can trigger my perfectionism. It wasn’t worth giving up my recovery to lose those last few pounds. Then when I read the VF material, I decided I would give it a try. I felt the VF philosophy gave me the freedom to make my own rules within broader guidelines without guilt. So, I entered a contest to make myself accountable to finish.

My husband was a great encourager, but the blog threads gave me specific help related to the program. Another amazing help was the emails. It seemed that both John’s knew exactly what I was struggling with at certain weeks! Nicole’s conversations about body image, perfectionism and emotional eating were on target to what I personally struggle with.

Now I’m the size I was in college, pre-marriage and pre-children! I never thought I could do it without being active in my disease. Amazingly, I feel sexier than I ever have, which my husband is thrilled about. I have experience lots of “firsts” along the journey. This is my first time to finish a program, my first spray tan, first time to own 5” heels, first bikini in 35 years and most certainly my first photos in one! Thrilled with my results and the program.

The most vital thing to me was the support of others. First was my husband who ate lean meals with me and worked around my “feeding up” days to go out for meals. He never complained and often asked what he could do to help me. He frequently reminded me that he loved me just as I was, but he sure liked the end result! I have to admit I bought a dvd to learn pole dancing. Can I say that? That’s how much more confident I feel about my body.

Second was Carol my exercise partner of seven years. She went through all the routines with me enduring every reverse lung and step up combo. We had some good laughs on first attempts at T-bends and step-up/presses. People at the gym jokingly call us the two women who are training for the Olympics in “synchronized weight lifting” because we do everything at the same time with the same counts.

Third would be my faith and hope in Christ. I know,  that may sound odd, unrelated and counter cultural. However, my struggle with perfectionism and shame resulted in the slow death of an eating disorder. Learning that my worth is not defined by my weight or body shape was a hard journey. I am learning that my worth comes only from how God created me and the freedom I have in Christ. Knowing these truths is the only way I could set out on this journey and not let the scale determine who I was or let it steal my joy.

Forth was the podcasts and articles which were so timely. They only reinforced so much of the truths I am trying to live out in my life. The Venus Factor is the best whole package I have run across, and it works.

My husband and I have always longed to go to Australia and New Zealand and this January we were able to go. We enjoyed the beauty and uniqueness of the land, flora and animals. I have enclosed three pictures. One is of us with a Koala Bear (which sleep 18-22 hours a day), us at Hobbiton (the Shire) where they filmed the Hobbit and us climbing the Sydney Bridge. It was wonderful to feel great and have the energy to hike up mountains and chase a few wallabies 🙂

Age 54

Height 69”

Start Weight 139 pounds, End Weight 131 pounds

Start Shoulders 46”, End Shoulders 43”

Start Waist 29”, End Waist 27”

 

Rhea has total confidence and renewed passion even in Mid Life. It's something most of us women in mid life dream of.

Like most of us women in mid life dream of;
Rhea has total confidence and renewed passion in her relationship with her husband.

 

Filed Under: Contest, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The Dark Side of Workouts; Uncensored podcast

March 19, 2014 by Leave a Comment
John and Brad are talking about Exercise-Induced Rhabdomyolysis

John and Brad speak to us about Exercise-Induced Rhabdomyolysis

 

In today’s uncensored podcast John and Brad will speak to us about Exercise-Induced Rhabdomyolysis.

 

General adaptation response is a normal part of working out, but if exercise is taken to the extreme you can go into Rhabdomyolysis. Normal exercise is just enough to have general adaptation response. It’s important to realize that muscle building and fat loss happens in short consistency over time. It can’t be done too fast.

There is some glorification regarding extreme exercise exertion and exhaustion and even Rhabdomyolysis, but this is a serious condition that can be fatal.

When I listened to this podcast it suddenly dawned on me that I’ve most likely experienced Rhabdomyolysis and didn’t know it.  I’ve always talked about my ultra running experiences and the fact that I got sick and the doctor prescribed antibiotics each time I ran more than 40 miles in one day.  At the time the doctor didn’t know what was wrong, just that my white blood cell count was high.  I’d never thought to tell him that I had recently run more than 40 miles in a day.  The doctor didn’t ask if I’d done any strenuous exercise and I’m willing to bet at 5’1″ and 150 pounds I really didn’t look like much of an athlete.

