February 22, 2012 Teddi Bryant returns to Amansala Eco Chic Resort for another EPIC week of BIKINI BOOTCAMP. You don’t want to miss this!
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See you in paradise.
Hot Mama’s Fitness + BBC = Epic Fitness FUN!
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Coco-Throw
It Coco Loco at BBC! Trainer Josh Nilsen keeps it functional, effective and sexy while working out on the beach in Tulum, Mexico.
End Of Summer 6-Pak Challenge
If you are ready to rock your sexiest, Bikini ready stomach in 4 weeks, this program is for you.
Each workout is only 15 minutes so being too busy doesn’t fly. Make the commitment, stay consistent and you’ll be writing us thank you letters and trading in your one piece for that bikini you’ve been eying all summer.
Welcome to a BIKINI BOOTCAMP Summer 6-Pak Challenge!
Every Monday a new workout will be posted here on our blog and also on our Facebook Page.
Complete this workout everyday for 5 days and rest on Saturday and Sunday. (You can go all 7 days if you’re feeling like a Rockstar).
The workout has 5 exercises. Do each of the 5 exercises for 1 minute and take a quick break to recover. Continue for 3 rounds. The total workout time is 15 minutes (5 exercises X 1 minute each X 3 rounds = 15 minutes).
We will post video as the week continues for instruction and motivation.
Here are your first 5 exercises:
Goal: Fat Burning (You’ll want to be able to see the abs you are sculpting right?)
What to expect: You want to get your heart rate up and SWEAT. Try to go as fast as you can while maintaining careful control of your movement. You should be breathing hard and maybe cursing a little…it’s only 15 minutes, come on- we have to get you out of that comfort zone and begin programming your metabolism so you can become a fat burning machine!
1. Lateral Squats
How: Begin in squat position, feet shoulder width distance apart, sit back into your booty and keep the chest proud. Push up to standing and step the right foot together with the left. Immediately step out with the left foot and drop back into squat position. Try to power your body side to side and breathe deeply through your midsection.
2. JaX
How: Begin with the feet together, standing straight up. Jump the feet wide and then back together (Think jumping jacks). Use short, powerful breaths to stabilize and control your movement.
3. Ski
How: Start standing straight up with the feet shoulder width distance apart (Like you are standing on train tracks). Jump the legs apart, right foot front, left foot back, in a scissor motion. Make sure to really squeeze your booty and breathe into your abdominals for control.
4. Jog & Jab
How: Start by jogging in place. Notice how you can tighten your midsection to control the speed of your pitter pattering feet. Bring your fists up in front of your face, tighten your arms and punch front. Keep your elbows in close to your ribs and use short hard breaths to power your body from the core muscles.
5. Plank
How: You’re almost there! Now is the FOCUS part. Drop to the ground, face down in push up position (Hands stacked under the shoulders). Tip your hip bones up toward your bottom rib bones and tuck your tail bone between your legs. Breathe as deeply as possible and focus on tightening your lower abs.
Good Luck!
Round 2
Welcome to Round 2 of the Summer 6-Pak Challenge by BIKINI BOOTCAMP.
Here are your 5 exercises for this week. See the video instruction below. Work Smart!
1. Standing Pike
How: Stand with your feet hip width distance apart, knees slightly bent. Reach your arms up overhead and exhale as you power through your abs to touch your toes right and left. Try to keep your legs straight.
2. Burpees
How: Begin in standing position “up.” reach hands flat to the earth and and bend knees “down.” Press hands into the earth and jump straight back into a push up position “out.” Press through your hands and use your abs to jump back into a standing position “in.” Explode through the legs and jump “up.”
3. 180 Jumps
How: start in squat position (see above). Jump 180 degrees, twisting through your torso and using your arms as momentum. Don’t forget to exhale as you jump and push up against gravity.
4. Plank With Knee Jogs
How: Begin in plank position (see above). Remember to tip your hip bones up into the bottom rib bones.Exhale and pull the knees right and left into the chest. Exhale each time you lift your knee and power through your abdominals.
5. Up-Down Crunches
How: Begin lying flat on your back arms reach overhead. Exhale and use your abs to power up into a seated position. Press your low back into the earth and use your breath as power.
Remember, if you have any questions feel free to post them here or to our facebook page.
Round 3…Almost There 
1. Knees To Opposite Elbows
How: Begin in plank position. Tilt the hip bones up into the bottom rib bones for a power abdominal position. Exhale and lift the left leg, bend the knee and touch the knee to the right elbow by twisting through your side abs. Power through the core and return to plank position. Repeat on the other side.
