It's no wonder mantras are deeply rooted in religions all around the world. To repeat these meaningful words is a deeply meditative and personal experience, one that can fill you with hope, fire and inspiration. Repeating your mantra in your head while competing can distract you from pain, and can help push you further than you ever thought you could go. There's little doubt that mantras are the fuel of champions.

Ten Athletic Champions from various sports share their personal mantras. Try one on for size, and then invent your own perfect words that keep you inspired healthy and strong.

"Falling in life is inevitable—staying down is optional."

-Carrie Johnson, Olympic Sprint Canoer

"Keep calm and carry on."

-Betsey Armstrong, Olympic Gold medal winning U.S. water polo Goalkeeper

"Go, go, go, go." 

-Morgan Mitchell, Australian 4x400 Olympic sprinter

"Someone out there is training harder, faster, stronger." 

-Ali Krieger, U.S. FIFA women's world cup Champion

"Tell me I can't, and I will show you I can." 

-Carmen Marton, Australia's First Taekwondo World Champion

"On and Up." 

-Chelsea Jaensch, Australian Track and Field Olympian Specializing in the Long Jump

"Steady, ready, poised, winning."

-Arielle Martin, Professional U.S. BMX cyclist.

“These are not sacrifices, but investments.”

-Gwen Jorgensen, world triathlete series champion

"Look good, feel good, do good." 

-Amanda Bingson, Olympic Hammer thrower who still holds the world record for furthest hammer throw.

"Failure is Fuel." 

-Kayla Harrison Judo Olympic gold medalist and world champion

Feeling Inspired? Now get out there and kick some butt! Now for my favorite mantra that got me through a triathlon and all the training leading up to it - “Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger.” (Thanks Daft Punk.)

Written by C.L. Brenton

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It’s February now and we all know what that means: Those once haughty new year’s resolutions so full of spark and hope have tumbled by the wayside to make room for the rest of our lives. The dirty, lazy, binge watching, busy part of life that we were trying so hard to change.

So do we wait another year to make resolutions that we know will fail? How many years will repeat the same patterns? Five? Twenty-five? A hundred?

This is the year you stop the laziness. This is the year you make yourself accountable for your goals. Don’t worry. We can help.

A photo posted by Girl Meets Strong (@girlmeetsstrong) on Dec 6, 2016 at 7:00am PST

1. Be Specific

Break down your big goal into actionable daily or weekly goals. Run three times a week, weight train twice a week, go to a yoga class/crossfit/spinning once a week, are all things you can do and check off your list. “Get in Shape” is not an achievable goal.

A photo posted by Girl Meets Strong (@girlmeetsstrong) on Oct 5, 2016 at 8:23am PDT

2. Track Your Progress

However you do it, write on a calendar, cross off days that you work on your goal, or check it off your to-do list (or your favorite to-do list app). Anything will work, you just have to be able to look back on your progress and say, ‘Wow, this month I ran 32 miles.’ This is not only a good way to make sure you stay on track (you look at it every day), but it’s also a great way to renew your motivation at the end of every month.

3. Find an Accountability Buddy

I’ll be the first to tell you that this isn’t easy. But if you’re lucky enough to have a partner or a bestie who wants to achieve the same goals, you can help each other achieve them. You don’t have to work out together, just check in with each other every day. I personally am driven by competition, so when my husband and I are training for something together, he motivates me to train harder.

A photo posted by Girl Meets Strong (@girlmeetsstrong) on Feb 8, 2017 at 1:26pm PST

4. Place Little Reminders Around the House

I love Post-it notes, and whenever I’m trying to achieve a goal, seeing reminders everywhere helps a lot. This works especially well when you’re trying to correct a pervasive bad habit like saying the word like, or snacking unnecessarily throughout the day. A little post it that says “Like” or “No Snacks” can help keep your future self accountable.

