Recently, Liz of Fit, Healthy, And Beautiful contacted me to sponsor my wedding beautification endeavors.  Liz is a Metabolic Effect Certified Instructor and personal trainer.  She trains not only brides, but anyone virtually or in person.  That’s right, I said virtually!  She’s has some awesome telecasts that guide you through effective workouts.
Personally, I’ve learned through experience, that if I’m not guided through a workout (or grad school level class) I will not see results!

But I digress.
Liz’s training philosophy captures the belief that “there is a Superwoman inside all of us.”  She not only trains your body but also your brain, through healthy eating tips and positive thinking.
Plus? She’s a normal person.  She’s down to earth, easy to talk to, and very likable.

I met with Liz for the first time last week.  After a discussion about my goals for my body and nutrition, we headed to the gym for a Rest Based workout.  Yes, REST Based. Sounds awesome, right?

Taken from the Metabolic Effect site, “Rest and exercise are usually thought of as opposites, but they are actually complimentary and dependent upon one another. Just as night can only be defined in the context of day, exercise and rest are similarly connected. Rest is the single biggest determinant of exercise intensity. Without intense workouts, fitness results will be lacking and without rest, intensity will be compromised…Push hard, rest hard and then do it again. That’s how you achieve the Metabolic Effect.”

Basically you workout to the point of resting.  You listen to what your body needs and when it says rest, you talk to Liz about your wedding for a couple minutes, then it’s back to sweating.

We started off the thirty-minute period with jogging in place and jumping-jacks, to get my heart going.  We  moved on to leg work with squats and lunges.  While doing some of these activities I also used 5lb. hand-weights for arm work. 
Liz explained to me that doing these two things at once more effectively tones.  “Engaging more muscles simultaneously obviously burns more calories because it requires more energy.  It also challenges your balance, increases core and overall strength and again, is more efficient.”

In between activities I ran more in place (high-knees) and did more jumping jacks.  I also tried my best at push-ups, even if my knees were on the ground.  I hope to do a “real” push-up soon, but Liz is realistic and allows me to modify.

Towards the end of my 30 minute session was ab-work.  Oh abs, how I would love my tummy to be flatter but I detest working towards it.  Your abs are used with everything, so certainly breathing, standing, and sneezing would be compromised the next day!  While doing sit ups, I again used the 5lb. weights to do arm work.  Talk about hard! Not only did I need to be coordinated, but make my abs lift ten extra pounds!  By this point I was ready for more of that Rest.

We ended with a cool down and great pep talk.  I’m actually excited to go back and do it again this week!

I asked Liz about the thought behind an intense 30 minute workout regiment and the effectiveness. She shared, “Because you’re a busy bride who doesn’t have a ton of weight to lose, just trying to tone and build some strength.  These workouts are designed to boost your metabolism and help you burn fat specifically, rather than just burn calories in general.”

Rock. On!

This workout was something I felt totally capable of doing and good doing so!
Liz got me excited about exercising (I know, right?!) and made it fun, too!
Update after session 4 to come! Stay tuned (and toned!)

“Liz DiAlto is a health and fitness expert currently based out of Washington DC. From personal, virtual and small group training, to Spinning, Zumba and Total Body Bootcamp classes, Liz’s super power is teaching really busy women how to ditch the guilt and start living Fit, Healthy & Beautiful lives. “
You can follow Liz on Twitter and check out her site, Fit, Healthy, and Beautiful for more blog posts & tips!


Disclosure:  I  received four thirty-minute training sessions with Liz to properly review her technique and approach, and become a Fit, Healthy, and (already) Beautiful bride! I received no payment  for this post.