Workout Quest

My Blog has moved to it's new home

2010-07-19T08:26:00.000-07:00

Check it out!

My blog has moved to it's new home at http://tonywoodtraining.com

Come on over and check out my latest posts

Tony

It’s Too Darn Hot: Keep It Cool During the Hot Weather

2010-07-11T09:45:00.000-07:00

We were pretty lucky in June. Temperatures stayed moderate and didn’t hover in the 100-plus range until late in the month. As we head into July and August, the hottest months of the year in Las Vegas, you have to take into account the heat when you’re exercising outside. That includes playing a round of golf, a playing with your kids or even going for a walk in the park.

Exercising in the heat can stress out your lungs and heart because your body temperature rises while you workout and with the heat in the air. Your body reacts by circulating more blood to your skin to cool it off, leaving less blood for your muscles. That makes your heart rate increase. As your body is trying to cool off, you could suffer from heat cramps, heat exhaustion or heatstroke.

A few tips will help you avoid heat-related illnesses and work out comfortably through the summer months.

1. Go slow. Instead of diving into your workout, let your body adapt to the heat. You can increase your intensity and length of workout as your body gets used to the higher temperatures.

2. Hydrate. Your body sweats to help it cool down, and in order to sweat, you need to have plenty of liquids inside you. Make sure to bring along a bottle of water no matter whether you plan to work out for 20 minutes or an hour. Drink it whether you feel thirsty or not. Your body will stay cooler.

3. Dress right. Make sure you’re wearing the right types of clothing while you’re working out. Lightweight clothes that fit loosely help your sweat evaporate. Try to wear lighter colored clothing that doesn’t absorb as much sunlight.

4. Timing is everything. If you do exercise outside, try to time it in the morning or evening when the temperatures are lower.

5. Lather up. A sunburn can hinder your body’s ability to cool off. Wear sunscreen even in the morning and early evening.

6. Listen to your body. If you feel weak or dizzy or develop a headache, muscle cramps, nausea, vomiting or a rapid heartbeat, stop exercising. Get out of the heat, apply water to your skin and fan yourself off. If you still don’t feel better after an hour, call your doctor. If you have a fever over 102 degrees or become faint or confused, seek medical attention.
With these tips, the heat won’t get in the way of exercise.

You are what you think

2010-07-05T11:36:00.000-07:00

Every Thursday in June, we ran The Beast — a one-third mile cross-country run with two sets of stairs, 20 walking lunges, 20 push-ups, 20 jumping jacks and a sprint to the finish.

Naturally this exercise tests your cardiovascular system and stamina, but more importantly it’s a battle of mind over matter. Just completing this grueling finisher can be an accomplishment by itself. You have to get over thought that you might not be able to finish. The power of positive thinking can take you a long way toward reaching that goal.

Studies found that negative emotions can weaken people’s immune response to a flu vaccine. A study by researchers at the University of Wisconsin shows that activation of brain regions associated with negative emotions appears to make subjects more susceptible to illness.

Take this idea back to boot camp. One member, Alex, says that nearly every exercise we do is his favorite. Pushups followed by a plank crawl. His favorite. Tai kwon do moves. His favorite. His positive thinking helps him get through the workout without getting frustrated and believing that each exercise really is his favorite.

One way you can get a more positive attitude is to take the three Cs approach — commitment, control and challenge.

Make a commitment to treat yourself well, especially with the gift of good health. Praise yourself when you complete something like The Beast. Dream of running it faster. And be enthusiastic about doing it instead of dreading it.

Control your thoughts. Concentrate on things that are important to you like a healthy lifestyle and a fitness routine. When you learn to set goals and priorities for those things most important to you, you accomplish them a lot faster. If losing weight or gaining muscle tone are important to you, making them a priority will help you accomplish that goal.

Enjoy your successes along the way. If you want to lose 40 pounds, it could take six months to a year to accomplish that goal. Celebrate every 10 pounds that you lose. Setting smaller goals along the way will help you reach your big goal.

Finally, challenge yourself to change and improve on a daily basis. On any given day, you have to do your best and don’t let small setbacks get in the way. Maybe you ate a high-fat dinner last night. Move on and keep working toward your goal without beating yourself up over one lousy meal or a bad workout. Every day that you’re in boot camp, give 100 percent to help you reach your goal.

Any way you apply positive thinking to your life makes you a winner whether in boot camp, with your relationships or work. And that means that the next time we run The Beast, it won’t be as intimidating.

11 Habits to You Need to Quit

2010-07-01T10:38:00.000-07:00

Many of my clients who just get started training with me tell me "I've been eating healthy" all I have to do is exercise. I've very quickly learned eating healthy means different things to different people. So, the first thing I have all my new clients do is get started with a food journal.

In the food journal they are to include all the things that goes into their mouth - snacks, chips, drinks, alcohol... everything!

What I find is there are a lot of habits people need to quit.

Here's a list of 11 habits I've seen if food journals that may be sabotaging your success.

1. Thinking diet soda is the answer to your weight loss problems.
While it may eliminate a few extra calories, it's like putting a band-aid on a broken leg. It's just not gonna work. Break the everything I drink must-be-sweet addiction. Switch to water and unsweetened iced tea.

2. Thinking low fat foods are the answer to your weight loss problems.
Same as the above. Just because something is low fat doesn't mean it'll help you lose weight. In fact it still may be loaded with calories so check the calorie content.

3. Having dessert on a regular basis
Even if it's small you may still be taking in an extra 200 - 500 empty calories of sugar and fat which can easily sabotage your weight loss dreams.

4. Eating fast food at 3 AM in the morning.
Unless you work all night, this food is not being used as energy. Go to bed and save a few hundred calories.

5. Getting five hours of sleep every night.
Your body needs to repair and recover to look and feel great and does this when you sleep. Make it your goal to get 8 hours of sleep nightly.

6. Hitting Happy Hour every night after work. Processed food and cheap beer are no way to slim down the waistline. Cut it out!

7. Buying food from vending machines. This isn't real food, stop fooling yourself. Plan in advance and bring your own snacks like: yogurt, cheese, nuts or fruits and vegetables instead.

8. Buying food from convenience stores. 100% of the food you'll find here is either unhealthy or overpriced. Pay for your gas outside and don't even go inside to be tempted.

9. Saying you plan to start eating better just as soon as... (you get a better job, you get a raise, you have more time)
Stop it with the excuses.If you NEED to do it, stop talking and JUST DO IT!

10. Saying you'll quit drinking after this weekend.
I have a friend who says this every week. He's a pretty strong guy but will never loose his spare tire until he cuts down on the drinking.

11. Saying you'll start exercising on Monday Honestly, how many Mondays are you going to let go by. How bout starting today :)

Don't know where to start?

Just go through this blog. Begin with the goal/mindset topics section on the right.

"Nothing changes until you do"

talk to ya later,

Tony

Rock Climbing for Boot Camp Members and friends

2010-06-27T08:50:00.000-07:00

We had a blast Sunday Rock Climbing at Canyon Ranch Spa Club, Las Vegas. It was very nice hanging out with my wonderful boot camp members outside of the gym.

As always I'm having a blast bringing you my latest thoughts and inspirations.

Thank you and if you enjoyed this Blog you may also want to join the Facebook fan page and share it with your friends too.

If you haven't tried our boot camp yet visit our website and sign up for your free 1 week boot camp trial….click here.

Looking forward to bringing you more and more info all the time!!

If there a subject you would like me to focus in on just post a comment.

I am having a Blast doing these Blogs for you!!

Thanks for checking it out!