A photo posted by Girl Meets Strong (@girlmeetsstrong) on Oct 18, 2016 at 8:06am PDT

5. Make Deadlines that You Can’t Change

This is easier for some goals than others. Sign up for a race or a triathlon, schedule a session with a foreign language conversation buddy, join a book club if you want to read more. When internal accountability is fastened to external factors you will train harder, study Spanish every day, and read a book every month. When you’re afraid to skip training because you might embarrass yourself at that race in a month, motivation becomes intrinsic.

A photo posted by Girl Meets Strong (@girlmeetsstrong) on Nov 26, 2016 at 8:35am PST

6. Create Meaningful Rewards and Meaningful Punishments

Studies have shown that punishments actually work better than rewards when it comes to motivation. However, using the two training methods together works wonders. Make a list of meaningful rewards that you can achieve every week. Put a dollar in a jar, or earn “points” every time you work out. You have to figure out what will work for you personally. Just make sure you include punishments that are not physical (monetary and TV related punishments tend to work). You don’t want to deny yourself food or going out with friends. Those are a part of living a healthy life, too.

Self accountability is a completely personal endeavor. Try a bunch of different tactics, and figure out what keeps you consistent. Keep it fun, and remember that every day you spend toward achieving your big goal, is another day your future self will thank you for.

Written by C.L. Brenton

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So you’ve been eating healthy for a week or two, you’re feeling great, you’re motivated, you’re strong. And then, you’re driving to the gym, and all of a sudden--you’re starving. All you want is an ice cream cone. Or you’ve had a shitty day, and the only thing that will make you feel better is a fried chicken sandwich.

This is the moment you’ve been dreading, the moment you fall off the wagon. Not while Girl Meets Strong is around! With these five tips you can empower yourself to stay on track and keep eating healthy. Don’t thank us, thank yourself!

1. Eat half

If swearing off your favorite unhealthy foods sounds like the key to diet success, then you have fallen into the same trap millions of other people fall into when they embark on eating healthier.

The truth is, completely denying yourself certain foods is a willpower test that most of us aren’t strong enough to pass. This can lead to binging, which can lead to abandonment of your healthy lifestyle all together! When you are beginning your new dietary changes, allow yourself your favorite ice cream or post-dinner cookie. But here’s the change: only eat half of it. And before you dig in, be sure to put the other half away or give it to someone else so you won’t be tempted to go back and finish it. You’ll feel in control, your cravings will be satisfied, and you’ll be able to eat healthy and maintain an exercise regimen with a sense of victory and renewed energy! Remember, it’s all in the little steps along the way.

2. Recognize the brain component

Eating healthy is mostly mental. When we feel good, we eat healthy and well. When we feel bad, sick, tired, stressed, we eat poorly. Now you can’t remove emotional stress from your life entirely but you can recognize that it’s half the battle. If you feel like attacking a McFlurry and fries on your way home from work, think about what’s going on in your life that’s making you want to binge. See it for what it is, and ask yourself a question:

What else can I do to destress and calm my emotional brain?

Here are some ideas: draw a soothing bath, practice some sun salutations, go for a short walk, meditate for ten minutes, drink tea, read a book, call a friend. It may be difficult to rationalize with yourself in that moment, so have a plan of action beforehand, something you can rely on to get you out of the downward emotional spiral.

A photo posted by Simple Green Smoothies ✌️💗🍃 (@simplegreensmoothies) on Jul 25, 2016 at 8:14am PDT

3. Plan ahead so you can eat more often

Do you love to eat? Me too. Turns out if you eat a little bit every few hours you can eat more often throughout the day! It’s great! Unfortunately, though, this doesn’t mean you can eat a full-blown meal every few hours. But if you consistently eat fist sized snacks, you can have half a sandwich for lunch, and then eat the other half at 3pm when your energy starts to dip. This reduces the amount you’ll binge on crappy snacks, and lets you eat more times per day! Win-win!