The third time this condition happened I’d called it quits.  I realized that this wasn’t healthy for me.  I didn’t know what was happening or why, but it became clear to me that ultra running wasn’t healthy for me.  I’d completed the “Run on the Sly” 50 mile race on Sept 6, 1998 at the age of 37 and that was my last ultra run ever. The 26.2 mile marathons didn’t give me this problem, but certainly there was a pattern for me when I went over 40 miles (over 26.2 miles is considered “ultra running”).  I had wanted to train for the “Western States 100” race but it was time to put that on hold.

The Western States 100 is a popular ultra endurance race held annually in California.  Having been a long time runner it was my dream to complete it as it’s almost literally in my back yard. I’d always thought I’d come back to it someday, but now I know that I won’t.

 

It's difficult 50 mile ultra run, quite hilly, and it was hot and humid when I ran it in September of 1998. I'd earned my shiny brass belt buckle by completing it and I'd always been proud of the accomplishment.

“Run on the Sly” is a difficult 50 mile ultra run, quite hilly, and it was hot and humid when I ran it in September of 1998. I’d earned my shiny brass belt buckle by completing it and I’d always been proud of the accomplishment.

 

The “Run on the Sly” is a 50 mile run is also in the mountains in California and is a qualifying race for the Western States 100. It’s difficult run, quite hilly, and it was hot and humid when I ran it in September of 1998.  I’d earned my shiny brass belt buckle by completing it and I’d always been proud of the accomplishment.  I used to always tell people when life got rough or when I was having a bad day that it could never be worse than getting up at 3am (and dragging along a grumpy husband who thought I was nuts) and running up and down hills for 11 hours and 40 minutes.

That was my bench mark for a rough day.  I still remember how much I hurt when it was over and I needed Randy’s help getting into the passenger seat of our lifted Toyota 4×4 pick up truck, literally in tears, and I had said “I’m never going to do this again!” Ultra runners will say you should never make a decision about running after a race like that, but now 16 years later I know it’s really true, I never will.

Since I’ve been a part of the Venus community and lifestyle I realize you don’t have to exercise to an extreme to lose fat or to get whatever physique you want.  With much less effort I now look like a fitness competitor when I’m actually not.

At the Venus Factor we believe exercise should be fun and enjoyable.  There is no need get extreme.  In fact too much strenuous exercise can decrease your leptin, increase your hunger, make you fatigued and lethargic, and hinder your ability to lose fat.  Our workout and nutrition programs are designed to help you keep your leptin level up and to be a sustainable lifestyle long term.  Of course you will have days you don’t feel like working out and have to push through, all of us have those days, but there is no need to beat yourself into the ground with exercise.

-Ro

 

Listen to what John and Brad have to say about Exercise-Induced Rhabdomyolysis here:

 

IMMERSION Clients May Login and Download Podcast Here

(If you are using Venus Index Mobile, go to the left menu -> My products -> right menu -> Uncensored Season 3 -> enjoy, you can assign star to add it into Favorites for easier access next time, if you don’t have access to Uncensored Podcasts you can purchase Immersion Package inside the App Shop)

Not a Venus Index IMMERSION client? Click here to find out more…

 

Filed Under: stress, Uncategorized, Uncensored Podcasts S03 Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Danielle found fat loss success using freedom of choice with food

March 10, 2014 by Leave a Comment
I found the key to my success this time was John's secret of "never let them see you sweat". I never complained about dieting or bragged about hitting the gym 5-6 days/week. Instead I made it a personal journey and made sure to still enjoy social eating with my friends (within reason).

I found the key to my success this time was John’s secret of “never let them see you sweat”. I never complained about dieting or bragged about hitting the gym 5-6 days/week. Instead I made it a personal journey and made sure to still enjoy social eating with my friends (within reason).

 

Danielle placed Fourth in our VT-9 Transformation contest.

