You guyssss!!! I’m so excited to have a new guest on the blog: my dear friend Adina Puleo. Adina, who goes by the name Krasey Beauty, is a beauty blogger turned fitness enthusiast turned personal trainer. Homegirl KNOWS her stuff. She is inspiring, she is strong and she is an awesome role model. I can’t wait for you guys to get to know her better!
Adina has inspired me sooo much in the last few years. She's the person I turned to when I first was super injured in 2015 after attempting to become a Marathon Maniac! My knee injury totally stopped me from running three marathons in less than two months, but Adina's advice inspired me to start lifting!! Becasue of Adina's amazing guidance, I quickly fell in love with squats, deadlifts and all things HEAVY ASS LIFTING!!!
Tell us all about yourself!
Where to start?!
My name is Adina, and I was born and raised in NYC. By day, I work in Corporate America, a.k.a. Finance land. By night, I balance my rather extensive hobby list which includes competitive bodybuilding and beauty/fitness blogging. Adding to that is the fact that I am a NASM-Certified Personal Trainer trying to build her business, which means that free time is a rare commodity for me. In my spare time, I enjoy vegging out on the couch watching good tv, with my husband and two adorable pups.
I know you started as a beauty blogger. Can you tell use how your love for all things beauty evolved into a love for fitness too?
Having been a beauty blogger, I was rather adept at making my outer appearance “pretty”, but on the inside, I didn’t feel pretty at all. I had gained some weight in my mid-20’s, and was really unhappy about my shape. Around 2012, I made the conscious decision to get into the gym, and from there, I found a new passion. As I got more into weight training, I decided I wanted to compete in the sport of bodybuilding, and here I am today!
When and why did you decide to a certification in personal training?
Having undergone a big physical transformation, I had people from all over asking me how I did it, and if I could train them. Not having any sort of certification however, I didn’t feel comfortable offering up much more than a bit of advice. Being wrapped up in my own training, I also didn’t have the time to commit to the pursuit of any legitimate certifications, so I left it alone for a bit. Fast forward to the end of last year, when I had finished out my competitive season, and had a bit more free time. I finally decided to pursue (and obtain!) my NASM certification.
How has becoming a personal trainer influenced your current training goals and regimen?
When I am into something, I go “all-in”, absorbing all of the information that I can on different techniques and protocols. Coming into the pursuit of a cert, I already knew a lot. Being that NASM is probably one of the most scientifically-based tests you can take, studying that insane textbook gave me a lot more on the basics of exercise science, and reinforced a lot of the principles that I have come across in all of my training experiences.
How do you stay motivated? I know that you’re always balancing a million (inspiring) goals - how do you stay on top of your training?
Initially, I was motivated by the changes I saw in my body, over time. Then, I was motivated by the hard deadlines of bodybuilding competitions. These days, I’m motivated by looking back at the past, to see how far I’ve come, and to anticipate how far I’ll continue to go.
Your posts are always inspirational and positive. How do you keep a positive mind frame?
To be perfectly honest, I’m not always in a positive frame of mind, but I’m working on that. You have to acknowledge that bad days will happen, and that you need to brush them off and move past them. When I am down, I try to change my way of thinking, and surround myself with the things that make me happy. You are what you put out into the world. Be positive, do positive, and attract positive. 😊
What’s your food philosophy?
When training for a competition, I follow a diet of 6 small meals, composed of clean foods, spaced out throughout the day. I tend to keep my carbs moderate, and my protein and fats fairly high. These days, I follow intermittent fasting, and a more intuitive approach to tracking. I start my food day around 1 or 2 PM, most days, and eat 3 meals a day. My diet is still heavy in whole, ‘clean’ foods, as I love volume and routine.
Okay… I need to know since you’re a beauty AND fitness blogging expert! What’s your fave product to keep in your gym bag to help revive your look if you have somewhere to be post-workout?
Gym bag beauty is one of my favorite topics! Two must haves for me are makeup wipes – to refresh my skin, and mascara, to open up my eyes. If I have somewhere fancy to go after a workout, I’ll just bring my makeup bag to freshen up my look.
What are your favorite topics to write about? What can we expect to read about in your guests posts?!
Everything! Haha. Gym bag beauty is a good one. I also love to pen fitness tips and tricks, body positivity posts, and articles on the brain-training connection. As for what to expect from me – that’s entirely up to all of you. I am game for anything that falls in my wheelhouse, so tell me what you’d like to see! I’m all ears. 😊
Feel free to share anything else you want!
If you aren’t already, please follow me on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook! Also, be sure to check out my blog – kraseyfitbeauty.com!