A photo posted by Ashley Lynn (@momasrx) on Jul 2, 2016 at 8:06am PDT

4. Set yourself up for success!

Keep healthy snacks and bars in your desk, at home, purse, car, etc. Anticipate that moment in your life when you’ve forgotten to eat, you’re insanely hungry and all you want to do is grab a Taco Bell burrito before you get back to work. Instead, have a Luna bar, take a few slow deep breaths, and let your mind think rationally again before you make that lunch decision. Don’t forget to restock those snacks after you use them! (They’re also good for hungry partners, too, who might derail both of you to Taco Bell!)

A photo posted by Madeleine Conti (@mcontifitness) on Jul 11, 2016 at 3:21pm PDT

5. Don’t talk about it!

No one likes a person who can’t shut up about their newest diet trend and how healthy they’re being. This is the worst part about eating healthy it can seem all-consuming.

Studies have shown that when goals aren’t verbalized they are more likely to be achieved. If you talk about your healthier food choices all the time, you’ll receive praise from your coworkers and friends about how good you’re doing and how strong you are for being so healthy! Sounds great right?

Wrong.

The praise you receive gives you a dopamine rush which makes you feel like you’ve already achieved your goal, making you less likely to push through and achieve it. Read that again! Any time you talk about your goal with other people, you are setting yourself up for failure! But that doesn’t mean you can’t talk to yourself about it. Positive self-talk can be extremely helpful in those moments when we feel ourselves starting to slip. Tell yourself why you can do this, and remind yourself of the bigger reasons why you’re choosing to be healthier.

Besides, if you want to have a cupcake at work (but only half a cupcake, right?) you don’t want everyone judging you because they think you’ve slipped off the healthy train. Just go about your daily business, do the work, and let your results speak for you. Make your choice personal and not public. Trust me. Secrets secrets are really fun.

Set yourself up for success and forgive yourself if you fall out of step for a meal or a day. One double cheeseburger doesn’t have to derail you forever! Good luck, and stay strong!

Written by CL Brenton 

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Meet Lauren Fisher, a 22 year old CrossFit prodigy who’s been competing alongside three older brothers her entire life. She previously earned 9th place in the 2014 CrossFit Games and will be competing again this year amongst the best CrossFit athletes in the world. A fast learner and a dogged competitor, Lauren shares one of the things that got her to the top - two words - Mental Grit. Her story is one of continual effort despite the circumstances. Read on for a look into how she got to the top of the podium, and what it took to get herself there.

In the Beginning...

I played sports my entire life, growing up I started out with swimming, gymnastics, softball, basketball, tennis, volleyball -- all sports, you name it.  I tried out everything when I was little, so I know it helped create the athlete that I am today. And it later led me to CrossFit which kept me in shape during my off-seasons.

Unexpected Substitution

When I was a senior in High School, I went to visit my brother Garrett Fisher at NorCal CrossFit. He was doing a competition with Neal Maddox and they needed one more girl because their athlete got injured. I got thrown into the competition and that was the very first CrossFit competition I did.

I was a senior in High School when I ended up doing the CrossFit Open for the first time, and I qualified for the NorCal regionals in my very first year.

Training for the CrossFit Games 

Now that I’m training towards games, I’m training 2-3 times a day. Right now I’m focusing more on aerobic conditioning. I row twice a week, run twice a week and then I also swim once or twice a week, too.

I have to keep my strength up, so I add in my Olympic lifts, and I definitely keep doing CrossFit workouts as well.

Fueling Up

I knew I needed someone who I could count on for my nutrition. I’ve always been healthy but I never knew how much to eat or when I need to eat it. Molly Vollmer from Progenex has been a big part of my success.

A photo posted by Progenex (@progenex) on Apr 27, 2016 at 7:51am PDT

She’s helped me start eating according to my macros, and that has helped so much. Now, if at the end of the day I’m under eating, I know need a huge bowl of oatmeal with Progenex in it.

