Last night was the 85th Annual Academy Awards which means it’s time for Girl Heroes 5th Annual Oscar for Best Celebrity Arms.

(Here are the previous years Best Celebrity Arms winners  of 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2012)

Yes, it’s fluffy.

Yes, it’s shallow.

Yes, like all beauty, it’s subjective.

But it’s fun and we all need a bubble bath for the mind every once in a while.

So here at Girl Heroes I just cut to the chase and announce the winner.

No listening to corny jokes or long winded speeches just sexy celebrity arms.

And the 2013 winner for Best Celebrity Arms is…..

Kelly Rowland

And the nominees are….

Jennifer Garner

Renee Zellweger

Catherine Zeta Jones

Charlize Theron

Confession.

I didn’t even watch the Oscars last year.

Or the year before.

And I’ve have only seen two of the movies nominated Beasts of the Southern Wild and Moonrise Kingdom (nominated for best original screenplay) both of which I really enjoyed. I love all Wes Anderson movies.

So that’s that, Girl Heroes Oscar Winner for Best Celebrity Arms.

Did you watch the Oscars last night? Who would you pick for best celebrity arms? Have you seen any of the movies that were nominated? Any that I should definitely see? 

Hugs and High Fives,
Jenn

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As I’ve gotten older I’ve grown less interested in celebrities and especially in celebrity bodies. Snore.  Confession. I didn’t even know the Oscars were on last night until this morning. I must live in an RV without any TV under a rock. However, in keeping with tradition, here is the Girl Heroes Oscar Winners for Best Celebrity Arms.

And my favorite dress. Because that the only real reason to watch the Oscars.

This year it seemed that the red carpet was crawling with, more than usual, overly thin stars. I had a hard time finding arms that look like they could pick up anything heavier than an Oscar. Ouch.

The Winner

(Source)

Viola Davis – Admiteddly I’ve never heard of Viola Davis nor have I seen (or read) The Help.  While she may have lost best actress award to Meryle Streep she wins the Oscar for Best Celebrity Arms.

The Nominees

(Source)

Natalie Portman – Known for her waif-ish figure Natalie Portman looks to have put on some weight since filming Black Swan. In my opinion, this may be the best she has ever looked. It even looks like she may have some deltoid development.  Natalie also gets the most important, “Best Dress”, award. Love. Love. LOVE that dress.

(source)

Milla Jovovich – She has been one of my favorite celebrities since I was a child and not only do I love her style she has a bit of muscle on those, yes, very lean arms.

(Source)

Cameron Diaz – I think she has made the list every year and this year it was a toss up between her and Viola Davis. I thought it better to give someone else a chance because Cameron always has amazing arms.  Some say she’s too muscular. Whatever. I think she and her arms are gorgeous.

(Source)

Tina Fey – While not known, for roles requiring a buff bod, I think Tina was looking healthy and fit last night. She may not have the most ripped arms of the night but I’m willing to bet she was one of the funniest (and smartest) women in that room of satin, silk, and big egos.

Did you watch the Oscars last night? What did you think? Who would you pick for “Best Celebrity Arms”? “Best Dress”? Or do you watch them for the movies?

Hugs and High Fives,
Jenn

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Today is the opening for Sucker Punch.  I could not care less about this movie BUT I’m thrilled to see Shape published one of Vannessa Hudgens workouts AND it doesn’t involve 5 pound dumbbells.  In fact, they recommend using “Two 12- to 24-pound kettlebells or dumbbells (they should feel very heavy)”.  Did I read that correctly?  “they should feel VERY heavy” (emphasis mine) Someone pinch me.  Finally, awesome advice from a mainstream fitness mag.  These are the same type of workouts that I do with my clients and MYSELF.

Check it out the functional movements like goblet squats and push presses.  Way to go Shape!

(I was going to say they shouldn’t have her in cushy tennis shoes but on second glance I think those are The Nike Frees, while not the best, are better than standard tennis shoes for kettlbell training. She would reduce her likelihood of injury and get even stronger using kettlebells in flat soled shoes like Converse Chuck Taylor’s or, better yet, barefoot.)

