Arms with Tim @ Equinox Soho

My friend Nathalie invited me to a 4pm training session with her friend Tim Keleher (thesportingclub.co.uk), and I couldn't turn down the offer. I guess I really didn't know what I was getting into, but how can you pass up a free personal training session? Apparently he had found this new great arm routine, which he learned of in Sweden...I think by great, he meant torturous, but anyway, it's always good to mix it up. You're body gets used to certain workouts and you need to spice it up! We started out with negative dips and negative pull-ups. When did I last do a pull-up? My best guess is 4 years ago. After doing about 4 regular dips, from starting position, with arms straight, I had to lower my body down while Tim was counting from 3-10 seconds (different count for each of the 3 sets), then weighted chest dips with a belt around my waist (3 sets). The weighted dip is an excellent movement because it allows for the training of the chest and triceps together in a way that uses a greater mass of muscle from more muscle groups. Next were the pull-ups…so hard. Tim had to lift my legs a bit so I could pull myself up and then while he counted down from 6-12 seconds (3+ sets of different counts), I had to lower by body to the count. This was incredibly fatiguing but that is why it was exercise #1.

We moved on to push-ups and bicep curls on an angled bench. I thought that at least the push-ups would be easy for me, but NO – my body was already tired. I started out with push-ups (5-10 reps), then bicep curls on the bench with an 8-lb weight (12-15 reps) and finally bicep curls with a 20-pound bar (10-12 reps). I actually had to switch to a 5-lb weight for the bicep curls and a 10-lb body bar because I was shaking like crazy! We did 3 sets of each and it was tough to say the least. Next was tricep work: skull crushers (3 sets of 12) and tricep rope pushdowns (3 sets of 12-15: 1 set standing and 2 sets on the knees).

Dips

1. Stand at the dip station and grip each handle, with palms facing the body. 2. With arms nearly straight, lift legs off the floor or platform and lean forward slightly without dropping your head. 3. Slowly lower your body until your upper arms are parallel to the floor. 4. Push yourself back up until your arms are almost straight. 5. Repeat, lowering and raising yourself until exhaustion.

Skull Crushers

1. Lie on the floor or a bench and hold a light-medium barbell with the hands close together, about shoulder-width apart. 2. Extend the arms straight up over the chest, palms face out and thumbs wrapped around so that they're next to the fingers. 3. Bend the elbows and lower the weight down to a few inches above the forehead or until the elbows at about 90-degree angles. 4. Squeeze the triceps to straight the arms without locking the joints.

Rope Pushdown

1. Attach a rope to the top portion of a cable machine. 2. Grab the rope with your palms facing towards each other and position the rope at about chest level. 3. Slowly lower the rope downward, making sure to keep your elbows in while extending your arms and have a slight bend in your arms when you reach the bottom of the movement. 4. While keeping your elbows in slowly let the rope come back up to the starting position.

This concluded the workout (roughly an hour and a half). While my blood sugar was high, I inhaled a smoothie with strawberry, banana and soy milk. Every responsible source in bodybuilding and athletics recommend that you eat preferably within 45 minutes (maybe up to 60) after a workout. Known as the “golden hour,” this is when the muscles absorb the most nutrients and when glycogen, an energy reserve in your muscles, is replaced most efficiently.

This workout was on Saturday and today (Monday), I can barely straighten my arms, lift my purse or basically do anything other than type with my fingers. I recommend this workout to anyone who wants to see major results and feel the pain. Yay! Thanks, Tim and Nathalie.

