PHOTO: Bloke Undees

Shauna Baker wearing her Bloke Undees Trackies

Shannon Baker wearing Bloke Undees Trackies

PHOTO: The only bad workout is the one that didn’t happen.

Model & Actress: Shannon Baker wearing Nike N7.

Shannon Baker wearing Nike N7.

Photo: Nike N7

Shauna Baker wearing her NikeN7 sports gear

Photo: Velvet Sphynx Bikini

Shauna Baker wearing her Velvet Sphynx Bikini

PHOTO: Set some goals then demolish them

Shannon Baker wearing Nike N7

Photo: Black Bikini

Model: Shauna Baker

FITNESS: 6 Ways To Get Fit

Fitness Models: Shauna Baker & Shannon Baker

1. Get enough Sleep: Sleeping sounds simple. But, when you don’t get at least 7 hours of sleep a night, your body makes more ghrelin which causes you to crave sugar which then turns into fat. Being tired throughout the day is from lack of energy. It is easier to not want to work out in the gym when you don’t have the energy to do it.

2. Drink Water: You need at least 8 glasses of water a day. Water helps you get fitter in so many ways.

Water fills you up. Most of the time when you drink water it is usually because your mind tends to confuse hunger and thirst. So, when you think you are hungry, poor yourself a glass of water first. If you are still hungry afterwards, then have a snack.

Not drinking enough water leads to dehydration, which slows bodily functions and your metabolism. Studies show that when you drink enough water it contributes to your body’s ability to burn calories.

A “water trick’ that Shauna and I like to do is drink ice-cold water when we first wake up. Your body has to use energy to warm up the water when it enters your system. Drinking ice cold water increases your metabolism while your body burns calories in the process. This is one of the reasons why professional athletes drink room temperature water so that they can conserve their energy for the game.

3. Stay Away from Sugar: Sugar is the devil. (Kidding). A lot of people don’t know that sugar turns into fat. You get enough sugar from fresh fruit and vegetables. There is no need to add sugar to your foods. There are so many options to sugar available like grading apple and cinnamon into your oatmeal or adding stevia extract into your coffee.

4. Eat Good Fats: A lot of people get surprised when they find out how much we enjoy eating healthy fats. It takes fat to burn fat. Its sugar that makes you gain weight, not fat. Good fats are high in Omega 3 like salmon, flaxseed and spinach. These foods also help by making you feel full longer.

5. Lifting Weights: Shauna and I love lifting weights because it burns calories while toning your muscles. Lifting tears your muscles and the healing process can take about two days, which burns calories and takes up energy. Incorporating weights into every workout is very beneficial for a healthy body.

6. Eat Green Food: If you ever have trouble when you are grocery shopping and are unsure what healthy foods to purchase, always buy green. Kale, arugula, spinach, collards, mustard greens all help in food digestion. Green vegetables are packed with vitamins and fiber that helps fight bloating and water retention.

FITNESS: 6 ways to stay motivated when you first start working out

Fitness Models: The Baker Twins. Make-up by: Jackie Friedman, Hair by: Edwin Candelaria.

The hardest thing about starting to work out is to stay motivated. It’s incredibly easy to not want to go to the gym the first couple of weeks because you know what results you want and getting the results doesn’t happen instantly. The first six weeks are always the most difficult because you are changing your entire life style. You are making changes to your diet, routines and daily schedule. But after those 4-6 weeks, we promise, that if you stick to a healthy diet and a daily fitness routine you will see a positive change in your body and your mind. Here are six ways in which you can stay motivated:

1. Change your Mind: Your fitness is 100% mental. Your body won’t go where your mind doesn’t push it. Don’t complain about the things that you don’t like about your body. Start talking about the things that you like about your body. When you are fixated on the things you don’t like about yourself, you start perpetuating that negative image in your head. When you start thinking about positive things like how amazing you will feel after you work out and all of the benefits you will get, it makes it easier to stay motivated.

Having gratitude also helps in changing your mind. The first thing that both Shauna and I have made a habit of doing is waking up and saying out loud what we have gratitude for. Your gratitude list will change every day. Another tip is to look in the mirror some time during your day and say something positive to yourself in the mirror like: “Your body is changing in a good way right now because of all of the healthy food you are eating and all of the exercises you have been doing.”

2. Make Goals: There is a really good saying that Shauna and I like: “People with fitness goals succeed because they know where they are going.” That quote has so much truth to it. By setting up short term and long-term goals you can motivate yourself by thinking about them. Your short-term goal might be to lose a half an inch around your waist in a month. And a long-term goal might be to lose a certain amount of pounds in a year. Short term and long term goals are extremely important for motivation.

