I had a request to post progress shots this morning so felt that I’d better catch everyone up-to-date on my competitive athletic plans for the year. When the year started, I set myself a competition date to train for because I always work harder with a concrete goal. As the date approached, I felt that I wasn’t going to be in as good of shape as my last show (October 2012) so I decided to keep right on training. I have a personal rule, I won’t allow myself to step onstage again until I am in better condition than my last show.
Turkey Lettuce Wraps
The key to sticking with a clean and healthy diet is to ensure it is SIMPLE but still holds tons of flavour! These Turkey Lettuce Wraps definitely do the trick! In a wok: Brown up some ground turkey breast Add your choice of seasoning: garlic, Bragg’s Liquid Soy, Mexican seasoning, Worcestershire sauce, black pepper Add your choice of… Continue Reading
Cottage Cheese Patties – a Quick & Easy Dinner Fix
This is a super quick and easy recipe. Perfect if you are looking for protein but a break from meat. 1 cup cottage cheese (1/2 c 2%, 1/2 c dry) 1 cup quick oats – raw oatmeal 1 cup breadcrumbs (I use Glutino Gluten Free crackers made into crumbs in the food processor or even… Continue Reading
Food Prep – The Key To Your Success! Turkey Chili Recipe Shared!
Likely the biggest key to staying on track with eating clean is meal prep. Each weekend I try to make a recipe or two and tuck them into the fridge or freezer, especially the protein portion of meals. It’s easy to ‘grab carbs’ or to toss a salad together, so having the protein portion of… Continue Reading
Savory Salmon on Quinoa & Greens
This quick, easy and simple recipe offers tons of flavour with a slightly Spanish hint! The key is in the marinating. Salmon provides you with essential fats which help to stabilize blood sugar and encourage a healthy heart. Stabilizing your blood sugar levels is KEY in losing bodyfat and maintaining a healthy bodyweight. Savory Salmon… Continue Reading
Crustless Quiche with Mushrooms and Zucchini
This is a recipe from Oxygen magazine. It’s delicious. The thing I like about making stuff like this on the weekend is then you’ve got some clean meails prepared for the week ahead. Ben’s rating: 10 out of 10!… Continue Reading
Ironman Triathlon Athlete to Physique Competitor: Michele Swatton Updates Us On Her Journey
I can’t believe a month has gone by already… it seems like every three days or so I have more questions, more stuff I want to learn….”am I doing this exercise correctly? am I in the gym long enough? am I really doing enough cardio?”… the process is so humbling coming in so green. I… Continue Reading
Desiree Ellis – Team Adviser, Posing & Stage Presence Coach, Professional Make-Up Artist for Team VIBE, a Competitors’ Club for Natural Bodybuilding, Physique, Fitness, Figure & Bikini Athletes
Meet Desiree Ellis I was always athletic growing up. I ran track all through high school as a sprinter and a hurdler. I also played soccer, which was my favorite team sport, and did a bit of gymnastics. I have a martial arts background in kickboxing and kogido. And I didn’t really start weight training… Continue Reading
Rev Up Your Metabolism: Sleek & Sexy Chicken Curry Recipe
Let’s get through February! We’re almost there, and to take us the rest of the way with some clean eating yet flavourful food, here’s a crock pot favourite. Here’s a perfect recipe to rev up your metabolism, tantilize your tastebuds and really ‘hit the spot’. Ready in about 40 minutes. Serves 4 or 2 if your partner’s name… Continue Reading
Ironman Triathlete Turned Physique Athlete! Meet iBuildStrongWomen’s Team Member, Michele Swatton
My name is Michele Swatton. I will be 46 yrs old in less than a month, and I have found myself in a very new, uncharted chapter of my life. I’m a single mother of a 5-yr old daughter and am also a part-time student. This is a place I would have never dreamed of being in… Continue Reading
Holy Crap, this is an Easy ‘n Delicious Low-Fat, Power-Packed Protein Tilapia Recipe!
