If you live in Houston – join me tomorrow night for a marathon training event at Whole Foods! However, you DO NOT have to be a runner or training for a marathon.

Jumpstart your Fall running season – whether you are doing the Houston Marathon, 1/2 Marathon or even a 5k! Join Buffalo Bayou Partnership and ExerciseTV Trainer (& marathoner) Cari Shoemate for a workout along Buffalo Bayou followed by a happy hour at Whole Foods Montrose! *Non-runners are welcome*

Details:
6:00-6:30pm – Informal Q&A Session and Training Tips
Meet out in front of Whole Foods under the big fans.
6:30pm-7:15pm – Workout Along the Bayou
We will depart from Whole Foods at 6:30pm sharp and head over to the Bayou along Waugh for a workout! This workout will be for ALL-LEVELS and will include a mix of cardio and strength training and will be perfect for runners! No equipment required, but you may want to bring a towel for abs.
7:15-8:00pm – Happy Hour on the Patio
Enjoy complimentary coconut water and sample some fitness goodies from Luke’s Locker. Beer and wine will be available for purchase at the Bayou Bar.

Free for Bayou Buddies and Team BBP Runners. Suggested donation of $10 for all others. Donations will go to benefit Buffalo Bayou Partnership and their Run for a Reason campaign (Cari and others are running the Houston Marathon on their behalf).

rsvp:  jgaines@buffalobayou.org

Special Thanks To:
Whole Foods www.wholefoods.com
Luke’s Locker www.lukeslocker.com
Dish Houston www.dish-houston.com
Houston Marathon Run For a Reason: http://www.chevronhoustonmarathon.com/RunForAReason/

First of all, I have to say – I don’t train my clients so they can be a size 0, but I train them to be fit and confident. Case in point – my client Erica Rose. She’s on this season of ABC’s “Bachelor Pad” and is one of my fittest clients and she is so confident that she was able to appear on last night’s episode wearing only a skimpy white bikini. I don’t know many people who would do that, do you? So, when I heard Blake call her “thick” last week during the premiere I shrugged it off (so did she) because he obviously has some insecurities and is just looking to stir up trouble. During the hanging challenge last week I was proud of how long she held on and she was one of the last girls to let go. She had to use a lot of upper body strength for that and the only reason she fell was because her partner couldn’t hold on. Erica and I both know how fit she is and so does everyone up at Fit Athletic Club (where we train) because they have seen us up there working hard every week. Erica can do 200lb+ on the leg press, sets of 30+ pushups at a time and planks for minutes on end – not to mention spinning, yoga and steep hill workouts on the treadmill. I would be willing to bet that she has more discipline (did you know she’s about to graduate from law school?), mental strength and physical strength than most of the other contestants on the show. Over the last year she’s worked her butt off and I’m proud to be her trainer!

Last week I got to meet President Obama’s long time trainer, Cornell McClellan in NYC when I was there for NBC Universal’s “Healthy Week”. He is a member of the President’s Council Fitness Sports and Nutrition and he told me about how he is helping the First Lady with her “Let’s Move” campaign and the “President’s Challenge”. The “Let’s Move” program was setup to help kids and parents stay healthy and the Let’s Move website has a ton of great resources and tips for healthy eating, working out and how kids can stay active.

The “President’s Challenge”

The “President’s Challenge” is a 6-week program where President Obama wants you to challenge yourself and set active lifestyle goals. Along the way, you can log your progress and earn cool awards! The program is not just for kids…they have a program for adults too! All you have to do is log 30 minutes of activity at least 5 days a week for 6 of the 8 weeks you are on the program. I encourage all of you to join this challenge and if you are a teacher or community leader, get your peers and students involved and join as a GROUP! Make it fun!

Join me and Signup Today!! Even the First Lady is doing it…
“To show everyone just how much fun it can be, I will be working to earn my Active Lifestyle Award.  I’m going to do it. And I want kids across the country to join me.” – First Lady Michelle Obama

How to Sign Up:

Physical activity is an essential component of a healthy lifestyle. Adding more activity to your daily life can be easy and fun – and now you can earn an award for being active. To earn your Presidential Active Lifestyle Award (PALA), all you need to do is document your active exercise each day (60 minutes/day for children and 30 minutes/day for adults), 5 days a week, for six weeks.
Join the President’s Active Lifestyle Program, here’s how:

1. Make the commitment  (this can be a family or team effort)
2. Sign up online, print the activity log PDF or start a group
3. Log your activity
4. Earn your award

With over 100 activities to choose from, there’s something for everyone! Record your activities and track your progress for 60 minutes a day/ 5 days a week for youths under the age of 18 or 60 minutes a day for adults. You can even compare your progress with others who are taking the President’s Challenge.