2. Jump Squat High Knees
How: Start in squat position, feet about shoulder width distance apart, chest proud. Bend the knees and explode, jumping and pulling the knees into the chest. Land with soft knees and a powerful mid section.
3. Squat-Twist
How: From a squat position, exhale and twist to the right as you stand, lifting the arms overhead. Twist back to center and lower into squat position. Repeat on the left side.
4. Triceps Lower
How: Begin in a plank position with the hand stacked directly under the chest so the elbows brush the ribs. Tilt the pelvis into power position bringing the hip bones closer to the bottom rib bones. Slowly lower keeping the back straight and the chest tight. Use a natural comfortable movement to return to plank and repeat the lowering process.
5. Plie, Elbows To Knees
How: Start in a plie position, feet shoulder width distance apart. Turn the toes out and tuck the tail bone. Stand up tall through the crown of the head.Gently lower the right elbow to the right knee keeping the chest lifted and the tail bone tucked. Repeat on the left side. Power through your side abs!
Hope everyone is doing well. please let me know if you have any questions. I am back on the beach this week and will be posting the video for round 3 when I find a fast internet connection…stay tuned:)
Remember, thoughts become things so keep your thoughts positive and happy…You are becoming your ultimate selves in each and every moment.
xo Kiya
Round 4 and…BUM BUM BUM- Photo Time! At the end of this week you will take your after pictures so work hard chicas and make each minute of this 15 minute workout count!
1. Plank Jacks
How: Begin in plank position, face down on hands and toes. Wrists stacked directly under the shoulders and hips tipped up toward the bottom ribs in Power Position, abs tight and strong. Start with the feet touching. Then, jump the legs wide, keeping the abdominals stable and strong. Exhale and jump the feet back together. Repeat as fast as possible while keeping your movement in a range of motion that feels safe and comfortable.
2. Knees to same elbows
How: Start in Plank position (see above). Exhale and lift the right knee toward the right elbow (think of a dog peeing on a tree). bring the knee all the way to the elbow and exhale all the air from your lungs as you squeeze the side obliques. Return to the starting plank position and repeat on the other side.
3. Bicycle
Lie down on your back and bring your knees up toward your chest to 90 degrees. Press the shoulders away from the ears and press the shoulder blades down the spine as you lift the chest up toward the knees. be sure to tip the hip bones up and in toward the bottom ribs. This way your lower back stays flat to the earth and the tension is pulled out of your neck and into the core abdominal muscles. Holding this position strong and tight begin to peddle the legs like you are riding a bike. Breathe long, deep breaths and focus on keeping your abdominals engaged as you move your legs.
4. Star Crunch
How: Lie flat on your back with the arms over head and the legs spread wide (like a star). Reach the right arm, and shoulder blade off the earth at the same time you lift the left leg. Touch opposite hand to foot keeping the abdonminals tight and strong. Press the bellybutton into the spine to keep your low back flat to the earth. Exhale and switch right arm and left leg for left arm and right leg. Exhale each time you switch opposite sides. Focus on keeping your core muscles engaged by continuing to tip the hip bones up and into the bottom ribs.
5. Plie w/ Heel Touch
How: Remember the plie squat, elbows to knees from last week? Start in a plie position, feet shoulder width distance apart. Turn the toes out and tuck the tail bone. Stand up tall through the crown of the head. Gently lower the right elbow to the right knee keeping the chest lifted and the tail bone tucked. Repeat on the left side. Power through your side abs! This week instead of stopping with the elbow at the knees, reach your hand all the way down and touch the outside of the right heel with the right hand. Do the same on the left side. Remember to keep your chest up and proud and your side abdominals firm and strong by focusing on using them to lift and lower your upper body.
When you have completed the challenge….E mail your after pictures to: kiya@kiyaknight.com
Good Luck!
As always, let me know if you have any questions.
BIKINI BOOTCAMP: Inside Scoop
Wondering what’s it like at Amansala? Listen to some our recent feedback from Trip Advisor.
If you have a unique experience you would like to share, please visit Trip Advisor to share your thoughts. We LOVE feedback.
xo,
Bliss
I returned from Amansala 4 days ago, and I’m still thinking about how soon can I go back. I participated in bikini bootcamp and was amazed by how much lighter and stronger I felt physically and spiritually after one week. And yet it was also the most relaxing holiday I have had in a while, everything is taken care of for you, all you have to do is show up. For me, the more I participated the more fun I had.