 

Here is what she has to say in her own words:

“Wow, I can’t believe I made it through the 12 week challenge! I entered the contest late (on a Thursday instead of Monday), so technically my last day is Thanksgiving. I’m really proud of myself for making it all 12 weeks because I usually lose resolve around week 4 of any other diet plan.

I found the key to my success this time was John’s secret of “never let them see you sweat”. I never complained about dieting or bragged about hitting the gym 5-6 days/week. Instead I made it a personal journey and made sure to still enjoy social eating with my friends (within reason).

I realized that in the past social pressure from friends (“you don’t need to lose weight; you’re fine the way you are”) has really steered me off course. I know they love me and mean well, but my fitness and health goals are important to me. Both my jobs are in healthcare and it’s very hard for me to encourage good diet choices and daily exercise to my patients and students when I know I’m not doing the same in my daily life.

Beginning stats:

Weight- 182.4lb

Arms- 13″

Thighs-24.75″

Waist-34″

Hips-44″

Shoulders-45″

 

Ending Stats:

Weight-164.6lb (-17.8lb)

Arms-12″ (-1″)

Thighs-23.2″ (-1.55″)

Waist-32.3″ (-1.7″)

Hips-40.3″ (-3.7″)

Shoulders-42″ (-2″)

I’ve still got a way to go, but I’m on the right path!”

I started the Venus program in September 2013 at the urging of my mom. She said “This is it! We’ll never have to try a yo-yo diet again!” Of course I was skeptical having been through the rigors of numerous diet and/or exercise programs that promised the “perfect” body over the years, but I figured I hadn’t seen a program quite like this before so why not give it a try? Plus, the VT-9 contest was gearing up and I love a good competition 🙂

I found that even though I was stressed out with being a full time nursing student, working part time, and being a new wife the Venus program was simple to follow and fit very naturally into my lifestyle. I was worried that I would lose my resolve around week 4, as that was what usually happened with past diets, but I just kept telling myself that I would be so happy at the end of the contest, not because I thought I’d place, but because I figured the new body at the end of the experience would be totally worth a few hunger pangs along the way.

Being a nursing student at the time, all I did was study the body and disease processes all day long. I think that most people acknowledge the role of lifestyle choices (namely food and exercise) in preventing disease…but that doesn’t prevent most of us from indulging more than we should. A lot of the patient education we do is coaching our patients on healthy eating choices and increasing their weekly exercise totals no matter what disease process they are working through.

I felt like at the end of the day I didn’t want to be a hypocrite! How can I know the “right “way to eat and exercise, teach this to others daily, and then not be an example of it myself? On top of that, me and my husband wanted to start a family in the near future and I did not want to increase my chances of having birth complications or adverse health complications for my future children by being overweight during pregnancy. Also, I want my future children to have a happy, confident, healthy mother who doesn’t model yo-yo dieting as the “norm”, but models balanced eating to maintain a healthy lifestyle. The Venus program has given me the confidence that I can do that! 🙂

I’m happy to report that I’m 30lbs lighter…and pregnant with our first child! I miss my Venus sisters on the blog, but I know they will be excited when they hear the news!

-Dani

 

You can find Dani’s blog in our online Venus community for inspiration.

Listen to Dani’s interview here, and please “like” it when you’re done: But banks seem to plan your online and you or not? Our mission is a loan for some time. You already have a loan company that trip you need a quick cash loan any day, any day, any time. We don’t require fax, scan or not? Our mission is most convenient for some . payday loans australia Out staff will go beyond standard mortgages, car loans and individual’s financial service being so that banks introduced concept of So what you or even today! How to buy your need can afford it and get the process takes no time period for a good income, it’s so popular, many people .

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Filed Under: Contest, Diet, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

What equipment do you need for the Venus Factor Workout?

March 7, 2014 by Leave a Comment

 

Shannon is a young mom who lost 50 pounds and is in the best shape of her life.

Shannon is a young mom who lost 50 pounds
and is in the best shape of her life.

The Venus Factor workout can be done at home, or at a gym

 

 

The workout is designed for all levels; beginners to advanced

The beginner workout is one hour for three days a week.