Not only does she have a hardcore workout but there is a video where she is talking about her diet which includes lots of “proteins and vegetables” and if she gets a carb craving she goes for “Ezekiel bread”.  I don’t know about you but I find it refreshing to hear a celebrity talk about what they are really eating to maintain a killer body.  Unlike the typical celebrity who lies says they eat cheeseburgers and cakes as if they are on the brink of famine despite looking like they live off of celery and water.  For most people, a CONSISTENT (ahem) diet of veggies, protein, and slow digesting carbs like Ezekiel bread will not only feed your body the nutrients it needs to optimally function but will also help shed fat and feed muscle.

I know a lot of women feel bad when they look at pictures of celebrity bodies.  Personally, it doesn’t usually bother me.   Celebrity or not, I find the sort of discipline it takes to have a lean strong body like Vanessa’s (the article said she did 500 box jumps) inspiring.  It makes me want to keep working out hard and eating healthy because while feeling my best is AWESOME, I think looking my best is pretty awesome too.  Shallow?  Maybe.  Honest.  Yes.

Hugs and High Fives,
Jenn

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The post Fluffy Friday: Celebrity Workouts that WORK! appeared first on Girl Heroes.

If Marie Claire is concerned about the influence of bloggers then they might want to go on a witch hunt for Jillian Michaels as the influence of the blogosphere  is but a drop in the bucket when compared to “America’s Toughest Trainer”.

Yesterday, twitter was abuzz with kettlebell enthusiasts tweeting and retweeting the  LA Times article In-Your-Face Fitness: Ring the kettlle bell.  School’s back in.

I don’t have a problem with Jillian doing a kettlebell DVD.  Kettlebells rock and the more swingers the better!  But teaching hundreds of thousands how to use kettlebells the wrong way?  Hmm…not cool.   Kettlebells are amazing, fun, cool fitness tools that offer a great bang for you buck when it comes to burning calories if used correctly.  In the article, Dr. Mark Cheng (who was a Team Leader at my RKC certification and a super nice guy) says, “Her technique is appalling. What she says in the video and what she demonstrates are two different things. She doesn’t break things down into manageable pieces that prompt people to get the correct form, so instead she is enabling bad form… I would not recommend this from a safety perspective.” Herein lies the problem with Jillain’s dvd and dvds like it. These products give kettlebells a bad reputation when someone developes a preventable injury and then tells all their friends that kettlebells are dangerous.  Kettlebells are not dangerous when used correctly.

This is not the first time she has encouraged unsafe kettlebell form.

Jillian is right on about kettlebells being “explosive” “dynamic” and “fun” while giving a “cardio and strength training workout”.  I’d also like to say no one is perfect.  I’m not claiming to have a perfect swing but I have spent the last year training under a RKC senior kettlebell instructor and I believe so much in the benefits of kettlebell training that I went through the RKC certification myself.  So in the interest of kettlebells and my readers, I feel it important to point out some obvious mistakes.

1. She’s wearing “cushy” shoes.  Kettlebells are best done barefoot or wearing hard soled shoes like Chuck Taylors for stability reasons.
2. Her heels come up off the ground.  (Probably b/c of the cushy shoes.)
3. She is looking up on her backswings compressing her cervical spine (neck).  The entire spine (including the neck) should stay neutral, as if you have a stick setting on your back from your tailbone to head.
4. She is not “loading her hamstring and glutes” nearly enough and there is very little “drive”.  In other words, she is using her upper body too much to lift the kettlebell instead of her hips.  She needs more “hinge”, more backswing, less squat, and more drive (hip thrust) while keeping a neutral spine.
5. Later in the video she does a “hero swing”.  This is certainly not for beginners even when being taught by a certified kettlebell instructor.  For most people, there will not be a need to swing the kettlebell higher than chest level as swinging higher than chest level can increase the risk of  injury for the beginner.
6. Then, the worst part at 2:14, she fully flexes her spine (bends forward) while swinging the bell between her legs.  If that is not an injury waiting to happen, I don’t know what is.  Eeeek!