Tony

Drink Up: Water Does a Body Good

2010-06-22T11:22:00.000-07:00

The dairy industry has commercials saying that milk will do your body good. But it’s water that really satisfies. It makes up 60 to 70 percent of your body weight and helps flush toxins from your organs and carries nutrients to your cells. Water helps regulate your body temperature and protects your joints and organs.

You’ve probably already know that you should drink at least 64 ounces of water every day, but some researchers suggest drinking even more water daily. The Mayo Clinic recommends that you take your body weight in pounds and divide that number in half to determine the right amount of water to drink every day. So if you weigh 160 pounds, try do drink 80 ounces of water a day.

But other conditions call for drinking even more water. Exercise drains your body of water. Mayo recommends drinking at least an additional eight ounces of water for every 20 minutes of activity. When you’re drinking alcohol, drink a glass of water between each drink to offset the diuretic effects of liquor, or substitute sparkling water for alcohol.

The Mayo Clinic even recommends drinking eight ounces of water for each hour you’re flying on an airplane, and drinking an additional 16 ounces of water if you live in an arid climate like Las Vegas.

Keep in mind that a portion of your body’s water intake comes from the foods you eat, especially fruits and vegetables. But the rest of day, you need to find time to add water to your diet. Try to drink a glass of water with each meal and in between each meal.

But the good news is that all of this water may even help you lose weight. Researchers in Germany found that water consumption can increase your metabolism.

WebMD reports that a study with seven men and seven women found that after drinking 17 ounces of water, the subjects’ metabolic rate increased by 30 percent. The increases occurred within 10 minutes of water consumption and reached a maximum after about 30 to 40 minutes.

The researchers from Berlin's Franz-Volhard Clinical Research Center estimated that over the course of a year, a person who increases his water consumption by 1.5 liters a day would burn an extra 17,400 calories and lose about five pounds.

So water indeed does a body good.

Las Vegas Personal Trainer Tells How Simple Weight Loss Is

2010-06-20T09:21:00.000-07:00

Being a Las Vegas personal trainer I come across a lot of prospective clients who really, really want to lose weight but don't understand what it takes to accomplish such a goal. Once you understand what it takes, then and only then will you see how easy it really is.

The problem most people have is that they expect quick and easy results without working hard for it. No longer do you have to slave over the kitchen all day long to cook a great tasting meal; you can just go buy fast food, and presto instant meal.

You don't have to save all year to buy a brand new 60 inch T.V.; all you have to do is pull out your credit card and viola instant HDTV. So if everything else is easy, shouldn't losing body fat and looking great be quick and easy too?

The truth is, when it comes to losing weight, quick and easy doesn't work; and in the rare chance it does, the weight comes back and you're back on the diet roller coaster.

Hey, it's not your fault. You've just been conditioned to want something without having to work hard for it. We all have.

SO WHAT DOES WORK?

It might not be what you want to hear, but here it is:

HARD WORK, CONSISTENCY AND DISCIPLINE

That's it!

Once you're willing to accept that, and decide you're going to do what it takes, you're journey to a fabulous looking body and feeling great won't be such a struggle.

One more thing - stop it with the excuses. Successful people don't blame others for their short comings, they take responsibility for their actions

Don't tell me...

"I had a personal trainer and that didn't work", when in reality you were inconsistent and missed many appointments.

"I tried the P90X workout and that didn't work", when in reality you didn't follow the nutrition plan.

"I went to a boot camp before and that didn't work", when in reality you didn't push yourself past your comfort zone because you didn't want to sweat or be sore.

"I don't have enough time to exercise and eat right". What that really means, is that losing weight isn't a priority in your life and you're not willing to cut down on T.V. time or something else in your life.

"I have bad genetics". I know you can't change the card you were dealt, but you can change how you play your hand.

Don't blame others, blame your own lack of commitment.

I don't say these things to be mean, I'm just being brutally honest. I should know,
after being a trainer for 10 years, working in a half dozen gyms, training hundreds of clients and observing thousands more, I can now predict who will fail and who will succeed just by observing their daily behaviors and the words they speak.

If you give only 60% effort to your workouts, YOU ARE GOING TO FAIL

If you are looking for the easy way out, YOU ARE GOING TO FAIL

If you don't follow a healthy nutrition plan 80-90% of the time, YOU ARE GOING TO FAIL

If you don't take responsibility for your own failure and have a habit of making excuses and blaming others, YOU ARE GOING TO FAIL

If you don't decide to make exercise a priority in your life, YOU ARE GOING TO FAIL

IT'S REALLY THAT EASY

No trainer, diet plan, or boot camp can help you achieve weight loss, unless you first understand what it takes and are willing to do it.

If you are sick and tired of failing and you're truly committed to finally getting the body you want, I can help you get there

...and if you haven't yet tried Workout Quest Boot Camp contact me today to sign up for your 1 week free trial. After that I'll even give you a 30 day money back guarantee if you're not happy.

You have nothing to lose but the extra weight.

Talk to ya soon,

Tony

6 Week Boot Camp Body Transformation Contest

2010-06-15T07:55:00.000-07:00

Are you tired of working out and not getting the results you want and deserve?

Discover how you can once and for all lose weight, boost your metabolism, drop inches, and have more energy with our winning fat loss formula

... All in just 6 short weeks.

Watch this video

With the 6 week body transformation you get so much more than just the bootcamp workouts

...You will be receiving several emails from me per week with tips & techniques to enhance your fat loss.

Included in your 6 WEEK BODY TRANSFORMATION:

Boot Camp (up to 30 sessions):
5 High Energy Boot Camp sessions per week to boost your metabolism and lose weight faster. It includes a circuit/interval style strength training and high intensity fun cardio activities to promote maximal fat loss.
$297 Value!

Nutritional & Fitness Counseling:
I'm just a phone call away throughout your entire 6 Week Body Transformation to answer any concerns or questions you may have on eating clean or working out.
$87 Value!

Nutrition Success Manual and 6 week Fat Loss Menu

Even when we burn a ton of calories by the workouts and boosting your metabolism you can out train a bad diet. To make certain you optimize fat loss throughout your 6 week body transformation I will customize a detailed weekly plan just for you. Your nutritional planning concentrates on whole foods not specialized diet foods

...and the best part is you can still eat your favorite foods with the plan.
$97 Value!

Also Included:

• Pre and Post Fitness Assessment including: weight, body fat percentage, measurements and before and after pictures to measure your progress

• Prizes for the winner

• and much more

This entire package sold separately would go for $481. But you won't pay anywhere near that. I'm giving this entire package away for ONLY $177

... that's less than the $199 monthly fee my current boot camp members pay (for just 4 weeks of training)!

So, I Really Need to Know - Are You Ready?

Are you ready to:
Lose weight
Boost Metabolism (so you burn calories all day long!)
Drop inches
Have more energy than ever

Before You Say Yes, Read This...

If you want on board you have to be serious and absolutely committed.

*ABSOLUTLEY COMMITTED*

Here is the thing, I am only going to accept the first 20 (qualified) people that apply. This is because the level of attention you will get requires a great deal of my time.

This program will change your life, and I am here to help. The body and health of your dreams is waiting.

Starts, Monday June 21st

Camps are Monday – Friday 6:00 – 6:50AM
Location: Sandstone Ridge Park
1661 West Hammer Lane, North Las Vegas, 89031

If you are ready to finally take control of your body and your life reserve your spot today by calling 702-882-4021.

Committed to your success,

Tony Wood, CSCS

PS: What? You didn't watch the video? Do it now!

Favorite Motivational Quotes from a Las Vegas Personal Trainer

2010-06-11T07:24:00.000-07:00

Last week I told you three of my favorite strategies to always staying motivated are reading lots of motivational books, watching inspiring videos and having lots of quotes up around my house.