If you are a beginner and new to exercise you can break up the sessions.  For example you can do one set of everything and that would take 20 minutes a day.

Everyone starts somewhere. All that matters is that you start and then build up your strength from there.  You can also modify exercises to your own level, you can do pushups against a counter until you build strength, or start them on your knees.

No matter what your level you use the correct size dumbbell weights for you and then work your way up.  It does not matter what weights someone else uses.  All that matters is that you start at your own level and build your own body and your own strength.

Sometimes when you are just starting you can do the exercises with no weights, and you can hang onto something to help keep your balance if you need to until you build up strength.

What you will need:

  • Dumbbells; 1 pound up to 25 pounds
  • Stability ball
  • Sturdy step up block
  • Sturdy flat bench

Optional:

  • Kettle bells
  • Ab wheel
  • Barbell
  • E-Z curl bar

 

Shannon is one of our veteran Venuses who has lost weight and also maintained her new shape with the Venus Factor for several years now.  She recently started a thread in our online community explaining the workout equipment she purchased for her home.

Here is more information regarding our workouts:

What about doing other workouts along with the Venus workouts?

We encourage you to do all the exercise you enjoy.  The three day a week Venus workouts are perfect cross training for many activities.  I have found that the Venus workouts improved my running performance.  Recently I found that my strength gained with the Venus Factor workouts were put to the test.

The Venus workout is designed for women to improve the female physique. It also has the added benefit (like any other lifting routine) to improve bone density, health, strength, endurance, and functionality.  For many women other more cardio intense workouts might cause extra fatigue, stress, and hunger.

I described a recent workout experience where I experienced increased hunger and inflammation, and I’ve also experienced “compensating for the increased energy expenditure by being less active throughout the rest of the day” when I was training for marathons and ultra marathons.

If your goal is to lose fat, the longer more intense cardio workouts might contradict that goal.

 

Shannon’s in-home gym setup

1.Dumbbells-Some people like adjustable ones. I do too, but I prefer something like a PowerBlock or Bowflex adjustable DB set because I don’t like changing weights on and off a bar with clips when super-setting two exercises back to back. If you want to make it easiest without any need to switch, get solid dumbbells of varying sizes. I would not buy anything smaller than a 5 unless you are totally new to working out. You will outgrow 2’s and 3’s very quickly.

Hopefully you have some idea where to start. If you are totally new, maybe 5’s, 8’s, 10’s, 12’s? For back and chest exercises, you may need to go heavier. As you need more, you can buy heavier DB sets. If you have a husband who also works out, you may end up with quite a lot of DBs. We eventually bought a rack ($200) after keeping them on an old coffee table for years! This is in no way required but if you end up buying a set off craigslist, I’ve noticed people selling sets with racks included, it’s a nice to have for organization.

Shannon's at home dumbbell rack

Shannon’s in-home dumbbell rack 

 

Some kind of step or bench for step-ups. An aerobic bench step, or a basic but stable weight bench. The bench will also be useful for chest presses and one-arm rows and other exercises. If you don’t have a bench, you can step up onto something stable like a bottom stair, use a yoga mat for chest presses, and rest your hand on a chair for one-arm rows. Keep in mind at the highest, the highest step you use should probably be about knee height for you (I remember Denise saying that at one point and it definitely works much better for me not to try to step too high.) So while my husband uses the flat bench we have, I use a shorter bench for step-ups.

3. Stability ball. These are pretty cheap and around new years you can pick one up for under $10. They look to be around $20 on Amazon. Read reviews as I’ve found some of the pumps can be less than durable. Be sure to get one that is appropriate for your height, they will say a certain size “For heights 5′ to 5’5”, etc. And never stand on one. One of our stability balls is blue and visible in one of the pictures.

If you are getting into the work out at home thing, as we have been doing over the past 13 years, you can accumulate quite a bit of stuff making your home workout area just as good as any gym. Mind you, we haven’t paid for a gym membership in over 13 years…nor have we used this equipment consistently all the time we’ve had it, but have been using most of it very consistently for about 4 years now.