Blueprint Cleanse: Day 3

After going to bed after midnight on Friday night, I ended up waking up on Saturday at around 11am and I was STARVING! I had an acupuncture facial at 12:30, so I gulped down my first juice and brought my second one for the road. It was 82 degrees out, so I decided to ride my bike from West Houston to East 56th Street -- about 5 miles round trip! The last real workout I had was on Thursday, the first morning of the cleanse, so when I was going up the slight hill in Midtown, it was a bit hard on the legs. After my facial, which was amazing (post to come), I was feeling a bit fatigued, but still had good energy! I have to admit that I'm a little sore from the ride. :P Because it was so nice outside, I was out and about all day, thus, not consuming enough water. At around 7pm, I went with a friend to Carerra, one of my favorite wine bars, and tortured myself while she indulged in some vino. As I was sitting there, I started to get really light headed and realized that I needed my last juice and lots of water. I rushed home to get my juice and then I went with her to Pepe Rosso, where I then watched her eat a delicious looking pasta dish. What was I thinking?! I guess it was a good test for me.

After dinner I had some tea with peppermint to calm down my body and then I went to bed early to finish off the cleanse. Overall, I greatly enjoyed the Blueprint Cleanse and I would recommend the 3-day cleanse to anyone who wants to give their digestive system a rest. Next time, I'm gonna go for the 5-day. Right now, I'm enjoying my first real meal: oatmeal.

Blueprint Cleanse: Day 2

Today was much less painful than I had anticipated and the juices gave me lots of energy -- I think tomorrow is going to be a breeze. The only hard part of this cleanse is that NYC is finally warm (82 degrees tomorrow), so the whole not eating/drinking thing is going to be a challenge for me with such fine conditions. The same as yesterday, my meals today consisted of 6 juices: Pineapple / Apple / Mint, Green Juice, Spicy lemonade, Green Juice, and Cashew Nut Milk. Yesterday I wasn't so much a fan of the last juice, but today I found it to be quite nice and filling. Compared with the usual detox I do (grains, fruits, & veggies), this cleanse has been great -- I'm just hoping that tomorrow doesn't surprise me with intense hunger...until then, I remain a happy juicer. Thank you, Blueprint!

New Jersey's Mountain Creek Resort

Up until February 2008, I had no idea that I could drive just an hour and a half from NYC to go snowboarding in Vernon, New Jersey at Mountain Creek Resort. I grew up boarding on the west coast in Lake Tahoe where I was spoiled with fresh powder, long trails and relatively mild weather. The East Coast snow is a whole 'nother ball game; these runs are icy, narrow and short…and a bit colder than Nor Cal.

As an avid snowboarder these conditions aren't ideal, but because the drive is so short, this mountain is great for unplanned day trips when a fresh layer of snow has come down the day before. You should only go to Mountain Creek the day after it snows in the City to ensure that you won't be boarding on ice. The snow is typically good until about 2pm, but then the ice starts to emerge from under the fresh powder. I have been two times thus far, and just used ZipCar for about a hundred bucks and when split among four people, is a pretty cheap trip.

An all-day lift ticket will cost you $62 on the weekends, but when I went pre-season this year, I paid $49 because only two lifts were open. See you on the slopes!

Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Center

Located on 24th between 7th and 8th, Sivananda is one of the better yoga studios in NYC. As someone who is from Santa Cruz, California, this studio reminds of home. If you aren't familiar with Santa Cruz, I suppose this reference will remain a mystery. I have tried many types of yoga; from Vinyasa (and other variations) at the gym to Bikram at a studio to a yoga on a rooftop in India. Sivananda is where you will find the most well-trained and committed instructors, in my opinion, and in an environment that makes you feel relaxed and at peace. I'm raving about the quality of this studio, however, I'm really not a big yoga person, so me talking about Sivananda says a lot. The yoga here is slow moving and more laid-back than I'd like in a workout; nonetheless, I like coming every few months to balance out my system and meditate (or something).

I took the open yoga session, which goes for an hour and a half and includes Pranayama (breathing exercises), a regular series of Asanas including sun salutations, and relaxation. You can choose from beginner, gentle, advanced, prenatal, Satsang (group meditation) and open classes. Because the poses are slow-paced, this class gives you a chance to work on balance and technique.

This is not only a yoga studio, there are cooking workshops and other courses, and they have a wide selection of yoga supplies including books, mats, etc. If you're lucky to come to one of the open houses, you will be able to stay for one of the most delicious vegetarian meals of your life. If you are a member, you may get free meals (?), but I highly recommend that you check this place out at least once.

