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My Wedding Workout Challenge w/ Celeb Trainer Gunnar Peterson

May 4, 2015  |  By: Whitney E. RD

I’m going on five days now with abs so sore that it hurts to laugh.

It’s a good thing though. Apparently, I hadn’t been challenging myself enough in the core department.

That’s about to change though.

Last week, I met with celebrity trainer Gunnar Peterson at his super exclusive Beverly Hills gym for a one-on-one workout to kick off the Propel Electrolyte Water “Lyte Up Your Workout” Summer Challenge.

You may have heard of Gunnar before — he’s trained A-listers like Angelina Jolie, Jennifer Lopez, and Hugh Jackman, as well as top NBA and NFL athletes.

Oh, and the entire Kardashian klan.

Gunnar has teamed up with Propel to celebrate the launch of their new zero-calorie, unflavored, unsweetened Electrolyte Water and will be helping a select group of fitness bloggers (like me) with a 10-week challenge to achieve our summer goals.

Some of the other gals participating include Monica from RunEatRepeat and Katie of Love Sweat Fitness.

The program culminates at the Idea World Fitness BlogFest in Anaheim on July 16th with a huge workout with Gunnar. You may remember, I spoke at the convention last year.

This challenge couldn’t have come at a better time for me. With my wedding just a month away, it’s time to kick my diet and fitness routine into high gear.

Read on for more about the challenge and an opportunity to win one FREE month of ClassPass!

My goal for the challenge is get my sweat on everyday for the next month until my wedding in June.

That’s part one.

After the wedding, I’ll set a new goal to carry me through the last five weeks. For now though, I’m focusing on getting a good burn in everyday.

That means going for a run with Mr. Chow, doing a weight circuit at the gym, or trying a new class through my Class Pass app — anything that gets the heart pumping and the pores perspiring!

As I mentioned before, my first sweat sesh started Thursday at Gunnar Peterson’s gym.

With the help of Alfonso Moretti, aka The Angry Trainer, Gunnar put me through an hour long cardio and strength training circuit, similar to what you may have seen Khloe Kardashian’s Instagram recently.

Reports say Khloe has lost 13 pounds in three months of training with Gunnar. I’d say that’s a sign his technique is effective.

The key to Gunnar’s method is to keep your heart rate up the entire session by mixing cardio exercises with toning moves.

We paired kettlebell swings with sprints on the bike, chest press with work on a manual treadmill, and ab exercises with moving medicine ball slams.

What I liked most about the workout was that everything we did was new and exciting. Gunnar’s gym is like a Toys “R” Us for fitness enthusiasts. He has all kinds of cool equipment that I’ve never worked with before.

My favorite was the elevated ab machine attached to a dummy. They had me do a combined crunch and cross boxing circuit on it.

I’m guessing this was what did my abs in!

It was intense, but amazing.

Post-workout, I rehydrated with Propel’s Electrolyte Water while chatting with Registered Dietitian Karen Freeman about my nutritional goals for the challenge.

I told Karen about my uncontrollable sweet tooth and late-night eating habits, and asked for her advice on curbing those behaviors.

Karen, a seasoned sports nutritionist who works with the San Diego Chargers, told me that with all the exercising and sweating I’ll be doing, it’s important that I get in enough carbohydrates during the day. That way, I won’t crave them late at night.

She also said that when you don’t replace your electrolytes after exercising, primarily sodium, your body will crave salty and sugary treats that much more.

That’s another reason, aside from the obvious, to rehydrate with Propel’s Electrolyte Water after each exercise sesh. The refreshing water (that tastes like normal bottled water) has 160 mg of sodium and 45 mg of potassium per serving.

So that’s that.

For the next month, I will be getting in some sort of exercise every single day, until I leave for my wedding. I’ll also be making sure to properly refuel and rehydrate to keep my bod in prime form for the challenge.

So far, I’ve got five solid workouts under my belt.

Friday, I used my ClassPass to attend Aree‘s Power Vinyasa class at Aura Yoga. ClassPass is a monthly membership to the best boutique fitness studios in your city.

Saturday, I attended a fun event called Fit to Feast in Venice and completed a challenging beach workout, hosted by trainer and host, Allison Hagendorf.

Sunday, I hit up my beloved Sweat Garage. And today, I went for a long run with Mr. Chow.

If you’d like join in the challenge, you can start today! Get your sweat on everyday this month and share your experience on social using the hashtag #LDLALytesItUp.

To help with your challenge, one reader will win a one-month ClassPass + a huge supply of Propel Electrolyte Water and goodies!*

 

To enter, simply post a photo on Instagram showing how you “Lyte Up Your Workout” and tag: @whitneylenglish @propelwater @classpass #LDLALytesItUp.

You’ve got a week to document your sweat sesh — I’ll pick my favorite photo this Sunday!

*This giveaway is only open to new ClassPass clients.

Weigh In: How are you getting fit for summer? Are you making sure to rehydrate?