I can’t say enough good things about the staff. The trainers will amaze and inspire you (insert a million compliments here). I had two of the best massages I have ever had. The kitchen accommodated all of my special requests and prepared healthy and delicious fresh meals. The rooms were clean and the decor was simple and beautiful.
Bikini bootcamp is for all ages and fitness levels (that includes you too, boys!). The beaches of Tulum are magical and serene. Amansala is so relaxing and inviting, it feels like home in paradise.
Tips: If you are going for bikini bootcamp bring lots and a variety of work out clothes. The ocean front rooms have the best breeze for sleeping (recommended in the hotter months). This is a place to get back to basics (no airconditioning, laundry, or hairdryers). It is a perfect choice for a solo traveller. Their facebook page has lots of great photos and info!
“Me encantó Bikini Boot Camp en de Amansala”
Me pasé más interesante semana de mi vida en Amansala.
Fui por el aspecto de gimnasio, y de todo lo que había esperado en esa zona. El calendario diario está lleno de actividades que te no están obligados a participar en pero, con mucho gusto individuales y yo me sentí la recompensa.
La comida era increíble, muy fresca y sabrosa y nunca me sentí hambre durante el día a pesar de que estaban comiendo extremadamente luz y la comida saludable (frutas frescas, vegetales, ensaladas y tampoco pollo o pescado).
Ahora, para el “campamento” parte de que tendrás que dormir en una campaña como alojamiento, la necesidad de ventanas que dejaba abierta todo el tiempo, la cual te causar toda la ropa de olor como el mar y si llueve, puede encontrar tu cama un poco empapada. Pero eso no es todo! El agua que te bañarte en es muy salado, que es cuando en realidad funciona porque la mayoría, “trickles” y que no es siempre caliente o…
Yo nunca usaban zapatos excepto por mi bambas para algunos de los entrenamiento porque tienes que caminar en la arena todo el tiempo. Trae suficiente trabajo de ropa y trajes de baño, ¡porque incluso si te lavar en tu lavabo (y con agua salada) y no te seco y a olvidar dandonos cualquier ropa elegante, más informal y relajado mejor.
No te olvides productos lo suficiente para ayudar tu pelo sobrevivir el agua salada, sol chapús con SPF alta y una buena bichos repelente para ser usada cada día y noche.
El personal era muy amable, pero cuando pedí que me un reembolso para una noche extra que lo que habíamos pagado por, porque tenía llovió sobre mi cama, se negaron a acomodarme. Lo que sigue siendo el check out porque había más lluvia de camino…..
Si puedes oferta con el “campamento” parte de que, si os parece un gran lugar para venir a pero que te aconsejo que reserves tu última noche en México en un hotel de Cancún, donde te será capaz de apropiado la ducha antes de tu casa internacional de vuelo
Coco Water Workout
Getting connected is half the battle and a fun workout can be your fast track to fitness freedom.
At Bikini Bootcamp we get inspired by mother nature to create one of a kind workouts that challenge our body and mind.
Location is everything and owner, Melissa Perlman knew what She was doing when She set up shop on one of the world’s most spectacular stretches of sand.
Tulum is a dreamy Caribbean paradise that serves as a perfect backdrop for Bikini Bootcamp fitness challenges like our Cocco Loco Body Shop.
We use the coconuts like you would a medicine ball at the gym to push, pull, stretch, and lift. When the workout is finished we cut the tops off the coconuts and enjoy the fresh coconut water over ice. It’s a healthy refreshing treat after a hot sweaty workout session, just the way nature intended.
Resident trainer Kiya Knight says, “Total body, systematic muscle contraction in all 3 planes of motion are your fastest route to a toned , slim, sexy bikini body.” The best part is that by working smart instead of hard you cut your workout time in half…”This is the power of efficient, effective science based workouts,” Kiya says, “It’s one of the reasons Bikini Bootcamp is voted the number one fitness vacation by MSN.
A Girlfriends’ Getaway Guide for Moms Who Need More ‘Me Time’
The question is: “Q: I love my two toddlers, but the constant refrain of ‘mommy, do this; mommy, I want; mommy I need’ is driving me to drink. I need a break so I can reconnect to the ‘me’ I lost when I became a mother. My friend feels the same. Where should we go?”
Estelle Sobel Erasmus answers: “Amansala’s Bikini Bootcamp!”
