Transformation TUESDAY!!!

​Today's feature is a private client and member of  The Elite Heat. How is she a member of the Heat and not competing? She has competed, but decided, for now, not to continue on within the world of fitness competitions. She is, however, a 'lifer' for her body and taking it to the next level does not always mean on a stage. She is now preparing for a trip, yes a trip, in February and wants to look even better than she does now. Read more about Sharilyn and her fitness journey as we introduce her for the Phoenyx

TRANSFORMATION TUESDAY

I moved to Latin America in September 2012,  and was excited at what I believed would be a “new start” post-graduate school. I had put on more than a few pounds since gym and yoga sessions were replaced with late night paper writing and thesis research. 

During my first few weeks in Argentina, I religiously worked out using my Shaun T ‘Insanity’ workout DVD’s. I noticed some changes in my body but I still wasn’t happy, and I definitely wasn’t eating well.  Trying to manage being a vegetarian in a country heralded for its' beef was NOT easy.   Around Halloween, I befriended a boot camp instructor who encouraged me to step out of my comfort zone and attend a class.   I can distinctly remember that first session because I sincerely wondered if “death by burpee” was an actual thing.   Although I hated that first session, I decided to return a few days later. Two days per week quickly turned into three and before I knew it, I was there every single day.

By the time I got into the swing of it, I relocated to Peru and it was there that the magic happened – I was introduced to weightlifting by way of Cross fit. Power cleans, split jerks and dead lifts were insanely difficult at first but I quickly realized how AMAZING it  felt when I completed a heavy lift with proper form.

I continued to Cross fit when I returned to the US in May 2013 and began to “eat clean” after joining a Paleo challenge with others at my box. It was then that I realized I wanted, no, needed, a change. I didn’t want to simply lose a few pounds and get into shape.  I wanted to push myself further and harder than I’d ever done in the past. It was then that an old friend from college introduced me to The Elite Heat after I came across her fitness competition pictures on Facebook.

Malenna saw something in me that I couldn’t see in myself. Almost every single day I doubted that I could actually compete in a fitness competition but Malenna and my teammates were there every step of the way, providing support even when my family and friends didn’t understand what I was training for or why. In October 2013, I stepped on that stage and it was one of the most amazing moments of my life. I learned that being fit could be sexy and that that could be ME. Throughout this journey, I've gone from 173lbs and 35% body fat to 147lbs and 23% body fat and this is only the beginning. I am proud to be strong, “thick fit” and most importantly, healthy! 

Photo credit Omega Imagery . www.omegaimagery.com

WORKOUT WEDNESDAY

Not your typical PUSHUp...

It's workout Wednesday again at Phoenyx and today we are giving you a typical exercise with variety. But why? Below are the different changes that are demonstrated in the video and what those changes do to your exercise.  OH and all these exercises are demonstrated by our lovely Esther Lopez, Elite Heat member, WBFF Bikini Pro and one of our instructors with Phoenyx. You got a taste of her lower body work last bootcamp. Watch as she gives a demo on some chest and arm work.

GENERAL proper form
- Back straight
- Core tight
- Hands underneath the shoulders
- Bring the body down as a unit neither dipping nor overextending the back
- Chest should almost touch the floor on a push done with proper extension

Below is a breakdown of the different transitions she makes in the video with an explanation of what it hits. ENJOY!

Regular Push ups - Regular pushups hits your main pectoral area with your hands right below the shoulders
Wide Stance- Hands are out a little wider than shoulder width to bring the focus more in the outer part of the pec
Close Stance or Tricep Push up - You see how her elbows shoot back. This is important. The chest work on this is secondary. We are hitting the triceps or the back of the arms
Staggered - Makes the move more of a core exercise by removing stability in the positioning. Keep your body straight during this exercise
FEET - Wide - just an option to change up your feet. Makes the exercise a little easier but providing balance
Star Push ups - DIFFICULT hands and feet are wide and hands are above your head and out. The only thing supporting the move as you move up and down is that core. Great core strength
VARIATION for starters - Hands on the bench. Maintain your posture
VARIATION more difficult - Feet on the bench. All the weight is on those shoulders. A great way to challenge your 'regular' pushup strength

Transformation Tuesday

Here at Phoenyx Fitness, we are starting daily posts to keep our fans and clients updated on the latest with Phoenyx!!!  Mondays are dedicated to announcements and we are excited for the new addition of TRANSFORMATION TUESDAYS!

You've seen before and after pictures on television and advertisements and I'm sure you wondered if these people were real or what they did to lose the weight. So we are featuring REAL people making REAL changes, while maintaining a REAL and normal life.

Our first feature is Tanisha. She's been with Phoenyx since January and started with us on a New Year's 6 week challenge.  This challenge featured a program designed to trigger maximum fat loss in a short amount of time.  In just 6 short weeks, Tanisha lost over 10 pounds and brought her body fat down from over 5%.  This was done implementing our program and making some changes to her diet, while attending our classes, mostly high intensity, throughout the week.

Tanisha was preparing for a trip to and not only looked better but felt better and confident enough to sport her bikini on the beach as a celebration on a successful 6 weeks. But when she returned, she was high on loss from her first challenge and was ready for the next!

This next challenge was a 10 week BIKINI challenge with a photo shoot opportunity on the line. What would make this challenge more of a struggle hinges on the length of time. A month and a half?....pretty doable. 2 and a half months? Sounds a bit more intimidating, but we were excited to give it a go. Over 20 ladies signed up for this challenge and the week after Valentine's Day, committed to 10 weeks of clean eating, exercise, and a healthier lifestyle.

Tanisha knew she had to take this to the next level and opted in on the 10 day cleanse provided by Advocare, one of our sponsored products.














With her exercise regiment, she left nothing to chance, and joined any class she could be a part of, from the 2 day a week high intensity bootcamp style classes to the strength training classes we provided once a week at one of our private training gyms.

Tanisha began the second part of this journey at 152 pounds and 27.9% body fat. She didn't drop as many pounds this time but brought her body fat down again another 5%.  It's so important to measure your body fat in addition to your weight. Changes in composition can happen in many areas as you can see from Tanisha's pictures.


  This in roughly 4 months time. What's next? She has already signed up for our summer bootcamp, AND is interested in our fitness team. Could we see Tanisha on the fitness competition stage? : ) With these results, ANYTHING is possible! Congratulations Tanisha!!!!

Do you want more information on how to obtain your own success story? We have people on hand to answer questions for you and get you started. Email us at support@phoenyxfitness.com for more info!