3. Have Fun: Don’t do the same exercises over and over again. If you want some quick and new exercises you can always use social networking sites like Instagram and YouTube to find some new exercises. Take up some new sports like kick boxing, swimming, rock climbing, or cross fit. When you aren’t bored with working out and you are having fun it is much easier to stay motivated.

4. Be Consistent: Even if you plan to only work out 2 days a week, make sure to adhere to that schedule. Some people make the mistake when they first start working out by working out every single day, then burn out. If you allot 2 or 3 days a week to work out then make sure to stick to that schedule and know that no matter what those 2 or 3 days that you will be working out.

5. Motivational Music: Making a playlist of music that gets you pumped is very important to your workout routine. We all have music that gets us pumped and makes us want to jump up and down, or dance! According to David-Lee Priest, PhD, a psychologist and researcher at the University of East Anglia, music can motivate you to work longer and harder. So create that play list and jam to it when you are working out!

6. Stay Positive: Understand that it takes time to see results. Don’t compare yourself to others. It can take anywhere from 4-6 weeks for your body to get use to the changes that are taking place in your body and for you personally to see the results. There is a good saying that goes: “It takes 4 weeks for you to see changes in your body. It takes 6 weeks for your friends and family to see your changes in your body. And, it takes 12 weeks for everyone else to see the changes in your body.” Don’t have expectations of seeing results before those 6 weeks.

In the end, the only person that can motivate yourself is YOU. You are the key to your fitness success!

FITNESS: Women that workout have man bodies

Check out The Baker Twin’s 5-Minute Workout Videos on their YouTube Channel! youtube.com/BakerTwins

There is a huge misconception about working out that I want to disprove: women who workout have man bodies. The idea that after a few dead-lifts and overhead squats you are going to come out of the gym looking like the hulk is ridiculous. Unfortunately this is what modeling agents, photographers and models would tell my sister and I. The sad part about these misconceptions is that I believed them!

For those of you that do not know I started my career as a model. (Seven years to be exact). My sister and I would stick to the most boring exercises in the world like: running, treadmills, climbing stairs, elliptical machines. However, after SIX years I decided that I was bored.

I wanted a change in my life. I researched some gyms online in Los Angeles and discovered the perfect gym. This gym had pink floors, pink weights, pink bathrooms, pink EVERYTHING! I was sold on the fact that this all women’s gym was so girly! (By the way, this is probably the worst reason to ever pick a gym. But, it ended up by working out in my case). I figured that an all girls gym would totally not be about making “man bodies” and that there wasn’t going to be any heavy lifting. Well, I was wrong about one thing: There was a ton of lifting. The gym I walked into was a cross fit gym that had a slogan on their wall that said: “Building lean mean girly machines”.

I started going to this gym. I decided that as soon as I got any little sign of developing a “man body” that I would quit right then and there. It has now been about sixteen months since I started at Pink Iron. And, am relieved to report that I do not have facial hair, man arms, bulging neck, or a man face. This cross fit gym taught me how to target certain muscle groups, lift weights and about athleticism. The most important thing that pink iron taught me was that women that workout have AMAZING bodies!

Since I have discovered my newfound passion I have been picking up fitness books on: training, health, fitness, nutrition, weight lifting, and workout routines. There is so much to learn about fitness! (How exciting!)

Fitness has opened me up to a whole other world that I didn’t know existed! There are a ton of fitness groups out there that like to: workout in the park, work out on the beach, go on hikes, do yoga, etc. I have found out that I have a hard time saying no when people invite me to anything fitness oriented. (What an amazing and rewarding life!)

Not only is there a huge community out in the real world but there is a huge community online! Instagram has got to be my favorite social media for interacting with fitness people. I am constantly getting motivation and words of encouragement from fellow instagramers. I am also constantly checking out hashtags like #fitfam #fitspo #health #fitness and finding people that inspire me. I especially love the motiviational slogans people can put on their Instagram photos.

I wish that I had joined this fit lifestyle a long time ago. (Man, I have missed out on a lot.) That is why I felt compelled to write this blog. To let you women know that you will not look like a man if you workout. My life has improved immensely since being involved with fitness. I love my life! And I want you to love your life too! So become fit and healthy and get into the gym without fears of developing man bodies! Come out looking like a beautiful healthy and fit woman!

Shannon Baker