Estelle says, “An informal poll of my FB mom friends showed that when women allow themselves to take off on a girls’ getaway once or twice a year, they come back renewed and feel more appreciated by their families (at least for a little while). Thankfully, hotels, resorts and spas are realizing the “mommy market” is a viable one and are featuring “girlfriend getaways” galore.”
Sneak Peak at Bikini Bootcamp
Ever wish you could get a “fly on the wall” peak at Bikini Bootcamp in action?
Now you can!
Here is a little sample of our “Awesome Arms Blast” on the beach.
Notice how we use our own body weight as resistance…it may not look that tough but any Bikini Bootcamper will tell you how challenging…and fun these workouts really are.
We can’t wait to help YOU sculpt your ultimate bikini body on one of the world’s best beaches…next session begins July 31, 2011.
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Location! Location! Location!
Be warned: You may never want to leave.
Melissa Perlman put her heart into the Eco Chic Hotel Amansala and you feel it immediately upon arrival. Amansala was a pioneer in the Eco Chic movement way before “going green” became the new standard of living. never compromising style or comfort, Amansala is our home away from home.
Amansala is taken from the two Sanskrit words Peace and Water which was the name of Melissa’s small import export business many years ago. While Melissa had toyed with the idea of starting a traveling spa, she found herself drawn back time and time again to Tulum and decided to create the Bikini Bootcamp headquarters in one of her all time favorite places in the world.
After years of traveling through Southeast Asia and experiencing the best and the worst of hotels, she knew what she wanted to create. A place where people could come, solo or with their partners or friends, and have an adventure where they would meet other like minded people, eat good healthy food, be on one of the most beautiful beaches in the world, workout, do yoga, see the highlights of the area, and return home feeling and looking better than when they arrived.
The Bikini Bootcamp headquarters, Amansala, is located on the Riviera Maya… between the pristine blue ocean and the emerald green tropical forests and jungles, is nature in all of its splendor. Think of paradise in these terms: laying in a hammock under the shade of a palm tree, facing beautiful white beaches, sipping a cool drink, and enjoying the warm but refreshing breeze caressing your skin.
The Riviera Maya offers endless possibilities to choose from: tranquil sea coves and bays to rougher more open ocean; transparent lagoons and mysterious water springs with landmarks and vestiges of a culture thousands of years old; or the world´s second longest reef which stretches from Quintana Roo to Honduras.
There are a variety of beach and water sports to choose from: Kayaking, stand up paddle boarding, and boogie boarding. We make it easy to take full advantage of your get away and simply relax on the beach to the ever-present rhythm of the waves.
“One of my greatest memories was eating grilled shrimp and sipping fresh pineapple juice, barefoot on a sandy beach, surrounded by candles, a starlit sky and a small group of good company.”
Be sure to check us out on facebook and hear what people are saying about Amansala Eco Chic Resort
Welcome To The Sisterhood
“Instead of trying to fit into that Dior bikini before you leave on vacation, pack it and book a fitness getaway where you lose weight while you’re away. The ultimate travel tune-up is Amansala’s Bikini Bootcamp on Mexico’s Mayan Riviera. ”
New York Magazine
We invite you to the Sisterhood….Bikini Bootcamp!
Fitting into our bikini is more than just looking great. It’s confidence in knowing we are honoring our bodies and living as our best selves. At Bikini Bootcamp we invite you to our paradise where working out is playing and eating right is always a pleasure. We’ll teach you how to use your body as a balanced system during fitness & Yoga classes and share our secrets for flat abs, toned legs, awesome arms and glowing skin…
“I was actually scared to sign up for Bikini Bootcamp. I thought that I would spend my days surrounded by Baywatch fitness nuts and was so pleasantly surprised to have met such amazing people and to have been pushed physically but also nurtured emotionally and spiritually.”
Jacqueline Monroe
Next session……July 31st
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Go Green at Bikini Bootcamp
For those who want to leave Tulum in better shape than when they arrived, there’s the famous Bikini Bootcamp at Amansala, run by Melissa Perlman, an American who escaped New York after 9/11. More on that later.
Nature lovers are drawn to the area to explore Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve, the largest protected area in Mexico at 1.3 million acres. There’s an estimated 103 known mammal species and 336 known bird species within the reserve, as well as nesting grounds for many species of wading birds.
Entrance to the reserve opens at the southern end of Tulum’s winding beach road. Tourists can sign up for a range of guided activities, including canal tours through the lagoons of Caapechen and Boca Paila, sunset birdwatching tours, and kayaking. Enjoy a lovely sunset dinner at the CESiaK Restaurant, part of the biosphere’s own laid-back eco-resort within (http://www.cesiak.org).