Fish is a great source of lean protein with lots of bang for its buck. What I mean is, you get alot of protein as well as essential fats from fish considering the little amount of calories per serving. Take tilapia for example. With a 4 oz serving of this mild, extra-lean, soft white fish,… Continue Reading
First-Time Figure Competitor: Progress Check-In at a Busy 14 Weeks – Tara Collins Gabel
Wow..where has the time gone!?!? My Mexican holiday is now a long gone memory and I’m already feeling like I’m ready for a new vacation!! December was a gong show: on the go non-stop, kids out of school, family events, we all got sick with this crazy flu/cold thing going around and then of course… Continue Reading
Sleek and Sexy Clean Eating Recipe: Quiche Muffins
I tried these little muffins last week. Great for a quick breakfast or lunch. They also freeze well. I like them because they are versatile – you can pretty much put whatever vegetables you want in them and also much them up into an ‘egg salad’ idea if you want them on brown rice toast,… Continue Reading
New Beginnings… Time to Clean Up the Cr_p and Re-steady Your January Focus
We’re one week into January. Have resolutions and good intentions already gone by the wayside? How are you doing with your new beginnings? Have they begun? Or are they in need of a healthy shot of inspiration? Here’s three tips to use throughout the rest of this month to re-steady yourself: Plan for potholes: We’re… Continue Reading
Protein-Packed Sweet ‘n Tart Apple Crisp!
Over the next 18 weeks I’ll be sharing regular clean-eating recipes including quick ‘n easy meal ideas, make-them-on-the-weekend and be-prepared protein dishes and of course super yummy treats that taste too good to be true but won’t block your progress. I’m on my way to the Emerald Cup stage on Saturday, May 4th, and I… Continue Reading
A Testimonial From My Coach & Mentor, Desiree Ellis ~ Women I Adore!
The following testimonial was written by my friend, coach and mentor, Desiree Ellis, one of the women I adore most in my life… “I met Charlene over 10 years ago in the gym. Then sometime after she became one of my clients and friend. And all it took was a smile. She asked me to… Continue Reading
Mikayla Custance: Training Hard and Prepping for May! Figure Competitor and Fitness Model Off-Season Energy
Wow, what a busy last few months! Since the Emerald Cup I have been back in the gym training hard. I plan to compete again in May. This time at the Emerald Cup and the Western Naturals in Kelowna. My goal is to place top 3 or top 5 and to qualify for the BC… Continue Reading
Journey to the Stage: Tara Collins, Figure Competitor and iBuildStrongWomen.com Client
Written November 6th, 2012 So there I was with my Starbucks latte in hand, driving out to meet Charlene for our first meet and greet, with pouring Vancouver rain pelting against my windshield and, believe it or not, both nervous and anxious about it all. Why anxious??! I don’t know, really?! Best guess…probably because I… Continue Reading
Permission To Be Selfish This Holiday Season: You Deserve the Gift of Your Very Best Life!
I know what you’re thinking. Yes, I’m likely going against everything our mothers ever taught us about holiday gift-giving, after all, ‘It’s better to give then receive.’ Yeah, yeah, that’s all well and good, and I believe in that. However, this holiday season I need for you to do me a huge favour. What would happen… Continue Reading
Freeway to Fat Loss: Turkey Bacon Bison Balls ~ A Holiday ‘Clean-Eating’ Holiday Appy Idea!
Yesterday I made these simple, attractive and delicious, clean-eating appies – Turkey Bacon Bison Balls – for a Body Composition and Nutrition Workshop & Potluck at our personal fitness coaching studio in Gibsons Landing, VIBE. The workshop ~ and these appies ~ were a stellar success! The recipe is from Oxygen’s November 2012 issue, and… Continue Reading
Introducing Tara: Pumpkin-scone Loving, Starbucks Latte-drinking, wife, mother and new figure competitor!
Crystal-esque stilettos, sequin bare-all bikini, extra dark spray tan…hmmm, not the “average” goal for a pumpkin scone loving, Starbucks latte drinkin, 37-year-old woman, wife and mother of 2, but I am excited to say that it soon WILL BE as I begin to venture on the fitness journey of my life. That’s right, I am… Continue Reading
Pumpkin Protein Muffins – bite-size energy helping you towards your fitness and fat loss goals!