The President’s Challenge not only helps you stay active – it also gives you a little extra motivation while you’re at it. That’s because you can earn special Presidential awards recognizing your accomplishments.

I spent this week in NYC helping NBC Universal with their “Healthy Week” initiative. I had a great time educating the people in Times Square about health and fitness and convincing them to join me on the steps to raise money for the American Cancer Society! At the end of the day Wednesday, we reached our goal of 1 Million steps and $10,000 was donated for cancer research!Way to go NBC and NYC! I had so much fun doing workouts with Bill & Jim Germankos and Erik Chopin, winners of the Biggest Loser (pictured), the Real Housewives of New York, Cornell McClellon (President Obama’s trainer!) and Toccara Jones from America’s Next Top Model.

Press Release:

TEXAN FITNESS PERSONALITY CARI SHOEMATE FEATURED IN NBC UNIVERSAL’S “HEALTHY WEEK” IN TIMES SQUARE, NYC

New York (May 2011) – Cari Shoemate, Houston’s first and only celebrity fitness personality on ExerciseTV, the leading fitness digital network, will be featured in NBC Universal’s Healthy Week May 23-25 in Times Square.  Cari will be leading workouts with the cast of The Real Housewives of New York, President Obama’s personal trainer Cornell McClellan and former contestants of The Biggest Loser. The event is open to the public and will take place on a set of stairs with sensors that will be counting every step. The goal for the event is to not only get people excited about fitness, but also to reach 1 million steps in order to raise money for The American Cancer Society.  Workouts will take place around the structure and on the stage from 10am to 6pm each day with additional booths around the structure where the public can get healthy tips and giveaways. Coverage is taking place on E! Entertainment Television, The Today Show, Telemundo and more.

“I’m really excited about this event and honored NBC and ExerciseTV asked me to help them with ‘Healthy Week’! I hope everyone stops by for a fun workout and some great fitness tips. It’s perfect timing, because summer and bathing suit season is almost here! I am looking forward to getting New York excited about fitness and hopefully reaching many more through NBC! I plan to come back to Houston and get my local community involved as well.”

Read the rest of this entry »

Here is one of my latest commercials for Glade and ExerciseTV! Be sure to join their Facebook Fan Page to get the latest on new products and fragrances!

I was excited this weekend when I ran across one of my Glade commercials on tv! They are on the ExerciseTV channel (and others) and you should get this VOD channel if you have Comcast, AT&T, Time Warner or one of the other major providers. I took these stills from my tv, to show authenticity, but the quality is not the best : ) To read about the day of the shoot click HERE

Now that it’s January, I’m sure you are all thinking of ways to get yourself and your family in shape! It can be pretty overwhelming because there are lots of gyms, new equipment and fad diets to chose from. My biggest tip would be to keep it simple. Hit the park or checkout a new trail near your house. All you need to do is walk or run (break a sweat) and then mix in a little strength training and abs after. You don’t even need equipment…just do pushups, squats and lunges.

But, if you are looking for something different to do…find an outdoor sport club or group in your city! In Houston, we have a ton of great running, biking and other clubs that offer a change of scenery and a great workout. Here are my favorites in Houston:

Running: Kenyan Way, Houston Fit, HARRA and the Icehouse Runners that do a “Couch to 5k” (recommended by my friend Kristen!)
Biking: Space City Cycling Club (or checkout West End Bikes for other club info), Bike Houston
Water Sports: Buffalo Bayou Partnership, Houston Wilderness, Houston Canoe Club
Misc: Trees for Houston (planting trees is a good workout!), Houston Arboretum (they have nature trails and offer some outdoor classes), Discovery Green has free Zumba and Yoga classes, Bayou City Outdoors (hiking, biking and more!), join a Soccer or other sports league in your area

Checkout this video I did last May for Fox where I talked about obesity in Houston, how to stay active and also my new DVD!

I’m featured in the November 2010 issue of Health & Fitness Sports Magazine in the “Ask the Trainer” column on page 31!

Hi guys!

I hope you can all come to this event tomorrow night, Oct. 19th at 6pm. I’ll be doing a large group training session along Buffalo Bayou (near Shepherd and Allen Pkwy ) and then we will have an after-party at Luke’s Locker with free wine + beer (courtesy of Michelob Ultra) and Fusion Tacos for purchase! The training is geared towards runners (all distances) but even non-runners will get a good workout!