Classes are priced from $8 (gentle) to $12 or you can buy an unlimited month class pass for $125. With the prices for working out around the city, Sivananda is very reasonable and, when I go once every three months, I don't mind the $12 entrance fee.

The Bosu Push-Up

2.17.2009 I am a huge fan of traditional forms of exercise, e.g. the good ol’ push-up. Truly a glorious strength-training move, the push-up can be performed anywhere at any time, gym or no gym, outside or inside. Muscles worked are the pectorales, deltoids and to a lesser degree your triceps, forearms and also the latissimus dorsi. There were times (1998 & 2008) when I could do 31 of these suckers (yes, off my knees), but now I can only do about 10 in a row without shaking (which is good though it means you're doing it right and gaining results). :(

The Bosu (Both Sides Utilized or Both Sides Up) push-up works similar muscles but adds in the element of balance, which increases abdominal and arm strength making it an excellent posture-enhancing move.

How to do a Traditional Push-Up

Kneel down on the floor and place your hands flat on the floor slightly wider than shoulder width apart. With your shoulders directly over your hands, straighten your arms in plank position. Move your feet back, placing your toes on the floor, so that your knees are off the floor and your legs are straight (if you cannot do a regular push-up, place your knees on the floor until you work up to the regular version).

At this point, your body should form a straight line from your shoulders to your ankles—your body should remain straight throughout this exercise. Keep your head and neck in line with your body so that you’re looking down toward the floor. Now you’re in the starting position. In a controlled fashion, lower your body down toward the floor, bending your elbows, until your body is nearly touching the floor. Now, push your body up away from the floor, straightening your arms, until you have returned to the starting position.

How to do a Bosu Push-Up

With the bubble side of the Bosu down, place your hands on the outer edges of the flat platform, making sure they are directly under your shoulders. Always maintain a flat back and tight abs throughout this exercise. Descend until your chest is very close to the platform, and then slowly push back up.

I do about 3 sets of 8-10 reps, but if you’re just starting out, try doing 2 or 3 sets of 2-3 and work your way up! If you can’t do a regular push-up yet, do 3 sets of 5 “girl” push-ups until you’ve worked your way up to the straight-legged version. I know it works because my mom went from doing 0 push-ups to 7 in the course of 3 months—go mom!

And don't forget the most important part: keep breathing at all times; this may sound silly, but sometimes we forget

Equinox: Soho

When I heard that an Equinox was going to open its doors in SoHo I was thrilled! I have made my home within this neighborhood since the end of 2006 and had always made the trek to the 19th Street location for my workouts. Even though I have always worked in the Union Square area, I am now able to workout close to my apartment. YAY!

I was expecting this gym to be nothing short of spectacular. I mean, we are in Soho. When you walk into the gym, you are greeted by the shop and 'witchcraft—nothing out of the ordinary really. After walking up two half flights of stairs, there is a lounge area (about 350 sq ft) with couches, tables and a flat screen TV where you can eat, go online or just sit on the comfy cushions. The next two sets of half flights take you to the long front desk where a few snobby Soho wannabes check you in. Walking to the right of the front desk there are two choices: walk upstairs to the men's locker room and yoga studio or make a right to the main gym floor.

The main floor of the gym is pretty straightforward; you've got the regular treadmill, elliptical and bike section with flat screen TVs to keep you distracted from your workout. The rest of the large space is filled with every typical weight machine, free weights and stretching mat and, of course, a workout studio and cycling studio. In the back of the gym, above Broadway, there is a small Pilates studio where you can take private lessons for an extra fee. I tried this machine-type Pilates once, but it wasn't for me—too slow.