The great nutrition and all the training I do really help.

Win a Pack of PROGENEX RECOVERY Protein (30 servings) & A Box of THE BAR (12 pk)! (Giveaway ends August 1, 2016)

Enter the PROGENEX Protein Bundle Giveaway >

Mental Grit

The biggest challenge that I had to overcome was when I badly sprained my ankle two weeks before regionals, last year. I was out for a whole week on the couch lying there with my ankle raised up while everyone else was practicing all the workouts. And I couldn’t do anything about it. I wasn’t 100% last year, and I think overcoming that has really helped me grow as an athlete this year.

This year I just focused on being healthier, not worrying about anyone else and just focusing on myself. And it’s no surprise then, that this year I’ve felt so much better as an athlete. Overcoming that injury helped build my mental grit through all parts of my life.

Body Image

Even still, I never really struggled with my body image because I was happy having muscles and being just as strong as the boys. But I definitely struggled when people made negative comments about me doing Crossfit and looking muscular while growing up. There was a time in high school when kids use to make fun of me doing CrossFit and how I was on steroids. At the time, I was smaller than I am, so can’t even imagine what they would say if I had looked like I do now. Obviously you’re going through that stage in your life where everyone is try to find themselves. That’s probably the biggest struggle I had growing up.

“Have fun with your training and to never take it too seriously.”

Say hello to a better recovery. You can always catch Lauren drinking a PROGENEX Recovery Shake ($2.50 a packet) after a rigorous workout.

Advice for CrossFitters

Have fun with your training and to never take it too seriously.

You need a really good coach, and a good program to help with your workouts. It’s nice to have someone to set up your program who will notice if you’re improving every day.

You need to find a gym where you could train with other athletes who are just as good as you (if not better), to help push you. I think that’s probably the biggest thing that has gone into getting me where I am at today.

Happy with Yourself

I love going to the gym everyday to get better. It’s awesome lifting more weights than the boys, and competing with the boys. I hope that other girls could know that, having muscles and looking strong and just being happy with your own body can make you happy overall.

Written by CL Brenton

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Meet Keta (key-ta) Meggett, her name means “pretty flower” in Swahili, but she is certainly not a fragile flower in women’s wrestling. Coming from a difficult past, she was bullied and assaulted in high school, and her entire life could have been put on hold. But Keta pushed past all that, learned how to defend herself, and now teaches women and children how to be strong. People say everything happens for a reason, and Keta’s life has proven that. Meet Keta: actress, hero, survivor, inspiration, and above all a powerful woman.

Beaten Down Again and Again

My first year in high school was tough, and that's kind of when things started to take a turn. I got bullied by 8 girls for being light-skinned and having long hair. They beat me to a pulp and I had zero clue how to defend myself. They broke my jaw, my shoulder blade, four of my ribs, my pancreas and my liver. I mean, I was obliterated. I was on enzymes and medication for years. 

Right about that time, my parents also went through an ugly divorce and my mom was hit by a car and had to be hospitalized for two years. That was a big set-back in my life for sure, and I had no clue how on earth anything positive could come from all of that. So I just kept going.

I Could Barely Leave My Home

I suffered from P.T.S.D. in such a big way that I couldn't enjoy normal things anymore. I couldn't go to basketball games, track meets, or anywhere with an audience yelling. I couldn't go to church or to the movies. Everything gave me really bad anxiety. I would immediately have a panic attack and an asthma attack. So generally, it was safer for me to stay home.

Recreating Myself

I would look at girls who fought in movies, athletic girls and girls who would punch the bag and I wanted to be like them. I wanted to be cool, I wanted to be tough, I wanted to empower. So I decided and worked to make myself be all those things. 

Now, I am those things and I represent them in my everyday life. It became my goal in life to be a positive role model and to let people know that they do not have to be a victim of their circumstances. I easily could have let that bullying break me and been broken forever. But I chose not to be broken and I chose to rebuild everything about myself. And now I’m everything that I ever wanted to be.