(click to enlarge)

*Click picture for online edition!

I’m so excited to be included in the August Issue of 002 Magazine and on the COVER!! 002 has been my favorite Houston magazine for years because they have the best information and reviews on all the newest restaurants, hangouts, hip events, products and people.  Special thanks to Carla Valencia (the amazing Editor) for giving me a shot and including me in the magazine; Edward Sanchez who worked his magic with my makeup and gave me great posing tips; Sarah Al-Adwani for making my hair look great not just during the shoot, but for the last 5+ years; Jill Hunter who is a creative and talented photographer and Nancy Mathe’ my sidekick and trusted advisor.

The photoshoot was so much fun and even got to do a shopping spree at Neimans, but sadly had to return the $2,300 leather Prada below : (  Check back soon for my “behind the scenes” video!

KNOCKOUT : 002houston Magazine | hip.current.cool

Today I was back on Fox Morning News Extra to talk about how yoga can reduce stress and even improve sleep. I demonstrated crescent moon (low lunge) and also child’s pose, which are both great at reducing stress in your muscles and joints and relieve tension in your lower back. Instead of reaching for food or alcohol to relax after work, try some of the moves below. Or, if your energy is fading and you are about to make another run to Starbucks, try a forward bend instead!

*Top and pants by Lucy!

For Relaxation:
Try some seated twists (left) or stretches where you are lying down. Just be careful not to stretch your muscles too much unless you are already warm (from cardio, etc) or a yoga warmup like vinyasa flow or sun salutations. For breathing, focus on taking deep exhales. Look for yoga classes such as “gentle yoga”, “yoga for beginners” or even “meditation” to relieve stress and help you to relax.


For Energy:
Inversions such as Forward Bend (right), Headstand or even Downward Dog are great for energy. Any time your heart is above your head, you will have increased circulation to the brain and get a surge of energy. With breathing, focus more on taking deeper inhales. Look for “inversion” classes, “sun salutation” classes or “vinyasa flow” classes to give you a boost of energy.

As of this week, I’m on the Video on Demand channel in 38 million households! YAY! If you have Comcast, Time Warner, AT&T or any of the other major providors you should be able to access it. Here’s how:

-Go to “Free on Demand”

-Look for either Health/Fitness or similar category

-Look for ExerciseTV

-Then scroll to the “Most Popular” category and my video is titled “Long Lean Legs- Advanced”

The DVD Release Party on 5/21 was a huge success!

To see some of the photos and read the recap…click HERE or click the “DVD Release Party” tab above.

I was back on Fox Morning News Extra today to discuss obesity in Houston. It just seems it’s becoming a problem everywhere…not just here. Of course, we do have a ton of restaurants that all serve “Texas-sized” portions…so maybe that’s why we have a bad rap?

I also got to talk about my DVD RELEASE PARTY! I hope you all can make it! It’s not too late to RSVP!

We all wish we had Gwen Stefani’s abs or Fergie’s legs, right? But, the truth is they really have to work at staying in shape. Gwen has said that it’s her love of fashion that keeps her in shape. She wants to be able to look great in the clothes she designs and be able to wear whatever she wants. Fergie admits that she really has to watch what she eats or she will pack on the pounds. You can see what she eats in a typical day HERE.

Here are a few tips to get you started on your way to that six-pack and sculpted legs. By the way…if you really want to sculpt lean legs, be sure to pre-order my DVD : )

I was on Fox Morning News Extra yesterday with some last minute tips for those of you doing the MS150. My friend Andrea says she eats a good dinner the night before and eggs the morning of the ride to keep her muscles going strong. Good luck to Andrea, Tim and everyone else riding!!

I was back on last week to give some tips on how to get Madonna’s arms and Beyonce’s booty! To read more about Madonna’s arms and yoga…checkout my post “Can I really lose weight or get arms like Madonna just from doing yoga?”.

Also, check back next week for a new celebrity workout!

Here is part III of of my bikini tips featured last week on Fox Morning News Extra!

I’ve had many of you ask about the pants I’m wearing. They are the Lucy Power Cardio Knee Pant and I love them! You can buy online here:

I was back on Fox Morning News Extra today to show viewers some of my favorite moves to really work the glutes (aka booty) and legs!

I was back on Fox Morning News Extra yesterday with Sibila to give my tips for getting ready for that bikini!

I’ll do another segment next week with exercises for your lower half…so be sure to check back or subscribe!