Anytime you're feeling down and unmotivated, and just need a spark of some inspiration read some of the quotes to pick you up.

These are some of my favorite health and nutrition quotes, fitness quotes, exercise quotes, success quotes, motivation quotes, and determination quotes.

These may be just what you need to get back on track.

"A man too busy to take care of his health is like a mechanic too busy to take care of his tools."
~ Spanish Proverb

"Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will."
~ Mahatma Gandhi

"The only exercise some people get is jumping to conclusions, running down their friends, side-stepping responsibility, and pushing their luck!"

"Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going."
~ Jim Ryun

"Sometimes, it is not good enough to do your best; you have to do what is required."
~ Winston Churchill

"Some succeed because they are destined to, most succeed because they are determined to"
~ Unknown

Success is the sum of small efforts - repeated day in and day out. ~ Robert Collier

"The only real failure in life is the failure to try." - Author Unknown

"Unless you try to do something beyond what you have already mastered, you will never grow."
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

99% of all failures come from people who have a habit of making excuses.

~George Washington Carver

f you want to be successful you must take 100% responsibility for everything you experience in your life.-Unknown

"Failures don't plan to fail, they fail to plan"

-Harvey Mackay

"How am I to know what I can achieve if I quit?"
~ Jason Bishop

"If it were easy, everyone would be doing it" -Unknown

"We can do anything we want to if we stick with it long enough"

-Helen Keller

"Instead of giving myself reasons why I can't, I give myself reasons why I can."
~ Unknown

"The difference between the impossible and the possible lies in a person's determination."
~ Tommy Lasorda

"Fall seven times, stand up eight."
~ Japanese proverb

"No one can defeat us unless we first defeat ourselves."
~ Dwight Eisenhower

"Before you change your thinking, you have to change what goes into your mind."
~ Zig Ziglar

Negativity is a waste of energy.
~ Author Unknown

Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out.-Robert Collier

Successful people do whatever it takes to get the job done, whether or not they feel like it.

Okay, that's it for now...

Put these quotes up around your house to remind yourself to keep going forward. Use them as a reminder to do a little bit every day.

Do me a favor. I'd like to know what your favorite quote is, so go ahead a leave a comment down below with your favorite quote (from this list or not).

Keep working hard!

Tony

Las Vegas Boot Camp Instructor talks about commitment to health and fitness

2010-06-08T09:24:00.000-07:00

Ya know, sometimes fitness training is funny.

I see meet so many people that think all they have to do is show up to the gym, break a light sweat and that will get them the body they've always wanted.

When this doesn't happen right away, they give up.

If this describes you or someone you know, don't feel bad you just haven't made a true commitment to exercise yet.

Don't worry in this quick video I'll explain what I mean and you'll be on your way to looking better and feeling great in no time.

Continue to plant seeds, make corrections and be patient. Your efforts will pay off as long as your consistent and you stick with it.

Tony

... and if you haven't tried Workout Quest Boot Camp yet go here to sign up for your free 1week trial today!

Inspirational and Motivational Videos

2010-06-02T19:16:00.000-07:00

I get asked this all the time…
“Tony, how do you stay so motivated!?”

Well, I have lots of quotes around my house, read lots of motivational books, and I watch videos like these.

This is one of my favorites. Will speaks the truth. Just get focused, decide what you want and do it.

I hope you feel MOTIVATED and INSPIRED!
Let me know you thoughts…

Winning Formula for Fat Loss

2010-05-25T11:44:00.000-07:00

I hope your health and fitness journey is going well. You know there's so much information out there on how to tone up, lose weight, and build muscle; it can be a little confusing.

What I mean is, diet and exercise are the answer and while everyone knows that, most people fail because they don't have the winning formula of putting it all together.

So I made a little video to help clear the confusion.

... and as I always say, knowledge is nothing without application.

Re-watch the video if you have to, take a few notes and make sure you're doing it right (not some simplified watered down version that doesn't breed positive results).

Here's a couple links to some high intensity workouts that'll help you burn fat faster.
The Backyard Cardio Workout - follow this video to burn a ton of calories in under 10 minutes with no equipment needed!

also Burn more fat with these interval workouts.

Lose Weight with Winning Strategies

2010-05-20T19:29:00.000-07:00

Last week one of my clients and I were having a conversation about nutrition and she told me, "you know Tony, I seem to be eating well throughout the day, but dinner is where, everything falls apart".

What I told her was, "This is a quick fix, you just need a winning strategy that becomes automatic".

Losing weight doesn't have to be hard. Actually once you have the right strategies in place it becomes quite easy.

I put together a quick video to show you just how easy it can be to implement and stick with the winning strategies you need for your success.

Check it out...

...and by the way the winning strategy I shared with my client was to make sure she plans her meals in advance for the upcoming week.

Here's how you can do the same. Pick a day you don't work (maybe Sunday) and go through the Healthy Fat Burning Recipe book she has and pick out dinner recipes for the entire week.

Then go shopping and make sure to get all the ingredients needed for these recipes. This can be taken a step further by taking 2 hours to cook all the meals for the week on your off day too.

Then put them in Tupperware and refrigerate or freeze them. Presto! All you're dinners are done for the week and dinner is no longer an issue. Winning strategy complete!

Planning in advance is the key. Without having the meals picked out or the ingredients at home it becomes all to easy to order some high calorie take-out food and sabotage you weight loss success.

You can get the same recipes book as she did. My partners over at Prograde Nutrition have created this 197 recipes Healthy and Delicious Fat Burning recipe book. I highly recommend it to make health weight loss much easier on you.

It's loaded with quick and easy recipes for breakfast, lunch and dinner. You can get it here for only $4.95: http://workoutquest.getprograde.com/prograderecipebook.html

Control your portion sizes with these easy tips

2010-05-18T07:35:00.000-07:00

Eating and training go hand in hand. To lose body fat you not only need to train to burn calories, but also take in fewer calories.

Eating right is one thing, but controlling your portions can be quite another. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005 urge Americans to pay special attention to portion sizes, which have increased significantly over the past two decades.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, many people confuse portion size with serving size, which is a standardized unit of measuring foods — for example, a cup or ounce — used in dietary guidance. Portion size is the amount offered to a person in a restaurant, the amount offered in the packaging of prepared foods or the amount a person chooses to put on his or her plate.

For example, bagels or muffins are often sold in sizes that constitute at least two servings, but consumers often eat the whole thing, thinking that they have eaten one serving.

Eating out has skewed our judgment about portion sizes. The number of eating establishments in the United States increased by 75 percent between 1977 and 1991. One study from the CDC shows that the frequency of eating out, particularly at fast-food restaurants, is associated with an increase in energy and fat intake and with a higher body mass index.

You can adjust your idea of proper serving sizes by familiarizing yourself with these easy tips.

• A serving of chicken (3 ounces) is the size of a deck of cards.
• A serving of pasta or dry cereal (1/2 cup) is the size of a hockey puck.
• A serving of fresh fruit (1/2 cup) is the size of a tennis ball.
• A serving of butter (1 teaspoon) is the size of one die.

Test your own perceptions of proper serving sizes by estimating the amount cereal in a bowl and then transferring it into a measuring cup.

Here are a couple of tips that will help you eat the right amount of food.

1. Instead of putting serving dishes on the table, serve dinner from the stove top or counter. It will make you think twice about getting a second serving.

2. Instead of eating snacks out of the box, measure them out in a small bowl to get the proper portion.

3. When you do snack, go for something wrapped in a single serving.

4. When you do eat out, plan to eat only half the meal. You can also ask for a lunch-sized portion, which is usually smaller.