Snorkeling and scuba diving are big draws at nearby cenotes, or freshwater caves. The largest, most popular one is aptly named Gran Cenotes, west toward the Coba ruins about 2 miles past the main intersection in town. You can rent snorkeling and diving equipment on the premises.
There’s no shortage of cenotes in other spots nearby. A couple of small ones are sketchily marked off the roadside just before entering the Sian Ka’an Biosphere and a few more are just off the highway north of Tulum heading towards Playa del Carmen, including Cenote Dos Ojos.
Tulum is also famous for its own seaside Mayan ruins about three miles north of town that was considered an important port city hundreds of years ago. Much less spectacular than the acclaimed ruins at Chichen Itza, but still worth the trip.
The city is walled in on three sides, with the cliff-top coast on the eastern border (Tulum means fortification or walled city). The fortress city is believed to have been built around 300 BC, but most of the buildings appear to date from between 1200 to 1500 AD, when the Mayans inhabited the city. Guided tours are available, but you can purchase small guidebooks brimming with information and most structures have signposts with descriptions of their ancient functions and architectural features.
No matter how internationally hip or traditionally Mexican the food is prepared in Tulum, the common denominator for all is local and fresh. Fish is caught daily in the local Caribbean waters and fruit and vegetables come from nearby farms run by Mexican farmers.
There’s plenty of beach side restaurants with a cool vibe and fabulous food. Hipsters were streaming in to Posada Margherita, a chic Italian open-air restaurant and hotel with a bohemian tone set by the wildly-tattooed owner Alessandro Carozzino, who will sit at your table and gently urge you to have the red snapper cooked in seawater topped with tomatoes, olive oil and pine nuts. It may be the best fish you’ve ever had. Another night we returned to indulge in grilled lobster covered by a mound of homemade tagliatelle, asparagus and tomatoes and white wine.
One morning I joined a group of hard-bodied gals (aged in their mid-30s to early 50s) at Bikini Bootcamp for a 7 a.m. walk in silence along the beach followed by an intense workout led by Josh the trainer who kicked our butts for another hour. We made our way back with a long sprint to the volley ball net, then a series of deep lunges back to Josh’s line in the sand. We sweated through some cardio-boxing moves, jumping jacks and tricep dips off the end of our beach chairs. Our session ended with a grueling round of ab work that was bound to make a difference in our bikinis.
We were rewarded with a breakfast of vanilla yogurt, granola and big bowls of fresh papaya, pineapple, cantaloupe and bananas that awaited us at Amansala’s open-air restaurant with long communal tables.
Some of us then joined others in a yoga class and inspirational session led by that week’s yoga retreat leader Sadie Nardini (http://www.sadienardini.com/). An internationally-acclaimed yoga instructor and wellness expert, Sadie was at Amansala teaching her personal brand of Core Strength Vinyasa Yoga and imparting her message of self-empowerment and balanced living. Sadie is based out of Studio 94 in Brooklyn, N.Y., but travels the globe leading retreats and workshops.
The yoga class took place in an open room above the dining area with wide-open windows that faced the ocean and let a cool breeze waft into the space. Sadie focused on strengthening our pelvic core as she led us through a series of Vinyasa flow and balancing poses that helped stretch and relax my tired limbs from the early morning workout.
I bowed out of the late-morning activity where Melissa and her helpers slathered participants from head to toe in yellow clay and honey, then led them through a meditation at the water’s edge. When they were done, they dunked in the water to rinse off the dried clay and wash away the troubles they brought with them on vacation.
On my last day in Tulum, I got my Mayan healing massage after all. It turned out the same Mayan healer who canceled on me days earlier was on the roster of massage therapists at Amansala too. He led me to a thatched roof hut high in the treetops across the road where my only instructions were to listen to the birds call to each other in the jungle just outside the hut and submit to his healing hands as the sun set in the distance. The 90-minute experience was nothing short of transformative.
I left Tulum with a healthy glow, some wispy scarves in orange and blue with peaceful Sanskrit messages, and a few locally-crafted bracelets. Packed away in my suitcase was a Bikini Bootcamp tank top from Amansala’s gift shop to remind me where I want to return with a couple of girlfriends next winter.
Namaste.
Judith Nemes is a Chicago-based freelance journalist specializing in green issues and urban sustainability. She writes a weekly column online for Crain’s Chicago Business called Green Scene and freelances for the Chicago Tribune, Edible Chicago, GreenBiz.com and other publications.