“I feel like I met this girl, met her strong spirit, and discovered that I am strong. And that's who I am today.”

How I Became a “Hero”

I went on an audition that I thought was for the television show Heroes, but when I showed up, I realized I was not at the right audition. There was a wrestling ring in the room and there were girls throwing each other around in the ring. I said to myself “Oh absolutely not. This is not for me.” But when they asked me to stay…I did.

I was intrigued because the last woman to enter the ring was smaller than me. She probably weighed 107 pounds. She jumped in the ring, picked up a girl that was probably 170 pounds and threw her across ring. Then she picked her up again and I thought “Wow, that was so badass. How did she do that?”

I wanted to learn how to do that. And I also knew that--as uncomfortable as it would be for me to have someone trying to kill me in a ring--it would be very therapeutic. So I used it as my therapy to overcome my P.T.S.D.

From Helpless to Helpful

I remember when I was a little girl, my older brother would take my wrist and pin me down and mount me the same way every brother does to his little sister or his little brother. And I remember how helpless I felt.

A few years ago, I had a conversation with one of my girlfriends, I asked her, “If you were in a situation where a guy was going to possibly rape you or take advantage of you, and he had you pinned down and was between your legs about to hurt you--what would you do?” She said, “I would, of course, fight and scream. But if he was bigger than me and holding my wrist down, I guess I would just close my eyes and hope that it ended fast.”

Keta Meggett is a Blue Belt in Jiu Jitsu under the training of Eddie Bravo.

That literally broke my heart because this girl had no clue how powerful and how strong and what a great position she was in, on her back laying on the floor. I started showing her the move in my living room. I actually showed her how to do a triangle and an arm bar and she was blown away and she inspired me to teach other people. She said “you need to teach this to kids.”

10th Planet Women’s Self Defense Course

Interested in learning more about Keta’s Six Week Women's Self Defense Program? 

Visit 10thplanetwomen.com  or  Teambullybuster.org

Team Bully Buster

So I started thinking, what I could offer somebody who was in my situation when I was younger and getting beaten up? That's how I started Team Bully Buster where we teach kids leadership skills, confidence, and self-defense. Once that got started, mothers became very interested. So we started a women's self-defense program as well. That's going amazingly well as a six week course. And man, the look on these women's faces when we show them the things that they are capable of doing if they are ever in a vulnerable position is most rewarding feeling in the world.

WOW Superheroes

I’ve recently been cast as Keta Rush - the bully buster in the show, WOW Superheroes. It's a family show with an all female cast, and we're all super heroes. It's the good against the bad and it's an empowering entertaining show for sure.  We're going into our third season, which is super exciting. I’m not sure which network it's going to be on (that part hasn't been disclosed), but our first show is in September, here in Los Angeles.

Written by CL Brenton

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Share your opinion for a chance to win! We want to hear from you on what you’d like to see from Girl Meets Strong in the near future. In addition to helping us shape the future of GMS you’ll be entered to win A Pair of Tickets to the @CrossFitGames [ends June 30th] ✨

To Enter the Contest, click here. 

Nina Boost is a passionate yogi and founder of Daily Yoga Boost - a daily inspirational site she uses to inspire herself and others. Only introduced to yoga in 2010, Nina used the meditative poses to help her rediscover her life after quitting her high-stress job in the corporate world. She shares her story on what lead to her to make the decisions that would eventually shape her to become the positive, fun-loving and empowered woman she is today.

“A lifestyle shoot for Spiritual Gangster was a complete blast because I was able to mix my passion for yoga, my style and my home all in one photo.” 

Growing Up Active

I’ve always been a really active person so my parents brought us up to exercise and eat healthy and it didn't matter what you were doing as long as you enjoyed it. I was awful at anything that involved a ball. My hand-eye coordination was so bad, I was the girl running down the wrong side of the court, shooting in the other team's basket. Then I found dance and I really liked it.