5. When you go to a party, try sampling one bite of a dish to keep your portions small and enjoy a variety of flavors.

6. Slow down while you’re eating to enjoy the flavors and textures of your meal. You’ll also find you know when you’re full sooner.

Win 3 Months of FREE Bootcamp!

2010-05-13T20:26:00.000-07:00

This year we are going beyond just workouts, to change lives in others ways than just fitness. We are going to be raising money for a family that has a child in need of prosthetic limbs.

For every person you refer, Workout Quest Bootcamp will donate $100 to their cause (During the contest period of May 17th-June 14th).

To help get the word out about the cause, we will be giving all boot campers at least 20 flyers. We are asking you to go to local chiropractors, restaurants, salons, spas, churches, groups, and so on, and ask permission to leave about 5 flyers at the front desk. Also get the name of the owner or business and a phone number. When you have done this at 5 locations, email info@workoutquest.com with the contact info of the 5 places.

We will then give you a One Week Special Spa Guest Pass to Planet Beach Spa for a private massage, facial, UV therapy treatment, spray tan and guided meditation! This is only good for the first 7 who complete the task of giving the postcards out to 5 different places.

Please email Tony at info@workoutquest.com the name of each person that has joined through your recruitment.

Rules:
1. Whomever refers the most people who signed up and are paid between May 17th-June 21st will win 3 months of bootcamp. Second place receives 2 free months and 3rd place receives a free month.

2. If there is a tie for first, all of those tied will be in a hat and one name will be drawn out as the winner.

3. We will update the leaderboard about once a week.

4. Please email info@workoutquest.com if someone you recruited signs up so we can give you credit.

Please be selective in who you invite! When looking at friends, family, and coworkers that you might invite, please consider the following:

-Will they work hard?

-Will they be consistent and dedicated?

-Will they be positive?

-Will they bring energy and enthusiasm to the group?

-Will they support and encourage their fellow bootcampers?

The success of Workout Quest Bootcamp depends on the quality and attitudes of the bootcampers. We would rather have 5 people who are going to work hard and get results than 50 negative, crabby bootcampers.

Tools to help you give referrals

-We have $100 gift cards that you can hand out to your friends. You can take as many as you would like. This entitles a possible new bootcamper to try it out risk free for two weeks free before they decide if this is right for them.

-Send out an email to your friends and tell them that you are in a contest and want to win free bootcamp and you need their help in doing so. Talk about your positive experience with Workout Quest Bootcamp and SPECIFIC results you are seeing or how you are feeling. Send them to tinyurl.com/HelpEdwin which talks about the charity and how we are helping a kid in need.

-Post it on your facebook status that you are in this contest.

-Create a facebook group or fan page.

-Mention things about bootcamp in your status (just got back from an awesome morning bootcamp workout, great way to start the day!) this has worked very well for some.

-If you have a website, put a link to workoutquest.com or tinyurl.com/HelpEdwin

-Post flyers at work or other public places

-Recruit your group or club. If you are part of any church groups, moms groups, or other clubs, challenge them to come with you for a two free weeks to try it out and try to keep up with you!

-Speaking. If you have a group that you would like Tony Wood to speak at please contact him and you can get credit for recruiting those people.

The more you do, the more we can help Edwin and the higher your chance of getting free boot camp.

Thanks for your support,

Tony

Charity Drive

2010-05-11T08:06:00.001-07:00

Show your support by joining us this Thursday morning, May 27th for a free workout from 4:45 - 8:30am at Sandstone Ridge Park, 1661 Hammer Ln, North Las Vegas, 89031.

Fox 5 will be covering the story on our "Every Kid Derserves a Chance" Charity Drive for Edwin. We need lots of extras doing boot camp action when the feed goes live throughout the morning.

Read on to learn more.

I just heard a story about a local Las Vegas youth named Edwin that really made me appreciate my own well being.

Here’s the action plan...

From May 17th – June 14th I’m going to donate $100 for every new member to our boot camp.

This money will go towards helping Edwin having an opportunity to live a happy, healthy and productive life.

I’m calling this the “Every Kid Deserves a Chance” charity drive and the goal is to raise $2,000 for Edwin over the next 30 days, so I’m going to need your help.

And for a little added incentive, I’m going to give three months free boot camp to whoever brings in the most referrals.

To participate or refer a friend call me at 702-882-4021 or email me at info@workoutquest.com

Here’s what’s included in the boot camp:

The Boot Camps
• Unlimited Access to 5 Boot Camp sessions per week
• 50-Minute, High-Energy sessions to boost your metabolism and lose weight faster
• Motivation and support by a certified personal trainer and your peers

The Nutrition
• Nutritional Success Manual
• Healthy fat loss recipe book
• No starving, limited diets or calorie counting
• Enjoy Everything In Moderation

Personal Coaching
• Fitness Assessments Every 4 Weeks to Measure Your Progress
• Trainers Phone Number & Email Address for unlimited coaching
• Weekly Motivational E-mails

Camps are Monday – Friday 6:00 – 6:50AM
Location: Sandstone Ridge Park
1661 West Hammer Lane, North Las Vegas 89031

From Camino Al Norte take Washburn Rd. (street merges with Hammer Lane) heading West to the park
or from Clayton take Hammer Lane East to the park

For directions go here: http://www.mapquest.com/
For additional questions email me at info@workoutquest.com or call 882-4021

We meet on the North side of the park by the basketball courts. Park on the street by Sea Water Way and take the stairs down to the park.

Thanks for your support,

Tony

Reach Your Fitness and Fat Loss Goals Faster

2010-05-10T06:47:00.000-07:00

After many failed attempts at trying to get in shape, most new clients come to me thinking that all they have to do is come and do the workouts I tell them to do and then everything will magically fall into place

...but to get results quickly there's a lot more to it than that. While hiring a trainer will definately increase your chances of success, you've got to be serious about your lifestyle choices if you want to get anywere.

To assure your reach your goals you must realize what sacrifices you have to make and take responsibilty for your actions.

Now check out this video...

Now that you know what to do, think long and hard about two or three sacrifices you are going to make that will help you reach your goals and write them somewhere on your goal sheet that you look at everyday.

Show me you're serious by leaving me a comment down below letting me know what sacrifices you're going to make.

Tony

Gain Control of your emotional eating

2010-05-07T05:19:00.000-07:00

To lose weight, you have to control how much you eat plain and simple. That may be fine and dandy 90% of the time time, but what about the other 10% which are times of stress. Your strongest food cravings may come at a time when you’re weak emotionally. That’s when you might turn to food for comfort.

Emotional eating can sabotage your weight-loss efforts by triggering you to turn to high-calorie sweets or fatty foods. You can tame these cravings by recognizing them and alleviating the stress that brings these temptations on, according to the Mayo Clinic.

First, you need to understand what emotional eating is. It usually comes on when you feel stress, anger, fear, boredom, sadness or loneliness. It doesn’t contain itself to major life events; daily life can trigger these emotions and emotional eating. Triggers can be as huge as unemployment and financial problems or work stress and fatigue.

When emotional triggers make you want to eat, turn to these tips to keep yourself working on your weight-loss goals.

• Tame your stress. Try yoga, meditation or relaxation techniques to alleviate stress instead of turning to unhealthy snacks.

• Check your hunger. Before you grab for a snack, figure out if your hunger is physical or emotional. If it’s a craving, give it a little time to pass before caving in to a sugary snack.

• Keep a food diary. I encourage everyone of my clients to keep a food diary and submit it to me weekly. Write down what you eat, how much you eat, when you eat, how you’re feeling when you eat and how hungry you are. You can see patterns emerge that reveal the connection between mood and food.

• Don’t be bored. Instead of snacking to occupy time, take a walk, watch a movie, listen to music, read, surf the Internet or call a friend. Your urge to snack will pass.