What I don’t understand is why didn’t Jillian get a qualified teacher to teach her proper technique before making a video?  I’m sure money wasn’t the issue.  Just baffling.

Anyway, here is a video of a well executed swing.  I’m sure you can see the difference. Why can’t Jillian?

Even if kettlebells aren’t your thing the LA Times article is worth the read because the author also addresses her “Lose Up To 5 Pounds” a week claim.  It’s rather amusing but it’s not. Really it’s not.  It’s irresponsible.  Yes, kettlebells can provide and excellent calorie burn when used correctly but as the article points out losing up to 5 pounds a week is nothing more than misleading marketing.

If you want to learn how to use kettlebells safely and effectively, I’d encourage you to look for an RKC in your area or get a book or DVD published by Dragon Door. (Check Amazon for price comparisons.)

I try hard not to be critical person. I’ll admit it takes effort especially when I read things like Tracey Anderson telling women to never lift more than three pounds or Jillian’s lawsuits over supplements. Still as much as I disagree with their philosophies or wish they would be more responsible, I do think they are ultimately doing more good than harm.  I think.  I hope.

Hugs and High Fives,
Jenn

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The post Why Jillian? Why? appeared first on Girl Heroes.

Recently, Gwyneth Paltrow, said in her weekly GOOP newsletter that she “had the beginning stages of osteopenia.”  Osteopenia is the thinning of bone mass considered by many doctors to be a precursor to osteoporosis.  (Thank you Google.)  One of the causes is a lack of vitamin D and Dr. Lipman finishes off Gwyneth’s (yes we are on a first name basis) newsletter by detailing the importance of Vitamin D and how to increase Vitamin D levels through healthy sun exposure.  (Enjoyed the article and think it’s worth the read.)  I’m glad Gwyneth will be getting more vitamin D but I’d also like to see her start lifting some heavier weights as weight bearing exercises help increase bone density as well.

Do a quick google search for Gwyneth Paltrow Strength training and this video of her and her trainer, Tracey Anderson, creator of the “Tracey Anderson Method”, pops up multiple times.  You might have seen it before.   I know I’ve seen it on like 25 different blogs and message boards but it never ceases to entertain me.

Tracey Anderson, “Only three pound weights.  No woman should lift more than 3 pounds weights.”

Really?

Well girls, don’t pick up that gallon of milk because it weighs over 8 pounds.  Your child wants to be held?  Not if mommy is going to get bulky.   Speaking of holding children the video continues….

Gwyneth, “I hold my 30 lb son in my left arm all day so this one (pointing to her right arm) is like…sags lower than this one (the arm with which she holds her 30 lb son) so she makes me do more arms on one side.”

Hmmmm….anyone else see the irony here?  Gywneth points out that the arm she doesn’t lift heavy with is saggier than the arm she uses to lift her heavy child.  Maybe she should rethink the 3 pound weight rule.

I’m not knocking Gwyneth.  I think she’s beautiful and looks good.   Not to mention she plays one of my favorite characters in one of my favorite movies of all time, Margo in The Royal Tenenbaums.  If those are the workouts she loves then by all means go for it.

As for Tracey Anderson, this video makes it too easy to pick on her. I could say a lot.  In fact, I deleted two entire paragraphs after deciding I don’t want to be Miss Critical.  Besides, I have smart readers who know that lifting weights heavier than 3 pounds is not going to turn them into the She-Hulk.  What bothers me the most was that this aired on Oprah and millions of women, who or may not know that strength training doesn’t automatically make a woman bulky, have seen it.  Thus, perpetuating the myth that so many women and men who know better are trying to dispel.  I’ll speak from my own experience.  Before I started lifting heavy weights my upper arms measured 11″ around.  After more than TWO years of heavy lifting they are 10.25″ around and much tighter than before.  I’ll repeat what Gwyneth said, “I hold my 30 lb son in my left arm all day so this one (pointing to her right arm) is like…sags lower than this one (the arm with which she holds her 30 lb son) so she makes me do more arms on one side.”