“I always felt really good about using my body and expressing myself through physical practice.”

Trying to Find Peace in Corporate Life

I came back down to LA to find a job after I graduated. The job I landed was with a big Membership Company and I was an event manager for 4 years there. Towards the end of it, I was in an unhealthy relationship, a less than ideal (for me) work environment and didn't like where I lived. It was almost like I was working just for the money and that had never been who I was and all of a sudden I didn’t recognize myself. Although I was in this really high level job and worked a lot, I realized that I’d been in LA for 4 years and had been neglecting personal relationships outside of work because I was working so much.

“Decked out in Jala Clothing and holding one of my favorite poses Crescent Moon.” 

Stealing Away to Costa Rica

Four years after I'd been with this company I walked in and I said ‘you know what, I think I need to stop this.’ I moved out of my apartment and I decided to go to Costa Rica. I knew that I needed to be alone with yoga for a while and figure out what to do with my life because I’d ended up in a miserable place. And one of the reasons I quit my job was because yoga was starting to really clarify things for me. It was the only place that I felt really comfortable and in control.

Restarting My Life

I had been talking to this company on and off while I was backpacking in Costa Rica and I was really interested in what they did, especially the female empowerment part of it. I was doing some soul searching of my own because there were multiple areas of my life where I wasn't feeling fulfilled and this seemed to fall into my lap at just the right time.

“The first Acro Yoga pose I ever did during the first yoga shoot I ever did.”

Empowering Myself

I still work for that company, and I'm the director for all of our members. I also teach yoga at night and on the weekends at a couple different studios, and I’m constantly growing.

“I take yoga classes from as many studios and teachers as I can to keep learning.”

I found a couple of different studios in LA and one that I really liked is called Power Yoga and I started going every day. I now work there, and I love it. It makes me realize new things about myself.

A photo posted by Nina Boost (@dailyyogaboost) on Feb 18, 2016 at 10:59am PST

Daily Yoga Boost

The past 2 years have seen a lot of growth, a lot of looking inside and figuring out what's going to make me happy. When I went to Costa Rica, I started my Instagram account. I had no professional photos, but I just knew that I wanted to document my journey. Instagram ended up being great for me. I do it every day, it is called daily yoga boost. Sometimes I kick myself in the butt for creating my brand around that because daily is a huge commitment.

Every morning I have to choose a photo that feels good to me that day and I have to write a caption. I'm not preaching, I'm not telling other people to do anything, it's something that I need to hear that day and I'm just posting it and hoping it inspires someone else.

What I’ve ‘Earned’ from Yoga

You don't realize how uncomfortable you are, how strained you are, or how sore you are until you do the complete opposite of what you’ve been doing the whole day.

I had a yoga teacher that made us jump around like weirdos in the class. And afterwards she said, “If you want to change something, you have to change your state.” Anytime I need a perspective shift, if I have any anxiety, if I'm feeling not so great about myself, I practice yoga. It's calming and it’s empowering.

“Jala Clothing is a local brand in Redondo that partners with Yoga Gives Back - a non profit organization whose mission is to help mothers in India start their own businesses and send their children to school. One of my favorite yoga brands!”

The Journey of Yoga

In yoga, there is the physical growth and at the same time there is the mental growth. That’s what builds confidence.

“Your body is showing your mind that you can change and you can grow and you will continue to change and grow, It's never ending.”

Connect with Nina Boost Website - dailyyogaboost.com Facebook - Nina Boost Instagram -  @dailyyogaboost Twitter -  @dailyyogaboost

Written by C.L. Brenton

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Meet Carly Rowena, a former BMW marketing manager turned personal trainer. She began personal training a few years ago after a mass of followers on Instagram and YouTube begged her to train them personally. Carly bashes the stereotype that thin girls don’t lift, and won’t shy away from telling you there is no big secret to weight-loss – its a lifestyle change. 

