Adventurous Summer

Fun ADVENTURES to Blast your SUMMER

Summer days are here again, and we want them to never end!   

Go for an adventure run... in the MUD!

Summer is here and the days are long, goals are big, and weeks seem to be packed full of trips and family visits. Before you realize it, Labor Day arrives after what seems to feel like Summer just began. 

  

Don't let that happen this year...don't miss out on the Summer fun-ventures, but embrace them and the long, sun-filled days! Try the following ideas to make this Summer the best and most active one yet. 

Dig deep. PLAY HARD!

1. Create an ADVENTURE BOX with your family and friends.
If you are an empty nester, singleton, family of 10, or newly married do this activity. Take a shoe box and decorate it with pictures, postcards, words and phrases for places, events and ideas that intrigue you. ON different pieces of paper, write down activities, goals, concerts and classes you want to do.  ie: "Go for trail run in Santa Cruz Mountains and then play at the Boardwalk at night",  or  "Camp in Lake Tahoe". Put all the paper slips in the box. Take your calendar and pick out 1 day/week as your adventure day. Each person gets to pick from the box various adventures and add them to the calendar. By Summer's end, everyone will have completed various adventures together and created treasured memories. 

2. Plan Races and Workouts with Friends who don't live by you.

You tell your best friend who lives across the Bay that you want to see him, but long days at work and life get in the way of meeting up. Why not use Summer as your time to train together weekly for a race? Or set a bike date and  meet up in San Francisco for a ride? Use the longer days to make a mid-week training session happen and put it on your calendar...now.

3. Get outside your COMFORT Zone and REGISTER for a NEW RACE.

You have talked about wanting to get outside your comfort zone for a while. NOW is your time. Get dirty, push your limits, see what you are truly MADE of! Each morning you blast through the hour or burpees, sprints and plyometrics training hard. YOU are not just training for life, but training for the adventurous life available to you at your fingertips. Meaning, the Bay Area has some of the most incredible kayaking adventures, mud runs, and urban obstacle challenges in the country. Hop online and register for one now!   

 
Adventure Out- California's Leader in Outdoor Adventure
Outback Adventures 
Envirosports

  

© 2012 Erin Kreitz Shirey- When not teaching Power Fitness PDX, writing fitness articles or creating advneures to conquer, you can find Coach Erin Kreitz Shirey doing cannonballs with her kids in the swimming pool. To reach her visit powerfitnesspdx.com or 503.703.1269.

Workout Wednesday- February 8, 2008

It is GORGEOUS outside!!  Thus, I am thinking thoughts of Hawaii.  Thinking warm beaches, sand under my toes, and sweating with the smell of gardenia and plumeria filling the air.

Therefore, today's Workout Wednesday is the Hawaii Vacation Workout #1 & #2.
Aloha!

Coach Erin Kreitz Shirey
www.powerfitnesspdx.com

Power Fitness PDX Holiday Party: Special Night- Incredible TEAM- Dynamic Goals Met

Friday, December 2nd, 2011, was Power Fitness PDX's Holiday Hoopla Party!! 

Ali, Kate, David, Annie & Dave

Estie starting some toasts

 Fantastic Host & Hostess Estie & Ben,

Wine, Tucker's Ice Cream Cakes,  Wii- Just Dance 3, laughter heard throughout the neighborhood, competitive Corn Hole and an entrance by Mrs. Clause!! 

Joe found Mrs. Clause- aka Tina

Estie & Sonia

Your celebration drink of choice: Baileys, Absinthe, Merlot

Annie, Coach Erin, Jeanne- together Annie & Jeanne have passed NUMEROUS goals! SO proud to be the short Coach between these two tall dynamos!!! Hey sweet Veronica- what are you thinking back there?

Someone said LINE UP!! 

Not quite sure even how to put words to this photo- Proud, Hmmm, What the Heck?

For some reason- our photo of the incredible Tucker's cakes won't rotate -A sign that in order to Eat Cake, you must Move It too!