• Take away temptation. Don’t keep supplies of comfort foods in your home if they’re hard for you to resist. Replace them with healthy snacks like fruits, vegetables or string cheese. Avoid going to the grocery store when you feel angry or sad.

• Don’t deprive yourself. When you’re trying to lose weight, you may limit your calories too much, eat the same foods frequently and avoid the treats you enjoy. That could increase your food cravings. You can allow yourself reward meals 10 percent of the time, or if you’re eating five meals a day, seven days a week, you can have rewards three or four meals every week.

• Make it healthy. If you do snack between meals, choose a low-fat, low-calorie snack such as fresh fruit, vegetables with fat-free dip or unbuttered popcorn. You can also try low-fat, lower calorie versions of your favorite foods to see if they satisfy your craving.

• Get enough sleep. When you’re constantly tired, you might snack to try to give yourself an energy boost. Take a nap or go to bed earlier instead.

When you do end up eating emotionally, the best thing you can do is forgive yourself and start fresh with your next meal. Try to learn from the experience and make read through these tips again to help you prevent repeating in the future. Focus on the positive changes you’re making in your eating habits and give yourself credit for making changes that will lead to better health.

Find Out How Many Calories You Burn With One Hour of Exercise

2010-05-04T11:36:00.000-07:00

You already know that to lose or maintain weight, you have to watch what you eat. But you also need to keep active to help you burn extra calories. When you stay active, your body burns more energy, which translates into calories. The goal is to burn more calories than you consume so you can lose weight.

One pound of fat equals 3,500 calories. When you cut 500 calories from your diet each day, you lose about one pound a week. So when you exercise along with cutting calories, you can lose fat faster.

For healthy adults, the Department of Health and Human Services recommends at least two hours and 30 minutes a week of moderate aerobic activity like brisk walking or swimming or one hour and 15 minutes a week of vigorous aerobic activity, such as running — preferably spread throughout the week.

They also recommend strength training exercises at least twice a week.
When you’re trying to maintain your weight, include at least 30 minutes of physical activity in your daily routine. If you want to lose weight or meet specific fitness goals, you may need to increase your activity even more.

While I prefer Boot Camp circuit style training and high intensity interval training to burn lots of fat in a short period of time, any exercise you can get will burn additional calories. Most important choose an activity you like.

This chart* shows the estimated number of calories burned while doing various exercises for one hour. Specific calorie expenditures vary widely depending on the exercise, intensity level and your individual situation.

Activity (1 hour) Weight of person and calories burned
160 lbs. / 200 lbs. / 240 lbs.

Aerobics, high impact 511 / 637 / 763
Aerobics, low impact 365 / 455 / 545
Aerobics, water 292 / 364 / 436
Backpacking 511 / 637 763
Basketball game 584 / 728 / 872
Bicycling at 10 mph 292 / 364 / 436
Bowling 219 / 273 / 327
Canoeing 256 / 319 / 382
Dancing, ballroom 219 / 273 / 327
Football, touch, flag 584 / 728 / 872
Golfing, carrying clubs 329 / 410 / 491
Hiking 438 / 546 / 654
Ice skating 511 / 637 / 763
Jogging, 5 mph 584 / 728 / 872
Racquetball, casual 511 / 637 / 763
Rollerblading 913 / 1,138 / 1,363
Rope jumping 730 / 910 / 1,090
Rowing, stationary 511 / 637 / 763 Running, 8 mph 986 / 1,229 / 1,472
Skiing, cross-country 511 / 637 / 763
Skiing, downhill 365 / 455 / 545
Skiing, water 438 / 546 / 654
Softball or baseball 365 / 455 / 545
Stair treadmill 657 / 819 / 981
Swimming, laps 511 / 637 / 763
Tae kwon do 730 / 910 / 1,090
Tai chi 292 / 364 / 436
Tennis, singles 584 /728 / 872
Volleyball 292 / 364 / 436
Walking, 2 mph 183 / 228 / 273
Walking, 3.5 mph 277 / 346 / 414
Weightlifting free weight,
Nautilus or universal type
219 / 273 / 327

*Adapted from: Ainsworth BE, et al. Compendium of physical activities: An update of activity codes and MET intensities. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise.

7 Things to Look for in a Personal Trainer

2010-04-27T07:51:00.000-07:00

You decided to get off the couch and head to the gym to lose some weight or get back in shape. Great! Now that you’re there, you’re finding that you don’t know what to do or how to stay motivated to keep working out or pushing yourself harder.

You might need a personal trainer. Personal trainers work at fitness centers or privately, visiting you at home or work to help you stay on track with your fitness goals. I do both; I work at Canyon Ranch SpaClub at the Palazzo and Venetian as a personal trainer and I offer private group classes through my boot camp program every weekday morning at Sandstone Ridge Park.

About 37 percent of the people looking for a personal trainer are beginners who are out of shape, according to IDEA Health & Fitness Association, a San Diego-based organization for fitness professionals. Even if you’re an old pro at working out, you may not know what to look for in a personal trainer. Here are some tips that well help you find someone who is a good fit and will help you achieve your fitness goals.

Certifiable

Once you find someone who can potentially be your personal trainer, ask if they have certification from a legitimate certification body. This is one of the most important aspects to know when learning what to look for in a personal trainer.

While there are more than 70 organizations certifying trainers, look for certifications from The American College of Sports Medicine (www.acsm.org), National Academy of Sports Medicine (www.nasm.org) and the American Council on Exercise (www.acefitness.org), some of the most recognized and sought after certifications for personal trainers.

You can visit all three Web sites to check whether your personal trainer does indeed have those certifications. Personal trainers can also be certified athletic trainers (National Athletic Trainer’s Association), Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) from the National Strength and Conditioning Association or exercise physiologists.

I have certifications from the National Strength and Conditioning Association, the American Council on Exercise, the Aerobics and Fitness Association of America and I'm a member of IDEA Health & Fitness Association.

You also want to make sure your personal trainer is keeping his certification current. Trainers also continue to take classes, seminars and other continuing education courses to keep their certification updated. Your personal trainer should also be currently certified in first aid, CPR and automated external defibrillator.

Also ask whether he has liability insurance in case something does go wrong.

A History Lesson

Before you do one pushup, your personal trainer should take your medical history. Your trainer should want to know if you have medical conditions such as asthma, diabetes, fibromyalgia and scoliosis or any musculoskeletal or orthopedic injuries. He should also ask for your fitness goals and assess your starting weight and body composition. Don't forget to sign the informed consent form.

Goal-Driven
Your fitness regimen should take into consideration not only your goals but your needs too. Make sure you’re getting a good mix of cardio and strength training. Men often neglect their lower body so they need to make sure their trainer works out their quads and hamstrings as much as their upper body. Office workers tend to need work on the rhomboids and hamstrings.
Your routine should change every four to six weeks so you avoid a plateau that prevents you from meeting your fitness goals.

Money, Money, Money
If your personal trainer works for a gym, the facility usually offers different training packages determined by the number of sessions you buy. Packages are always cheaper than single sessions. Even when you join a gym you can get up to three free personal fitness training sessions.

Independent trainers generally charge more, depending on the services they offer. If they provide equipment or visit you in your home, they probably charge more.

More than 70 percent of personal trainers offer group sessions at a discount, according to a recent survey by IDEA. And if you work out with friends, you can get a discount between 30 percent and 50 percent off.

I offer 50 percent off the following month of boot camp if you bring a friend who joins.

Are You For Real?
Despite all of your research, you should still find out how other clients feel about your potential trainer. How does he handle fitness concerns, cancellations or rescheduling? Have his other clients made any progress toward their goals? What types of clients does he have? You want to make sure that he can handle a variety of physical conditions, or at least someone in the same physical condition as you are in.