Changing our perspective on what it means to exercise, her inspiring techniques and one-song-workouts help any woman feel strong and fit. Read on to find out how she can help you adapt exercises to fit your body and use your body to feel strong!

How it Started

I went to the gym just as a normal girl, and I used to be a bit of a cardio bunny. I didn’t have much of a bum. I was quite wide for about a size 12, and I remember being 128 pounds and thinking that was a good weight. I didn’t really have much of a figure. Then I started doing more weights. I’m now probably 154 pounds but I’m the smallest I’ve ever been.

The Path to Training

I started doing videos on YouTube of what I did in the gym. They became quite popular on YouTube, and I got to work with some amazing brands because of those. After that, my followers asked me if I could train them, which I had never thought about doing before. It was just something I did in my spare time. I did the course to become a personal trainer. Six months later I quit my job, and became a full time personal trainer and full time blogger.  

“I think so many people think that exercise is all about changing your body, but it’s not actually about that. Exercise is about taking care of your body, and becoming a better healthier person.”

A New Perspective

Everybody comes to me focused on losing weight or gaining weight. But I’d rather they focus on whether they can run or move their body. Can their body enable them during their daily life?  For me it’s about teaching people that it’s not a destination, it’s a lifestyle choice.

Learning to Exercise

When you do yoga you know it’s going to be something you probably keep in your lifestyle forever. There are going to be poses that you can’t do, and there are going to be elements that you find difficult, but you’re prepared to learn it. People who exercise usually go in, do an exercise, and that’s it. But there’s so much more. Exercise is very much like yoga, you want to grasp everything.

“As much as we all hope we could look like the girl that we aspire to be, we’re all very, very different.”

Having The Body

We all have the same components, but that doesn’t mean you’re going to look like another person. I have a certain type of abs and I actually long for completely different type of abs. I have six-pack-abs, and I’ve always wanted flat ones. That just proves that no one is ever happy with what they’ve got.

Specific Workouts For Specific Bodies

I can’t do an ab crunch. I have a really flat lower back, I just can’t get up. I roll on my back like a turtle. So for me, an ab crunch doesn’t work. I got my abs without using ab crunches. I use my legs instead, and that might be what works for someone else.

“There’s a difference between looking good in a photo, and then proving that you can use your body. It looks so cool when you see girls using their body to do exercises.”

I’m halfway through finishing my first eBook. It’s going to be called The Get Gorgeous Diet, and it’s a 12 week transformation using weights from a gym. There will also be a home section which will include my one-song-workout, which I do on YouTube. The book will be something people can use when they don’t have much time: whether they can make it to the gym, or whether they just want to get sweaty at home.

Adidas Ultra Boost ($180), they came out last year and never left my feet, they’re my go-to trainer and it seems it’s the same at every event I go to, the Ultra Boost is kicking butt and has everyone feeling like they’re running on clouds. 

Workout Music

I’ve got mixes from ACDC, there is some One Direction in my iPod, and some club remixes, Pink Floyd, Joe Satriani. Music can completely change how you’re feeling. It’s a good tool to help you with your tempo for your workout. It tells you how fast you should be going, or how slow you should be going.

“There’s no secret, it’s just testing out different exercises. Everybody’s body is very different.”

Rewarding Work

I always wanted a dream career, and I had no idea what my talent would be. So to find not one, but two jobs, which enable me to work for myself, and help people around the world…is just the best feeling.

One day you have someone who wants to put on weight, the next day you have someone who wants to lose it. Either way, seeing people turn that into an actual physical goal, like do a pull up, or run faster, or complete a tough-mudder, is so rewarding for us both. When people realize that their body is for more than just looking good, they start to see that they can use it to do some incredible things. Put your body to work, and it’ll take you places you can hardly believe!