Could The Tracey Anderson “Method” work?  Sure and by the looks of her clients, Madonna, Shakira, and Kate Hudson, it does.  (Although be certain those women are also eating a SQUEAKY CLEAN diet as well.)  Muscles will adapt by growing stronger when a greater than normal stimulus (overload) is placed on them and with enough reps you can get results but it’s going to take A LOT of repetitions, hence, a lot of time.  And what is going to happen when 100 reps becomes easy if you shouldn’t pick up weights heavier than 3 pounds?  150 reps?  200?  500?   No thanks.   I don’t have have the luxury of hours (nor the patience or interest for that matter) to devote to my physical appearance every day.  I’ll stick with my short intense workouts with heavy weights like the ones Gwyneth Paltrow’s Iron Man co -star, Scarlett Johansson, did to fit into the Black Widow catsuit.

What about you?  Do you like lifting heavy?  Have you gotten bulky from lifting heavy?  What is your favorite movie with Gwyneth Paltrow?  What do you think of the Tracey Anderson Method? Did anyone else feel a twinge of jealously when they showed the outside of that workout studio?  

Hugs and High Fives,
Jenn

Keep up with my kettlebell workouts, real food recipes, and more in one of three ways! 1. Sign up to have posts emailed to your inbox. 2. Subscribe to the RSS Feed or 3. “like” Girl Heroes on Facebook. Simple dimple!

Journey with our family on the road at New School Nomads as we travel fulltime in RV through the United States!

The post Fluffy Friday: Margo and Myths appeared first on Girl Heroes.

Title is from a headline on CNN.

New body ideal?

Really?

Since when is slender (so they’re not stick thin) with big breasts & full butts “new“?
Since the last Maxim cover?

(Don’t even get me started on the above headlines.)

Admittedly, I’ve never watched the show.
I haven’t had tv for over 10 years and I’ve chosen not too because I would be tempted to watch bs like this.

If our culture isn’t telling us we are too fat
then they are telling us we are too skinny, too flat, too boxy, too short, too straight, too….

Enough.

If this is the “new ideal” I still only know a handful of women who fit it and it’s not me.

What about the naturally very thin woman?
Gorge on Big Macs?

What about athletic women who put on muscle easily?
Quit working out?

What about the curvy on the bottom, flat on the top women?
Breast implants?

What about the curvy on the top, flat on the bottom women?
Butt implants?

What about the broad shouldered with narrow hips women?
Fat transfer to hips?

What about the straight waisted women?
Remove a  few ribs?

I could go on.  My point is #$%!@* ideals.

This obsession with “ideals” is NUTS.

You are beautiful with curves or not.  You are beautiful because you are YOU.

Take care of your body because it’s YOURS.

We will make body image progress when we celebrate ALL body types not just the “fashion models” or the “hour glasses” or God knows what’s next.

I’m not buying it.
I’m beautiful because I said so and so are YOU.

Moving on…
I wrote a guest post over on  Making Food and other Stuff.
Please go check it out.

Have an awesome weekend!

Hugs and High Fives,
Jenn

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The post Fluffy Friday : “Reality TV Breeds New Body Ideals” appeared first on Girl Heroes.

Iron Man brought me breakfast.

Speaking of Iron Man

I read on Self Magazine’s website that Scarlett Johansson used kettlebells to prepare for that skin tight black catsuit the role of Black Widow.

Her on set trainer Bobby Strom was quoted saying,
“but what she really loved was the strength training–things like pullups and kettlebells–and the idea of feeling and looking strong.”

Sounds like my kind of workout.
You know, because I really want to wear a tight black catsuit to take my kids to the park.