You may want to train for a triathlon, lose weight or become a bodybuilder. Make sure your trainer can handle your goals.

Look in the Mirror
This should go without saying, but your personal trainer shouldn’t look like he needs to go to a personal trainer. Make sure he can demonstrate the exercises he wants you to do, too.

Give it a Try
If you’re still not sure, you can always ask for a free trial session to see if the trainer is right for you. I offer a free week of boot camp so you can see if it’s right for you.

You can also ask for a consultation where the trainer talks about your personality and goals. Ask if he has trained someone like you and been successful. Even if he says he has, check with references to verify.

Healthy options for eating on the go

2010-04-22T07:50:00.000-07:00

Just when you thought that you had your diet in check with a good balance of carbohydrates and proteins and a good dose of vegetables, along comes one of those days where you’re constantly on the go. Instead of turning to an unhealthy choice, plan ahead with these tips to keep you healthy.

Snack Before You Leave

When you’re on your way to run errands, be sure to grab a snack before you go so you don’t get hungry. That way, you’re less tempted to eat a quick burger or pick up a bag of chips and a soda at the convenience store. Eat a piece of fruit, a yogurt, Prograde Cravers bar or even a handful of trail mix before you walk out the door.

Eating at the Grocery Store
While you’re running errands, you can always find a grocery store with some healthy snacks. Aside from fresh fruit or veggies, look for prepared salads or a deli sandwich to satisfy your hunger. String cheese or a boiled egg in the deli section can keep away hunger pangs as well.

Fast Food Options
You can find healthy options at some fast food restaurants. Many have a grilled chicken option on the menu; just skip the mayonnaise. Subway lets you put together your own sandwich and control the amount of veggies (go for more) and condiments (stick to mustard). Or look for salad options on the menu and watch the amount of dressing your put on your salad.

Stash It
A stash of healthy emergency snacks can prevent you from reaching for something unhealthy. Keep something in your handbag, desk at work and car just in case. Keep some trail mix, granola or protein bars and some dried fruit around to prevent hunger pangs.

You should also carry some water to make sure you stay hydrated. With a little bit of planning and making smart choices, you can eat healthy on the go.

I'm interested to know what some of your healthy snacks are. Please leave a comment below.

Tony

Burn more fat with these interval workouts

2010-04-18T07:43:00.000-07:00

The saying goes that slow and steady wins the race. Not so with fat burning. You need intervals to keep your body burning calories long after you’re finished with your workout.

When you do aerobic exercise, such as light jogging, your body burns oxygen. When you kick it up to a run, your body doesn’t have enough oxygen to burn and starts using anaerobic metabolism, which produces energy when oxygen is missing. That’s how you burn fat.

Intervals alternate high-intensity and low-intensity workouts all in one. You might sprint for one minute and walk the next minute. Intervals can work with any exercise, whether it’s running, cycling, swimming, on machines at the gym and even walking, just as long as you alternate speeds.

Another option is to vary your intensity in different combinations. You might do 30 seconds of high intensity and 30 seconds of low intensity. Then increase your intervals by 10 seconds until you reach one minute for each. Then bring it back down to 30-second intervals.

Here are three interval options that can help you speed up your fat burning and take you to the next level. Best of all, when these intervals start to get easy, you can either turn up the intensity or the time so your body continues to burn fat. Just make sure you spend as much time exerting as you do recovering. These are also great workouts to do when you can’t make it to boot camp.

Option A: Cardio Machine Intervals

You can do this workout on any machine at the gym, or running or walking.
1. 3 to 5 minutes warmup (light jog, low intensity, gradually increasing at the end of the warmup period)
2. 1 minute moderate or high intensity followed by 1 minute low intensity (repeat 6 to 8 times)
3. 3 to 5 minutes cool down (light jog, low intensity, gradually decreasing by the end of the cool-down period)

Option B: Stair Run

Do this version on a set of stairs or stadium bleachers. You’ll need 40 to 50 stairs to do this properly.
1. 3 to 5 minutes warmup (light jog, low intensity, gradually increasing at the end of the warmup period)
2. Run up the stairs and walk back down (repeat 6 to 8 times)
3. 3 to 5 minutes cool down (light jog, low intensity, gradually decreasing by the end of the cool down period)

Option C: The Commercial Break Workout
While you’re watching television, you can squeeze in some workouts. For each superset, do the first exercise for 20 seconds followed by 20 seconds of the second exercise and then 20 seconds of rest. Repeat as many times as possible up to three times for each superset.

Commercial break 1 – Superset 1
1A. Mountain Climbers
1B. Jumping Jacks
Commercial Break 2 – Superset 2
2A. Burpees
2B. Plank Hold
Commercial Break 3 –Superset 3
3A. Speed Squats
3B. Squat Hold

Mountain Climbers

Begin in a pushup position on your hands and toes. Bring your right knee in toward your chest, resting your foot on the floor. Jump up and switch feet in the air, bringing your left foot in and your right foot back. Continue alternating your feet as fast as you safely can.

Jumping Jacks

Begin by standing with your feet together and arms at your sides. Tighten your abdominal muscles to pull your pelvis forward and take the curve out of your lower back. Bend your knees and jump, moving your feet apart until they are wider than your shoulders. At the same time, raise your arms over your head. Your weight should be on the balls of your feet. Keep your knees bent while you jump again, bringing your feet together and your arms back to your sides.

Burpees

Begin standing, then squat down to a place your hands on the floor. Then kick your feet back to a pushup position. Immediately return your feet to the squat position. Then stand back up from the squat position.

Plank Hold

Lying face down on the floor, tuck your toes into the ground and place your elbows or hands on the ground to the side of your body. Keeping a tight stomach, raise your body up off the ground and hold this position. Don’t let your midsection sag.

Speed Squats

As quickly as you can, do a set of squats. Keep your back flat and press your hips back behind you as you sit as deep as possible. As you descend, keep the majority of your weight back on your heels while still applying pressure through the balls of your feet.

Wall Squat

With feet shoulder-width apart, lean against a wall and gently slide down into a sitting position. Keep your hands off the wall and your legs for maximum burn.

Head outdoors for a great cross-training workout

2010-04-14T07:24:00.000-07:00

The best thing about being a kid is that you never need to step on a cardio machines to stay in shape. You could spend your time as a kid playing sports, or as a teenager in organized sports. The same can be true for adults. It doesn’t feel like work when you’re having fun.

When I was a kid, I loved to play sports. Even as an adult, I play flag football and burn a ton of calories without stepping foot inside a gym. The British Journal of Sports Medicine even found that playing recreational soccer improved oxygen intake and helped burn fat. In the study, 36 men were divided into two groups, a control group that just ran for exercise and a second group that trained for one hour two to three times a week for 12 weeks.

The soccer group improved maximal oxygen uptake (a measure of aerobic fitness) 62 percent more than the running group. The soccer group also lost an average of 50 percent more fat than the running group (6 pounds vs 4 pounds).

The researchers concluded that participation in recreational soccer training has significant beneficial effects on health profile and physical capacity and in some aspects it is superior to frequent moderate-intensity running.

What does this tell us?

Well, think about soccer. The difference is more than adding a ball while running. Soccer is essentially a form of interval training. It involves moving in multiple directions while jumping, running, head-butting, sprinting and kicking.

In other words cross-training. By incorporating several types of training styles, you can condition different muscle groups, improve skills in a variety of activities and limit your boredom by varying the exercise routines. Because of the variety it allows your body will be better prepared and perform better whether you decide go swimming, skating or dancing.