Written by C.L. Brenton

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Tired of putting butter in your coffee? Do those green swampy drinks make you want to gag? Do you long for a reasonable meal plan with real normal food that actually nourishes you? The Zone Diet may be the way to go. Based on foods you already eat, The Zone diet will help you make smart choices, eat balanced meals, and keep your blood sugar and hormones at an optimum level.

The Zone is like a guide book for healthy eating with rules that you can actually follow. Whether you’re trying to lose weight, gain muscle, or want to nourish your body for your next triathlon, the Zone diet offers a simple, easy solution that doesn’t cost a lot of money. Read on to learn the ins and outs of The Zone.

Let’s get started!

Invented by Dr. Barry Sears, the Zone Diet takes basic nutritional concepts to a regimented extreme. Remember how your mom always told you to eat more vegetables and less candy? Guess what? So will the Zone. The Zone’s premise is that you need fats, carbs, and proteins to have a healthy life, and it gives you a guide to achieve that balance with every meal.

So what is it?

Most of us know that food can be broken down into three major categories: Fat, Protein, and Carbohydrates. Each of these directly affects a different type of hormone in your body. Insulin affects the storage of fat, Glucagon affects the release of stored carbohydrates, and Eicosanoids affect primarily inflammation and growth during and after physical exercise. To be “in the zone” is to keep each of these hormones in an optimal range. The basic idea is to eat a balanced meal every few hours to keep those hormones in check.

What is a “Block”?

The zone diet divides meals into blocks. Each block is a healthy combination of fat, protein, and carbs. One block looks like this:

7 grams of protein (lean organic meats are best)

9 Grams of carbs (non starchy veggies and low glycemic fruits)

1.5 grams of Fat (healthy oils, nuts, and avocado)

Throughout the day depending on your weight, size, and sex, you will eat 10-25 blocks of food. This chart will help you determine what to eat and when.

How do I manage that?

You’re going to need a food scale, at least to start out with (lots of food scales retail for around $20 on Amazon). Ultimately, the goal is to get used to the way your meals look so you don’t have measure them for the rest of your life.

 As a general rule, each block is about a palm sized amount of protein, twice that of colorful veggies and a pinch of fats. For those of you who want to try it without a food scale, there’s a helpful guide here that breaks blocks down into measurable cups and ounces. The zone lab website also has a ton of tasty recipes that can help you achieve a lifetime of healthy habits.

When do I eat?

Every few hours is ideal. There is no right time to eat for everyone, but a few basic guidelines should help you along the way.

1. Try to eat within an hour of waking up, and then every few hours after that (usually every three but no more than five hours works best). This will ensure balanced blood sugar and hormones, keeping you energetic and satisfied throughout the day.

2. Try to eat a big block meal right after you work out. Depending on your size this number will vary, but usually your biggest meal of the day should be right after a hard set. 

3. Don’t forget to eat a snack right before bed! Your body needs fuel so you’re not starving when you wake up the next morning.

Generally you want to shoot for three solid meals and two snacks every day. How you split up your blocks is up to you, as long as you feel happy, healthy and satisfied.

In conclusion

The Zone diet is primarily about balance. Though it’s rules are stringent, the basic idea is pretty simple: eat a lot of fruits and veggies, a little less of lean protein, and just a little bit of fat. The zone even allows (some) alcohol! Barry Sears recommends a glass of red wine a day for it’s anti-inflammatory properties (4oz counts as one carb block). Remember, if you fall of the wagon with a pasta and garlic bread dinner, don’t worry. The Zone Diet is pretty forgiving. Just hop back on your schedule the next day.

As usual, remember not to take it too seriously. Restrictive and stressful diets aren’t the key to a rich and fulfilling life, and thinness does not equal happiness. You are a happy, healthy, and powerful woman who makes smart choices about the food she eats. The zone is simply a tool to keep that amazing body of yours moving, shaking and flipping giant tires. Happy zoning!

Written by CL Brenton

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