The yoga studio is the hands-down best in-gym studio I have ever seen (yet). With calming brown walls, giant flower pots with huge bamboo sticks, and beautiful lamps, this room puts you immediately in a relaxed state. Although I truly love what they did to the yoga studio, I hate that the women's restroom is downstairs and long walk away. If the men's locker room is adjacent to the studio, why didn't they just build a small unisex restroom next to it so I don't have to run my ass down the stairs and around the corner?!

This gym is beautiful and it exudes a new and open, and if you go during the day you may see a celebrity (I haven't seen anyone just yet). The only issue I have with going to this location is when I have to walk/push down Prince Street to Broadway through hundreds of tourists, which makes me want to turn around and go back home.

Bikram Yoga Manhattan

Birkram Yoga, founded by Bikram Choudhury, is a practice consisting of 26 poses in a room that is heated to 105 degrees Fahrenheit. The extreme heat helps your body to burn fat more effectively, increase muscle elasticity and to bring more oxygen to the muscles, which in turn helps remove waste such as lactic acid and carbon dioxide. Bikram not only works your muscles, but it works out your internal organs: the glands and nervous system.

About three years 3 ago I tried Bikram Yoga, but I figured it was time I actually tried it for a few weeks at a time to really get a grasp on whether I like it or not. Yesterday was day one at Bikram Yoga Manhattan in Soho (one of their 3 locations). The Spring Street studio is pretty basic: a small waiting room with a water cooler and coat rack and two changing rooms with showers that I probably won’t ever shower in. The instructor, Byron, who was wearing a very small piece of clothing (his almost shorts) was also the receptionist. I paid $20 for 7 days of practice -- a typical first-time Bikram fee.

Because it’s hotter than a tropical country, you need very little clothing; I only wore a sports bra and short shorts because anything else would have been too much…meanwhile it was 32 degrees and snowing outside. The class started out with Pranayama Breathing where you should be inhaling six pounds of oxygen in six seconds, but I apparently need some practice because I could only go for maybe three seconds. This pose has been proven to not only increase oxygen content to the bloodstream and quadruple lung capacity, but it strengthens leg and abdominal muscles, among other things.

I was literally dripping sweat (I hate the word literally, but it’s completely appropriate in this context) from every part of my body, even from the bottom of my feet. At one point we were doing the pose Dandayamana Janushirasana where I had to interlock my fingers around my right foot while trying to straighten my right leg and lock my knee while keeping my left leg locked – the problem was that my hands kept slipping off my foot. As the class progressed each pose became a little more invigorating and difficult, but each was in preparation for the next. Toward the end of class, we lay in Savasana (dead body pose) in order to return circulation to normal and sustain concentration before progressing. Savasana is also a great way to improve hypertension, nervousness, anxiety, and irritability and generally just feels good at the end of any workout.

Indeed Bikram is a challenge, but I learned that it’s not whether you can do the pose to its full extent, but that you concentrate and use the will power to hold that pose for one minute or more without losing focus. I like this concept and can incorporate the inspiration into my day-to-day routine, in both business and personal situations.

I don’t want to go to class on Thursday morning at 7am for 90 minutes (the class is offered at many different times), but I know that once 8:31 rolls around, I will be more than thrilled that I made that decision. I will keep you posted on the next days of my practice.

About Sara Silberstang

Certifications: NASM: CPT, Tier 2: EFTI (Equinox Fitness Training Institute), Pre- and Post-Natal Specialties: Weight loss, strength endurance, pre- and post natal Training Styles: Circuit training, cardio weight lifting, TRX, traditional lifting, boot camp

Born and raised in Santa Cruz, California, I have always been exposed to outdoor activities and learned at an early age the importance of exercise and eating healthy. I played soccer and softball as a child and upon entering high school I moved on to cheerleading and competition dance.

I first started working out at at 24-hour Fitness at the age of 14, which was in addition to 4 hours of cheer/dance practice 4 times a week. After high school, I went to undergrad in Chico, California, Beijing, China and finally graduated from San Diego State in 2004. After graduation, I promptly moved to New York City, got an all-access membership to Equinox, and and now I'm proud to say that I am a Personal Trainer at Equinox Printing House on Leroy and Hudson in the West Village. With a 7-minute commute to work, life's pretty good.