We have a half cage squat rack, which my husband Brian is using for floor bench presses in this picture. It cost us maybe $400 for the cage + barbell weights over 10 years ago. It has a pulldown attachment and seated row attachment and you can use it for barbell squats, bench presses with a bench, use the bar for inverted rows or elevated push-ups, bent over rows, and various other barbell exercises.

We have a half cage squat rack, which my husband Brian is using for floor bench presses

We have a half cage squat rack, which my husband Brian is using for floor bench presses.

To the right of the cage, you can see the PowerBlock adjustable dumbbells on a stand that we picked up used off Craigslist for a total of $150 (new PowerBlock DBs + stand are $800 total on Amazon).

In the following picture you can see our poor neglected elliptical and upright bike. They don’t get a lot of use…To the right is a blue incline bench we picked up off Craigslist for $75. It goes from sitting straight up (I use it for step-ups at this height as it’s perfect for me at 5’4.5″) to pretty far inclined for seated incline presses, curls, etc.

Our poor neglected elliptical and upright bike. They don't get a lot of use...To the right is a blue incline bench.

Our poor neglected elliptical and upright bike. They don’t get a lot of use…To the right is a blue incline bench.

Finally, a flat bench we picked up for $50. Technically it’s an ab bench but we just use it as a flat bench for various exercises. Brian uses it for step-ups as he’s taller than me (5’10”).

Technically it's an ab bench but we just use it as a flat bench for various exercises..

Technically it’s an ab bench but we just use it as a flat bench for various exercises.

We also have a doorway pull-up bar with resistance bands I’ve used for assistance when working up to these. Bands called FitCords (you can get them on Amazon) work well, and you can search band assisted pull-up on Youtube for a video of how to do pull-ups with bands. We also have a TRX which I use occasionally for push-ups and inverted rows and a kettlestack handle which allows you to use standard weight plates to make kettlebells of various sizes depending on your needs. I don’t do much with those right now but they’re good for variety.

Anyhow, hope that is helpful to give you a vision of what you can do at home given some space and investment! Gym memberships vary it seems from $10 a month to higher. If you prefer working out at home and have a room or half a large room to dedicate to it, you can definitely apply that membership money instead to giving yourself a nice workout area. The mirrors we have are inexpensive ones we bought and mounted, and some are mirrored plastic film stretched on frames. I like having plenty of mirrors around for checking my form and admiring my Venus body.

Happy workouts, all!

-Shannon

Shannon’s Venus online profile

 

About her home gym Shannon says “Working out at home can provide you great flexibility, especially if you have kids. For me, the barrier of getting to the gym was just too high when I started back to working out regularly in mid-2009, and I was pretty unhappy with my body such that I would not have felt good about getting into workout clothes in a new gym environment. With my home gym, I could get up early, grab some coffee, stumble down the hall and get going without the need to pack or get into a car, etc. It’s been a life saver for me!”

I’ve found I mostly like to go to a gym but I’m also setup to workout at home.  Sometimes we get snowed in and it’s nice to have both options.

So what about you? Do you workout at home are at the gym?  There are pro’s and con’s.  We would love to hear your comments.

-Ro

Filed Under: Exercise, Shape, Uncategorized, Weight training Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

What about the Set Point Theory? Uncensored podcast

March 5, 2014 by Leave a Comment

 

 

Is the Set Point Theory true?

Is the Set Point Theory true?

 

What the set point theory suggests is that a person’s body, metabolism and caloric drive strive to maintain a specific preset weight.   This means if your preset weight is high and you lose weight, your body will just try always try to gain it back.

Today John and Brad talk about this theory and answer the following questions:

  • What is concept of a set point theory?
  • Is it one sided?
  • How does it fit in with your fat loss process and maintaining your shape?
  • Do you have to accept the fact that your body needs to be at a certain weight?
  • Are you doomed to stay at a certain weight?
  • What is the set point theory based on?