It was a special night by many and fun for everyone.  For some PFPDX'ers, it was the first time they got to introduce their partners to the team they have been waking up early to train with. For others, it was an opportunity to get dressed up and show their strong bodies and all the hard work they have accomplished.  For everyone; it was a night full of laughter, support, good cheer, and much love.  While we didn't drop and do 20 push ups,
we did celebrate all the push ups completed throughout the past year.
Cheers to YOU and your hard work.
Cheers to YOU for pushing yourselves and allowing me to push you.
Cheers to YOU for reaching outside your comfort zone and physical limits.
Cheers to YOU for believing in yourselves and
when you didn't allowing me to believe in you and tell you daily to:
Dig Deep. Play Hard.
while you
Challenge the Power of YOU!!

Ali, Estie, Dave...Just Dance 3...fierce fun!!

www.powerfitnesspdx.com
 

Couples Date NIGHT! Friday- August 12th!!

Aloha!  

Bonus Betties who PFPDX'd when Coach Erin was on vacation!

We are back and ready to train and play!  Yesterday was an intense Tabata workout, and come tomorrow we're doing light weights and stairs. But on Friday- you could pull a double PFPDX day and join for a boot camp - date night too!

Coach Erin & better half, Jack, training on the Na Pali Coast

Come join for the Power Fitness PDX Boot Camp n Date Night!  Couples who train together stay together and we train and play hard. See who is stronger in a wall sit, you or your partner. Go for the gold with a push up contest.  Why not challenge each other while encouraging each other to push harder!

Friday, August 12^th, 6:00 pm Power Fitness PDX Boot Camp at Washington Park followed by Food & Drinks at 1400 Bar on Webster Street!  

RSVP by Wednesday, August 10^th- powerfitnesspdx@gmail.com and register online at www.powerfitnesspdx.com

Estie and Ben laughing HARD after push ups with tough guy Dave!

Post Boot Camp N pre Pub Date Night'ers!  FUN!!!!  RSVP- powerfitnesspdx@gmail.com

Hawaii videos

Hello Power Fitness PDX'er's!
I just got done doing a fun workout around the beautiful grounds here in Kauai. I was the only one up with the roosters and sweated like crazy in the warm island humidity. You have already done your workout today, but later today try the one I created for you. Blast through it with intense sessions of 30 second blasts, work your sprints, and have fun!

Running the Na Pali Coast Trail

Take a peak and have some fun!!

Part #1 You Tube Power Fitness PDX 
Part #2 You Tube Power Fitness PDX #2

Aloha!

Couples who TRAIN together...

You hear me say it all the time... Couples who train together stay together! How can you not be inspired when working out with your better half?  You are both trying to do something great for your body, challenging yourself physically and mentally, get the endorphin rush going, and that endorphin rush equates with the pumpin' through your hormones too!  When you feel better about yourself physically, and add into that some loving competition ...you are on fire together.

Thus Couples/Daters/Spouses, come join for the next Date Night:

Power Fitness PDX's next Couple's Date Night Boot Camp n Pub Class is:
Friday, June 17th, 6 pm
Washington Park followed with drinks (and a potluck) at McGrath's Irish Pub
$20/couple -  RSVP here.


Take a peek at a previous piece with couple's workout ideas. After reading, take a moment to read the piece ACE Fitness wrote about why it is good to train together.  Now, you must be inspired to grab your Turtle Dove and join in some boot camp fun! 

See you Friday night- be ready to sweat, laugh, and have a great date night! -- Coach Erin
 

Courtesy of ACE Fitness Fit Facts Newsletter- June 2011 

Couple’s Personal Training—Fitter Bodies, Stronger Relationship

Do you and your loved one regularly carve out quality time for each other? Are you both getting enough exercise to feel healthy, fit and energized? If the answers are not a resounding yes, couple’s personal training could bring you closer. Sharing a workout is a great way to enjoy some together-time and paves the way to a healthy, active lifestyle.

Accountability and Focus

Your odds of sticking with an exercise program go way up, if your significant other is on board. Whether it’s getting up early for a run or lifting weights after work, following through is much easier when your partner is with you. Committing to a couple’s personal training program helps establish fitness as a shared priority and gets you working toward a common goal. You’ll merge your schedules to meet with a personal trainer, and in between sessions, you’ll help each other stay on track.