Pumpkin Protein Muffins Recipe customized by CSJ, Fitness & Lifestyle Management Coach for Women 1 cup canned pumpkin, no sugar 2 scoops vanilla protein powder (Edge – now available at VIBE) 2 tbsp ground flax seeds 2/3 cup eggwhites 1 tsb baking powder 1 tbsp unsweetened coconut – optional Vanilla extract & cinnamon to taste… Continue Reading
Freeway to Fat Loss: Top 10 Fat Loss Tips by Charlene SanJenko, Natural Physique Competitor, Fitness Expert & Performance Coach
Freeway to Fat Loss Top 10 Fat Loss Tips By Charlene SanJenko, iBuildStrongWomen.com Fitness Expert & Performance Coach I’ve been asked over and over for my Top 10 Fat Loss Tips. Well, here they are. More information. Words on a page. Unless, you put them into action. #1. Know what you want. Focus. Those who… Continue Reading
The No-Time-for-Breakfast Solution: Char’s Powerhouse ‘Overnight Protein Pudding’
No time for breakfast? No excuses with this quick and simple high-energy, high-protein recipe. Mix together: 1/2-2/3 cup Liberty 0% Plain Greek Yogurt 1/4-1/2 cup Dry-curd cottage cheese 1/2 cup Frozen berry blend 2 tbsp chia seeds or Skinny B cereal 1 scoop Edge whey protein powder (now available at VIBE!) Sprinkle cinnamon or Xylosweet… Continue Reading
November 3rd: The Scale is Obsolete! Body Composition & Nutrition Workshop at VIBE ~ Increase Your Energy, Optimize Your Metabolism & Kick Start Your Fat Loss This Fall
On Saturday, November 3rd from noon-3 pm we are pleased to host a special Body Composition & Nutrition Workshop at VIBE Personal Vibrancy Lifestyle Management. The workshop will be hosted by Charlene SanJenko and Ben Smith along with a very special guest from Vancouver, Peter Schwagly of Bodycomp Imaging. We all know the scale is obsolete,… Continue Reading
Tilapia Protein Patties: Being Prepared Equals Being On Top of Your Game
A huge part of being successful with your clean-eating and fat loss plans is setting up a simple, doable strategy, finding a like-minded group to be at part of and stay accountable to and having the tools, recipes and meal-planning ideas you need. Yesterday at Vibe Personal Vibrancy Lifestyle Management we hosted our second in… Continue Reading
Align and Focus This Fall: Fresh Starts, Fit Habits, Fat Loss & New Beginnings
Maybe it’s because I’m a Virgo (yeah Virgo’s!) or perhaps it’s because as a kid I was always such a keener to start a brand new school year, but I’ve always, always loved Fall. It’s the crisp air, bright autumn skies, vibrant colours and palpable energy. Fall means a fresh start. It’s time to focus,… Continue Reading
Charlene SanJenko, new Wellness Editor for Hat Trick Strategies
Open publication – Free publishing – More careers http://static.issuu.com/webembed/viewers/style1/v1/IssuuViewer.swf?mode=embed&layout=http%3A%2F%2Fsk static.issuu.com… Continue Reading
A Family that Trains Together Stays (Happy!) Together
Nine years ago was my happiest and healthiest time. I was 19 years old and in what I thought to be my prime. I was an obsessive gym rat, living in the gym day in and day out and watching my diet. My reward for my twice daily, 6 days a week workouts was a… Continue Reading
New Recipe, 30-Minute Meatza & Veggie ‘Pizza’
I made this the other night and it turned out great! Will be making it again today! By: Mikayla Custance, CSJ Guest Blogger, Fitness Model & Figure Competitor 30-Minute Meatza & Veggie ‘Pizza’ Crust: 1 package (454g) of lean ground turkey 1 tsp garlic powder 1 tsp dried oregano 1 tsp dried basil Preheat oven… Continue Reading
Strengthen Your Reasons to Strengthen Your Opportunity for Optimal Success
Fitness. Really? What’s in it for ME? A long time ago I learned just how important having a solid reason to take care of yourself by eating well, exercising regularly and embodying a positive attitude truly is. The stronger the reason(s), the more likelihood for carry-through to actually do what you said you would do. Implementation is the… Continue Reading