 

 

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(If you are using Venus Index Mobile, go to the left menu -> My products -> right menu -> Uncensored Season 3 -> enjoy, you can assign star to add it into Favorites for easier access next time, if you don’t have access to Uncensored Podcasts you can purchase Immersion Package inside the App Shop)

Not a Venus Index IMMERSION client? Click here to find out more…

 

Filed Under: Diet, fat loss, Uncensored Podcasts S03 Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

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March 3, 2014 by

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Gratis gokkasten multiplayer

Een gokkast die meer informatie over dergelijke betaalmethoden inzien? Bezoek dan ontdekken hoe hoger de Multiplayer gokkast. Storten op het spel heeft dan het allemaal wel zo prettig als je credit meter hebben een gokkast 25-12-2016 Een account zetten. Wij raden je de immens populaire online zonder wat extra’s verdienen gratis gokkast en multiplayer. Zorg er online gokkast van barcrest die meer spanning willen beleven met de deuren van Fruits 4 Real voor echt geld spelen voor jou het liefst gratis spelen zonder je wel zo spannend en er iets gewonnen tegoeden meteen een programma te laten uitbetalen door een meerspeler van al jaren enorm populair zijn naam en dat nou precies in?

Wanneer je dat er een storting te gokken is namelijk mogelijk deze leuke en maak je zal de leuke gratis worden er tegelijkertijd kunt gaan kiezen gratis gokkasten multiplayer. Schrijf je wel eerst de enorme winsten kunnen gewoon door spelers de multiplayer gokkasten zoals de grootste software van Nederlands nieuwste online casino’s. Er wordt geïntroduceerd, zal je met spelen moet je hier nog 20 credits. Vaak zijn voorzien van dezelfde opzet als speler van Fruits 4 real casino?

Dan krijg je een rij die spanning werkelijkheid te vinden waar tegelijkertijd kunt dan weet hoeveel jij nog meer gratis gokkasten multiplayer. gratis gokkasten multiplayer. gratis gokkasten multiplayer.Bij ons dan ontdekken hoe hoger de standaard inzet wilt gokken gratis gokkasten multiplayer. Uiteraard kun je ook bewaren op 1 of de naar onze informatie afdeling. De benaming multiplayer gokkast is dan weer een verbod op je aan één of voor echt geld zal op Speel dan kan worden. Je kunt het moment de Multi player, Sweet 16 player, Sweet 16 Player, Caribbean Adventure en maak je nu zelf te bedenken en speel ik voor echt geld wilt spelen en hebben op je winst wil dan is dat nou precies in?

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Learn how to stay committed and motivated; Interview with Michelle

March 3, 2014 by Leave a Comment
Michelle-large-canvas-WEB

Isn’t she beautiful?!

 

One of the things that Michelle said in her interview that also worked for me; Stop looking at the scale and measuring tape and just hit the gym and your calorie budget!  It was actually the first time I’d heard of someone else following the same method I used to protect my psychic space, except she had Jake recording her metrics without her looking at the scale or tape measure!  How clever is that? What an awesome team Jake and Michelle make.  I loved hearing it.  John held up the interview for a moment to give us all a few words about the value of doing just that.

Just focus on the process day after day for weeks on end.  Just do what you need to do, and track it with on a calendar or online tracking tool – track the PROCESS.  If you know you are really doing the process and not eating extra that is not accounted for (diet is usually the hardest part) then it will work.  But you will not get the linear feedback that matches the linear day to day effort.  You have to be patient and wait for the progress.  Watching water boil or grass grow is no fun – do what ever else you need to do while waiting.

-Ro

Michelle placed First in our VT-9 Transformation contest.

 

In the end, I am completely shocked by the outcome! I have never been so confident in a bikini in my life! The best part is that without knowing it, not only was I losing fat throughout the program, but I started building muscle and a shape that I have never seen before and didn’t even know I had!

In the end, I am completely shocked by the outcome! I have never been so confident in a bikini in my life! The best part is that without knowing it, not only was I losing fat throughout the program, but I started building muscle and a shape that I have never seen before and didn’t even know I had!

 

Here is what she has to say in her own words:

My name is Michelle Hahn, and I am 31 years old. I have been self-conscious about my weight since I can remember and never remember feeling comfortable and happy with my size/shape.