Dual Purpose

Whether you’re both already active or new to exercise, your trainer will develop custom exercise plans tailored to your needs as individuals and as a couple. Planning a vacation that involves a lot of walking or hiking? Expecting a baby? Training for a fun run? Remodeling your home? Your trainer will take into account whatever is going on in your lives to create a realistic and sustainable plan to help you reach your goals.

Social Support Matters

The value of social support can’t be overstated. Numerous studies show it’s a big factor in successful behavior change. It stands to reason that the person you share your life with has a huge influence on your lifestyle, for better or for worse, and research supports this. Weight loss studies show that when subjects participate in lifestyle interventions, their spouses also lose significant amounts of weight.
Couple’s personal training taps into the power of social support by enabling you to support each other’s fitness efforts in a very focused way. Because you’re in the gym sweating it out together, you’ll gain new insight into each other’s strengths and weaknesses and learn how to offer support.

Enrich Your Relationship

Couple’s personal training will boost more than your fitness level. You’ll have something new to talk about, laugh about and be proud of—together. Research shows that devoted couples who share new and interesting experiences report higher levels of relationship satisfaction than those who don’t. And here’s the bonus: As you become more fit, you’ll be able to enjoy adventures that you wouldn’t dream off participating in when you were sedentary.

Romance + Fitness

Over the long haul, combining romance and fitness can really lift your relationships to new healthy heights. Share an activity and strengthen your bodies while boosting your love life. Couple’s personal training really connects you with your loved one, improves your body image, your mood and your love life.

Additional Resources

How to Choose a Personal Trainer — American Council on Exercise
IDEA FitnessConnect — IDEA Health & Fitness Association
The Best Kind of Couples Therapy — The Cleveland Clinic

And the Date Night's get CRAZIER!

Karen & John doing the Wheel Barrel race

You have asked, we have provided. Yep, you asked for classes to do with your better half (you decide who is the better half!) to get you both moving.  Friday night was the 3rd Power Fitness PDX Boot Camp & Pub Date Night.  And what a night it was...from push ups, to burpees, to drills, to medicine balls, to non-stop laughter amongst everyone.

Estie, Ben, Dave & Annie falling over 

in laughter

The class started with warm ups of caterpillars & push ups...getting higher each time.  We began with 5 push ups, to 6 push ups, to 7 push ups...to 11 push ups.  Followed by some jogging and plyometrics the couples were warmed up and ready to begin the weight challenges. Just like Jack and Jill going up the hill to fetch  a pail of water, the couples had to complete 3 minutes of running back and forth between cones with a light or heavy weight and do 10 push ups at one end.   Following we did wall sits with band resistance- a favorite of many jokes to be remembered for days to come.  After Wall Sits- the group was requesting lots of stairs and sprints. Oh wait, that was me requesting they did them while cheering on their partner.  After our sprints, we had to get some fun competition going by a medicine ball pass game of men vs. women, wheelbarrel races, and circle team dips and high fives.  How can that not kick off a great Friday night?? For some they may question it, but every partner who came has already contacted me that they are ready to come back next month for more and ready to push their bodies harder. Mind you, for one husband he couldn't lift his arms to play basketball on Sunday, another had a rough go sitting and standing on Saturday, and another wanted to have the class upped to every other week instead of 1x/month!

Friday Night - May 6, 2011- Boot Camp & Pub Date Night

Many of you shared your spouses are a bit nervous to attend a Friday Night Boot Camp? They don't need to be scared.  Nervous for how their bodies may feel after, sure, but scared nope! That is why we hit the pub after, because before their bodies have a moment to realize they will be sore, you can say "Honey you did an incredible job. Enjoy your pint, helps replenish your nutrients". And, yes, a pint post workout does do a body good...in moderation that is. Ben Kus, PFPDX'er Estie's husband, shared with all on Friday night a study I had read before that was read in "perfect timing" Friday night. Take a moment to read for yourself.  Mind you, as always, moderation is key. 

Frog & Fiddle was a fun place for our post-class nosh and eats.  Next month we'll head to McGrath's- ready for the great Irish Pub and to check out the Mermaid. Mark your calendar-Friday, June 3rd, 6pm!