You can add cross-training to your workouts too. Try exercises you enjoy that keep you motivated. Some ideas for cardiovascular conditioning include:

• Biking
• Swimming
• Running
• Jumping rope
• Speed and agility drills
• Skating
• Tennis and other racket sports
• Calisthenics (jumping jacks, burpees, mountain climbers)
• Outdoor planks and yoga poses

How to get more fruits in your diet

2010-04-01T16:18:00.000-07:00

Last week I gave you some tips on how to get more vegetables in your diet. This week, I tackle fruits. Sometimes they can be even easier to include in your daily diet than vegetables.

Aim for at least two servings of fruits every day. These fibrous carbohydrates keep you full for fewer calories. They help you shed pounds and feel better overall. Best of all, they satisfy a craving for sweets and come in handy containers that are good to take on the go. A healthy dose of fruits in your diet can lower your blood pressure, lower your risk of eye and digestive problems, have a mellowing effect on blood sugar that can help keep appetite in check and reduce your risks for heart disease, stroke and some cancers, according to the Harvard School of Public Health.

Here are four ways to get more fruits in your diet.

1. Fresh fruits are nature’s original fast food. Stick a banana, apple or pear in your bag for a quick snack.

2. Salads are a great way to get a variety of fruits and veggies. Choose a salad with low-fat dressing and limit high-calorie toppings like croutons. Look for salads with mandarin oranges or cranberries for a quick serving of fruits.

3. Make a fruit roll-up that travels anywhere. Start with tortillas and peanut butter and then add your favorite fruits, either fresh or dried.

4. Blend a fruit smoothie or drink to take with you on your commute.

Strawberry Yogurt Shake
Shakes are easy to prepare and will easily travel with you in a cup. Make one on your way out the door to drink on the way to work.

1/2 cup unsweetened pineapple juice
3/4 cup plain low-fat yogurt
1-1/2 cups frozen unsweetened
strawberries
1 tsp granulated sugar (optional)
1. Add ingredients in the order listed to a blender container.
2. Puree at medium speed until thick and smooth.
3. Pour into glass and enjoy. (Makes 2 servings)

For more healthy recipes go to the Prograde site and download 197 Healthy and Delicious Fat Burning Recipes – For just $4.95. It's the last cook book you'll ever need!

Five easy ways to eat your veggies

2010-03-30T07:54:00.000-07:00

If you've been to my boot camp you know that from the start I have you keep a food journal. One of the first things I notice when I read through them is that people don’t get enough vegetables in their daily diet. I like to see at least two servings of vegetables every day. Fibrous carbohydrates such as fruits and veggies contain fiber that keeps you full for fewer calories. They help you shed pounds and feel better overall.

Each meal should contain a source of carbohydrates, and that doesn’t have to mean bread, rice or pasta. The best sources of carbohydrates—whole grains, vegetables, fruits and beans—promote good health by delivering vitamins, minerals, fiber and a host of important phytonutrients, according to the Harvard School of Public Health. Easily digested carbohydrates from white bread, white rice, pastries, sugared sodas, and other highly processed foods may contribute to weight gain, interfere with weight loss and promote diabetes and heart disease, the organization said.

While fresh vegetables are always your best choice, frozen and canned are much better than nothing at all.

Here are five ways you can get more vegetables in your diet that you may not have considered.

1. Add pico de gallo to your scrambled eggs at breakfast. Fresh and Easy carries a packaged pico de gallo in the vegetable aisle that makes it easy.

2. Have fresh vegetables on hand for snacking. Grape tomatoes, pre-washed broccoli and cauliflower and sliced cucumbers make great snacks. When they’re ready ahead of time, it makes it easier for you to reach for them.

3. Green Giant makes frozen Steamers bags that take less than 10 minutes to prepare. They usually contain three servings for less than 200 calories for the entire bag.

4. When you’re preparing tuna or chicken salad, add diced tomatoes so you automatically have vegetables in the salad.

Here’s a healthy recipe that you can keep on hand.

Low-Fat Tuna or Chicken Salad
2 cans (6 1/2 oz.) tuna fish or two chicken breasts, baked and cubed
1/2 or more red onion chopped
1 large stalk celery chopped
2 fresh tomatoes diced
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper (or to taste)
1 tsp. basil leaf (fresh or dried)
1/8 tsp. black pepper
1/2 cup salad dressing

Mix all ingredients. Chill. Serve in pita bread.

5. Turkey or chicken meatballs are another way you can get your vegetables in. Make these meatballs ahead of time and reheat single servings as you go. You can even add a tomato sauce when you reheat the meatballs to get more vegetables in your diet.

Baked Chicken or Turkey Meatballs (from Smitten Kitchen)
3 slices Italian bread, torn into small bits (1 cup)
1/3 cup milk
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 small garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 large egg
1 pound ground chicken or turkey
2 tablespoons tomato paste, divided
3 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

Preheat oven to 400°F with a rack in the upper third of the oven. Soak bread in milk in a small bowl until softened, about four minutes.

Cook onion and garlic in one tablespoon oil with 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper in a large skillet over medium heat until onion is softened, about 6 minutes. Cool slightly.
Squeeze bread to remove excess milk, then discard milk. Lightly beat egg in a large bowl, then combine with chicken, 1 tablespoon tomato paste, pancetta mixture, bread, and parsley. Form 12 meatballs and arrange in another 4-sided sheet pan.

Stir together remaining tablespoons of tomato paste and oil and brush over meatballs, then bake in upper third of oven until meatballs are just cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes.

Let me know your thoughts in the comments section below.

Commitment is Not a Four-letter Word

2010-03-24T07:33:00.000-07:00

Here’s the thing about achieving your weight loss and fitness goals — they require commitment. You didn’t gain weight or get out of shape overnight. And you certainly can’t achieve your health and fitness goals by being haphazard in your commitment to eat healthy and work out.

I like to think of the 90 percent level of commitment to get your closer to your goal. If you want to eat healthy, try to do that 90 percent of the time. If you’re eating five meals a day over the course of a week, that means you’re consuming 35 courses in seven days. If you’re trying for 90 percent commitment, that means you can have three or four reward meals every week.

The same goes for strength training and cardio conditioning. If you committed to my boot camp for five mornings a week, that means you’re attending 20 times a month. Over the course of 30 days, you should only miss two classes maximum to achieve your fitness goals. When you are at class, don’t just show up. Only you can push yourself to the next level.

It’s easy to make excuses regarding why you can’t achieve your goals. I know that this level of commitment requires sacrifices, whether it be a time crunch, lack of sleep or giving up your favorite foods. But if you give up on your goals at the first sign of adversity, you are going to have a very difficult time achieving them.

Your goals don’t have to be over the top. For example, I gave two of my current boot camp members a pushup challenge. They had to stop doing pushups on their knees and do 20 full pushups, all the way down and up on their toes. Each was only allowed to do full pushups in boot camp. One was convinced she couldn’t do any. I asked her to do as many as she could, and to her surprise, she did five.

Over the next 30 days, I challenged them to do 20 full pushups every night at home with no time limit. At then end of the 30 days, one did 26, up from 10, and the other did 20, up from five. Both completed this in 60 seconds.

How to stay committed

Write down your goals — If you want to meet your goals, you need to have them in writing. That helps you visualize where you want to be. Come up with three-month, six-month and yearlong goals. Maybe you want to run a mile 30 seconds faster in three months. Maybe you want to lose 10 pounds in three months. Whatever your goal is, write it down and share it with me.

Attend boot camp — Every morning, five days a week, I offer boot camp at Sandstone Ridge Park in North Las Vegas. When you can’t make it to class, ask for help. I can give you exercises to do if you’re on the road or have to miss class for another reason. Keep in mind that I will call you if you don’t make it to class to find out why.