Hugs and High Fives,
Jenn

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The post Fluffy Friday: Kettlebells and Catsuits appeared first on Girl Heroes.

Normally, I save these sorts of post for Fluffy Fridays but since the Oscars were last night I’ll call it  Meaningless Monday.

I don’t get television so I don’t actually watch the Oscars.  However, that doesn’t stop me from going online to look at all the fabulous dresses, toned arms of the Oscar attendees, and giving out my own personal awards.  Last year’s Girl Hero Oscar winner for best arms went to Jessica Biel.  She called and thanked me profusely.  This year, the winner goes to Cameron Diaz who is also on my old top 5 fit celebrity bodies list.

Incidentally her dress was my favorites too.  So lovely.

The other nominees for Girl Hero’s Oscar for Best Arms.

Sigourney Weaver

Demi Moore.  Can’t say the same for the dress.  Not big on matching your flesh with your dress.

Samantha Harris

Zoe Salada The bottom of her dress reminds me of a pinata. Bizarre.

I believe the key shapely arms is building shapely shoulders.  Defined shoulders look great in all styles of dresses and tops.  Currently my favorite move for strong shoulders are Turkish Get Ups.  Before my kettlebell obsession I used dumbbells for shoulder work and would often do  this workout.

If you haven’t already hop on over to One Fit Foodie and enter her Celestial Seasoning Giveaway! You have one day left to enter!!!!!

Did you watch the Oscars?  Who wore your favorite dress?  Who would you have given the Oscar for Best Arms to?

Hugs and High Fives,
Jenn

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My Top 5 Best Celebrity Bodies List (in no particular order)

Jennifer Garner – She’s lean but not crazy lean and she clearly works out.  Beautiful arms and smile.  Plus she seems down to earth which is cool.

Madonna –  I know.  I know.  “She looks like a man.”  Yadda yadda yadda.  Sometimes she looks a little too lean but she clearly works out and works out hard.  And she’s 50 years old! If you’ve seen the Music video (the one where she’s wearing the groovy bubblegum colored leotard) you know she has great legs as well.  I don’t think she would make my down-to-earth celebrity list though. Oh and lose the track pants with the bustier but knowing Madonna I’m sure she did.

Kelly Ripa – Another controversial celebrity body.  She too also has been criticized for being too lean but over all I think she looks much better now she’s put on muscle.  Check out those gorgeous shoulders!

Kate Hudson – I couldn’t decided between Kate Hudson and Cameron Diaz.  She’s not as cut as the others but I still think she look great.  I also love that there are always pictures in the media of her surfing, running, biking, and playing tennis.  She seems to really enjoy the outdoors.

Gwen Stefani – Probably one my favorite celebrities because I love her unique style of glamour and tomboy. How can you not love a girl who wears cargo pants and bright red lipstick.  Years ago, I saw her at Lalapalooza before No Doubt became huge. She was jumping all over the stage with the endurance of an elite athlete singing Spiderwebs wearing a sports bra and the cargo pants.  I’ve loved her ever since.  I just think she’s cool.

Had I made a Top 10 Fit Celebrity Body list I would have included Jessica Biel, Jessica Alba, Hilary Swank, Cameron Diaz and Jennifer Aniston.  Who are your favorite fit celebrities?

Have a great weekend.

Hugs and High Fives,
Jenn

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The post Fluffy Friday – My Top 5 Fit Celebrity Bodies List appeared first on Girl Heroes.

I just saw this video for the first time a few days ago.  If you haven’t seen it yet it’s really worth watching. He is living evidence on what a healhty active lifestyle can do.  Watching this video and then going to his website, JackLanne.com, convinces me, a recovering sugar addict, more than ever of the evils of refined sugar (Said in my best villain voice, ha ha ha.).  At 94 years old it’s obvious that this is a man who has walked and is walking his talk.  Inspiring.

xoxo
j

The post “Feel better, look better, so you can live longer.” appeared first on Girl Heroes.