In September of 2011, I started school at the Integrative Institute for Nutrition to become a holistic health counselor, which is the next addition to my health and wellness offerings. I have two girlfriends who have graduated from IIN and I've only head amazing things from them. In 2012, I will be a holistic health counselor and I'm really excited for all this degree has to offer. One of the overlying themes of IIN is individuality, meaning everyone eats for their body and people all have different dietary needs. I look forward to sharing interesting nutrition facts and my own thoughts about health in the coming months.

Prior to becoming a trainer, I worked in publishing for my father's publishing company (gambling books) and marketing (for Citi Habitats). After sitting at a desk for multiple hours at a time, I realized more and more the importance of staying in shape, stretching properly and keeping up my posture...and of course, eating healthy and nutritious foods. I stayed in shape, but sometimes couldn't make it to the gym until 9:30pm at night—I remember hearing the loud speaker announch that the gym would be closing. This desk life was not for me. For me, fitness is not just a way to stay in shape, it's a way to find peace and maintain mental sanity. When I engage in physical activities, I feel happier and more energized for my day-to-day routine, while keeping off those extra pounds this is what I try to help my clients understand. :) Fitness really is LIFE (thanks, Equinox).

I have always been somewhat of a healthy eater, but I live by the motto of "I eat whatever I want, within moderation." You have to understand that I do not eat or drink packaged foods and foods that are not pure, so to speak. Yes, I will indulge here and there in some sour patch kids, but I try to eat food with ingredients that I understand. Coupled with 5-6 hours of exercise per week, this system works for me and I have maintained the same weight for many years. My at-home diet consists of veggies, grains and fruits, but I indulge my cravings every once and a while (wine, chocolate, french fries) -- if you deprive yourself of those favorite items, you will eventually go on a binge, so if you're trying to make lifestyle changes, don't go cold turkey or you'll just end up binging.

Many of the ways we work out today have come from all over the world and I feel fortunate to have traveled a lot, which has given me the opportunity to experience yoga in India, Kung Fu in China, hiking in Hawaii and many other beautiful places. Traveling or not, I always find a way to stay active and tend to make a workout out of every activity—doing butt lifts walking up stairs, working my obliques while sitting at a counter on a stool, or doing calf raises while waiting on line. When I'm at home, I choreograph dance routines around my apartment, practice cheerleading kicks or attempt to improve my handstand. It may sound odd, but I honestly see the results.

Daily ramblings can be found at http://nourishyourbody.tumblr.com/.

About Core Recipe

On countless occasions I have willingly dragged friends and family to the gym and more often than not, I am asked to command the workout -- this could be an abdominal routine, a cardio sequence or to correct a pose. And I've been told that I even take on the role of a trainer...counting the number of reps or telling my companion when they can stop a specific routine. And they actually listen! :-) So, after many years of working out and eating in a healthy manner, I decided it was time to share my views on gyms, classes, my workout routines and ways to maintain a healthy lifestyle. The name Core Recipe came about because I pride myself on my posture. When you have a strong core, the area around your trunk and pelvis, the muscles in your abdomen, hips, pelvis and lower back are able to work in harmony. Not only does your core produce an enviable posture, it stabilizes your body in every type of workout, including day-to-day activities. If you have a weak core, you are more susceptible to poor posture, lower back pain and muscle injuries. Because of all this good stuff, I incorporate core exercises into all my workouts.

I agree wholly with the statement: you are what you eat. The main ingredient to maintaining a healthy body is what you choose to eat and drink. I'm not that strict with my diet, but I do tend to ingest a more healthy range of foods which include fresh vegetables and fruits, but I do feel strongly about keeping all my favorite foods in my diet...in moderation, of course (French fries are my weakness). Because I love to cook and come up my own recipes, I will share with you some of my easy-to-make recipes and juices.

I look forward to sharing my Core Recipe with you. Enjoy!