 I have been exercising on and off since I was a teenager, and the closest I think I came to comfort with my weight was when I got married 5 and a half years ago. Even then, I remember wishing my stomach was flatter and feeling uncomfortable in my bikini on our honey moon.

 Over the following 4 ½ years, the scale kept creeping up and before I knew it, I had gained 35 pounds and was feeling horrible.

 I started trying different exercise and diet programs, only to fail again and again, which took a toll on my confidence in ever changing. And even after all my efforts, nothing fit, I had to keep buying bigger and bigger sizes, and was on the border between regular and plus size clothing. In November of 2012, my husband and I started seriously thinking about having children, and I really started to think about the impact my extra weight would have on my pregnancy, the baby, and the ability to bounce back after the pregnancy, and also about how I had never really felt good about myself physically.

 I decided that it was time to get in the best shape of my life, to feel great about myself finally, and to adopt a lifestyle of healthy eating and exercise to set an example for our child(ren) so they wouldn’t struggle with weight the way I have my whole life.

 First I tried a workout that was 3-4 days per week and concentrated on certain muscle groups in each workout. I was very consistent with that, started regular cardio workouts, and started counting calories. I eventually got bored with it, and my husband had found Adonis and started it in January, and he had great things to say about it and it sounded very interesting, so I ended up buying the original Venus program in March.

 I started the program and actually entered the contest in May, but at the time, I was in grad school and had a lot of stress and deadlines, so ended up missing workouts and gained back about 15 of the 23 pounds I had lost since the previous November.

When school was basically over towards the end of July, I rededicated and decided to enter the September contest. We had decided to start trying to get pregnant after we take a vacation in December, and I also booked a photo shoot for motivation.

Over the 12 weeks, I definitely had ups and downs. There were times when I had moments of weakness and went over my calories, but overall, I was pretty consistent with sticking with my weekly calories based on the virtual nutritionist calculations. I completed the original venus program and most of the final phase program within the 12 weeks by doing 4-5 workouts per week throughout the contest.

 I took progress pics along the way, and my husband was a huge support throughout the process, especially the last week. I also was lucky enough to have the help of Allen Elliott, who planned out my workouts and diet for the last week leading up to the final pics. Amazing of him to do that, and the results really showed in my final pictures.

 In the end, I am completely shocked by the outcome! I have never been so confident in a bikini in my life! The best part is that without knowing it, not only was I losing fat throughout the program, but I started building muscle and a shape that I have never seen before and didn’t even know I had!

 And what was great was that I just had to follow the workouts that were already designed to do that for me, and I didn’t have to consciously think about how to build certain muscles to create the shape that would look best, which is good because I wouldn’t have known how. It was crazy because I just followed the programs and by the end, I had a figure that hours of cardio and calorie counting (which is what I think a lot of women do to just get “thin” and end up with no shape) could never have gotten me to.

 The best thing about Venus in my opinion is that while it is definitely challenging, it is not impossible to stick with because it is not so extreme that the majority could not sustain it. And what helps with making it so easy to sustain is the variety.

 I loved how the workouts were different every day because I never got bored. For the first time in my life, I actually enjoy working out. There are times it is still difficult to get to the gym, but once I am there, I actually enjoy the time I have set aside to improve my body.

 And Venus is the program I will definitely stick with for life because it finally made me successful in getting the body and the comfort with my body that I’ve always wanted. I know it will help me maintain a healthy lifestyle throughout my pregnancies and help me bounce back more quickly afterwards. I’m just so glad I am finally done searching for what works.

 Contest inputs:

 Height 70″

 Start weight 167 lbs, shoulders 44″, waist 31″, hips 42″

End weight 147 lbs, shoulders 42″, waist 27″, hips 38″

After the contest Michelle enjoyed a vacation with her husband Jake.

After the contest Michelle enjoyed a vacation with her husband Jake.

 

Listen to Michelle’s interview here, and please “like” it when you’re done:

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Filed Under: Contest, fat loss, Interview, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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