Verona Trincabelli: Week 6 of my 12-Week Sleek & Sexy Online Fitness Transformation
This is Week # 6 for me on the 90-Day Sleek and Sexy Fitness Transformation online program with Charlene SanJenko. I came across this program when I signed up for the Best Me Community Challenge. Fitness has been part of my life since I was 13 years old so I do consider myself a moderately fit… Continue Reading
12 Weeks to NPC Washington Ironman Naturals – Contest Prep Update for Natural Physique Competitor Charlene SanJenko
It’s hard to believe that we’re already just 12 weeks away from the Ironman Naturals stage. It’s going fast and about to get much faster, I assume. I’m happy with how prep is going AND it’s time take them to the next level now that we’re at the 12-week mark. Here’s the update: My posing… Continue Reading
Tightening Up Contest Prep: 14 Weeks to the Washington Ironman Naturals
Here are my 14 week progress shots (please scroll down). I invite you to read my full update blog on the Craig Productions website, the amazing promoters of the Emerald Cup as well as my show in October, the Washington Ironman Naturals. … Continue Reading
CSJ CREATORS Competitors Club for Female Athletes: Charlene SanJenko, 20 Weeks Out from NPC Ironman Naturals on October 6th, 2012
20 weeks goes by regardless. Time waits for no one. The question is: Will you be closer to your goal (in 20 weeks), further away from it or stuck in the exact same place. I’ve got exactly 20 weeks today until I step on-stage at the 2012 NPC Washington Ironman Bodybuilding, Fitness, Figure, Physique and… Continue Reading
Mexican Green Bean Salad
I truly am The Salad Queen! Here’s my latest creation from Puerto Morelos, Mexico. Hence the name, Mexican Green Bean Salad. Lightly stir-fry red onions and chopped cabbage. Add salt & pepper. Set aside. Lightly stir-fry green beans, red pepper and carrot. Add Tajin (Mexican spice). Add mushrooms just behind setting aside. Don’t overcook you… Continue Reading
What You Do Every Day Designs Your Destiny
Daily practice is a term that I use over and over and over again: The practice of how we choose to live our lives on a daily basis by the choices we make. Let me put it bluntly: Whatever you do every day designs your destiny. If you eat consciously and move your body every day –… Continue Reading
Out of the Arms and Into the Back: Learning that going with the flow in work, life and fitness may in fact be the ultimate strategy.
Training your back muscles properly takes instruction and proper technique. I can’t help but notice best-body hopefuls training their ‘arms and shoulders’ when in fact they are trying to train their back. Training your back effectively requires a neutral spine not hunched or curved. Typical cues that I would give to clients: • Push your… Continue Reading
Chicken Dijonnaise A Yummy New Summertime Recipe from Mikayla
Thank you, Mikayla for sharing this great recipe… 4 x 5 oz boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1″ cubes (I just left them as full breasts) Pinch of sea salt and pepper 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil 1/2 cup chopped onion 1 clove garlic, minced 1/2 cup chicken broth 2 tsp dijon mustard… Continue Reading
Laser-Sharp Focus
If there’s a significant change you want to make in your life ~ whether it relates to your fitness and health, your business or your relationships ~ in order to initiate the change successfully, you need laser-sharp focus. The greater the change, the sharper the focus required. This is not to say that incremental changes… Continue Reading
Make-Up Tips for the Contest Stage: for Bodybuilding, Physique, Fitness, Fitness & Bikini Competitors
Look your very best on stage this year! A few things to keep in mind from professional make-up artist, Desiree Ellis, former IFBB professional bodybuilder and current Team Advisor of Team Vibe, a competitors’ team for natural bodybuilding, physique, fitness, figure and bikini athletes: Posing: It is very important to know and properly practice your… Continue Reading