Keep a food journal — If you bite it, write it down. You may discover that you eat too many carbohydrates, not enough protein or not enough vegetables, something I’ve discovered in many food journals. A good rule of thumb is to eat a carbohydrate and a protein with every meal to maintain your blood sugar levels and help you curb your urge to overeat. Writing down everything you eat will help you see where you can make changes to your diet to help you achieve your goals.

Most importantly, consider me your partner in crime. I can hold you accountable for reaching your goals.

What's Your Excuse?

2010-03-04T05:37:00.000-08:00

Everyone has an excuse, but guess what? Winners do WHATEVER it takes to get the job done whether or not they feel like it. If you want to be winner and finally accomplish your fitness goals and start living the life you deserve, STOP making excuses. Pay the price for the prize.

Watch this Video

I love that commercial. Stop making excuses and get it done!

If you like this video, leave me a comment below and let me know what excuses you're going to stop using.

Get it done!

The Truth about HIIT, Slow Cardio and Fat Loss

2010-02-25T07:01:00.000-08:00

If you want to burn a ton of calories in a short period of time you need to be doing High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). HIIT is short bursts of high-intensity exercise followed by a brief rest period. HIIT speeds up your metabolism and forces your body to burn more fat in the following hours, something regular cardio doesn't do which results in faster fat loss.

When I was in high school I accidentally figured this out but didn’t fully understand it at the time. I played football in the fall, so every summer I would try to bulk up by lifting heavy weights and eating as much as I could. I would put on weight eating more food and lifting heavier weights but avoided cardio conditioning until six weeks before the season because I wanted to keep my weight up as high as I could. I figured when I started running I would start to lose weight, which was counterintuitive to my size goals, but I needed speed for the sport. I was naturally lean but didn’t have shredded muscles. When I started sprinting at near maximum speeds for 5 to 60 seconds per sprint, I began getting much leaner with these brief workouts. I started to notice my six-pack would pop out more even though I wasn’t adding additional abdominal exercises or doing anything different with my diet.

As you can see I never worked in the fat burning zone, yet I was able to attain a lean toned body with interval style training and heavy weight lifting. When you start exercising at a higher level you’ll start burning more total calories and your body will respond as mine did.

Another great example is the comparison of the muscle definition of a long distance runner and a sprinter. The long distance runner runs at a lower intensity and the sprinter runs at maximum speed for very short distances. Yes they both carry low body fat but who has more muscle definition? It’s the sprinter every time; and it’s attained by working at intensities much higher than the fat burning zone.

Here's the proof

In 2007 researchers looked the effects of long-term aerobic training for fat loss. The subjects were all sedentary men and women aged 40-75 years old. They all did moderate to vigorous aerobic activity for 60 minutes six days a week for 12 months.

The results were shocking. After 360 minutes of exercise for an entire year the average weight loss was 3.5lbs...after a year! That's only 0.3 pounds per month.

So if you think all those calories you add up every treadmill session is doing something for fat loss, think again.

Reference:
Obesity, June 2007. 15:1496-1512. Exercise Effect on Weight and Body Fat in Men and Women.

Yet another research study looked at the impact of fat loss on endurance training for 20 weeks versus interval training for 15 weeks.

What they found was the endurance training group burned 28,661 total calories and the interval training group burned 13,614 total calories (less than half), but the interval group showed a NINE TIMES greater fat loss than the endurance group.

Reference:
Metabolism, July 1994. 43, 814-818. Impact of exercise intensity on body fatness and skeletal muscle metabolism.

The moral of the story is simple if you want to burn fat start doing HIIT and stop looking at the calories the machine says you're burning because it doesn't take into consideration the extra calories burned after the workout you get from HIIT.

How to do HIIT

Option A: 40 yard sprint. Mark off 40 yards and after a brief warm up sprint hard from start to finish, walk back to the start for recovery and repeat six to eight times.

Option B: Stair run. Find a staircase or stadium bleachers with 40 to 50 stairs. Run up and walk down. Repeat six to eight times.

Option C: Cardio Strength Training. This is one of my favorites. Perform 8 rounds of kettlebell or dumbell swings. For each round do swings for 20 seconds and rest for 20seconds.

Each of the workouts beats the slow traditional cardio training for fat loss and take less than 20 minutes including your warm up and cool down.

Goal Setting for Improved Health and Fitness

2010-02-19T07:02:00.000-08:00

It remains a fact that those who write their goals have a higher rate of success than those who don't. So if you want to be successful here's what I want you to do.

I want you to write down your top three fitness goals. Then break them down into short-term, mid-term and long-term goals.

Short-term goals are those you wish to accomplish in the next 12 weeks, mid-term in 6 months and long-term will take you a 1 year or more to reach.

Put some thought into this and keep in mind your goals don't have to be an outcome goals, they can be process goals.

Here's some examples of outcome goals: lose 30 pounds by my birthday. Drop 4 dress sizes by Spring Break. Lose 8 inches on waist by Memorial Day.

Examples of process goals: Exercise 3 days a week. Drink 8 glasses of water a day. Eat something healthy every three hours.

While outcome goals are great for your mid and long-term goals keep in mind you need to give them a due date and break them down into smaller daily actions. That's where the process goals are great - list the daily actions you are going to take for the next 12 weeks.

The difference between those who are successful and those who are unsuccessful are the daily actions they take. Those who succeed take daily actions not for a week, or a month or even three months, but daily until the goal is reached.

"You only fail when you quit"

So if you want to lose 20 pounds of fat by your birthday, you better make sure you eat right and exercise daily every day until that day comes.

If this is your long-term goal here's how you can break it down.
Long-term: Lose 20 pounds by Birthday and maintain it through the end of the year.
Mid-term: Lose 10 pounds of fat by the 4th of July

Short-term: Do three strength training workouts per week, 1 HIIT workout per week, and eat 5 meals per day every day.

Do this for all three of your goals and then make three copies of your goal sheet. Keep one by your bedside so you can read it every morning and every night. Keep the second in your car and read it at least once a day as soon as you get in before you start up - not while you're driving :) Keep the third in your pocket or purse and pull it out at least once a day and read it.

Hold Yourself Accountable

The last thing I want you to do is to get a calendar and use it to keep yourself in check. Every day you complete your daily actions give yourself a check mark and everyday you do not give yourself an X. The goal is to fill your calendar with check marks. At the end of the month give yourself some sort of reward for having 90% check marks on your calendar.

These steps are quick and easy and the road to finally reach your fitness goals. Take the time to do it and you'll thank me later.

Leave me a comment below and let me know how your goals are coming along so far.

For more on goal setting check out 14 Strategies to Reach Success

Myth Busters

2010-02-11T06:58:00.000-08:00

Myth 1: muscle turns to fat when you stop lifting

Truth: when you stop lifting your muscles atrophy and your metabolism slows down because you have less muscle. In the end you lose muscle and you gain fat. Muscle and fat are two different things.

Myth 2: muscle makes you inflexible

Truth: Not stretching makes you flexible! Lots of people who lift don’t stretch. Those that do stretch can remain flexible while building muscle.

Myth 3: Women will get big from lifting weights (this one is a personal favorites)

Truth: Unlearn your old thinking and learn the truth. Women don’t have enough testosterone to build big bulky muscles. Besides most men have trouble bulking up even when lifting heavy.

The women in the magazines that look like men are taking something a little extra, if you know what I mean. Look at real women such as Madonna, Angela Bassett, or Demi Moore who lift weights. They have tone but aren’t huge.

You will build muscle which will increase your metabolism causing you to lose fat. More muscle + less fat = toned muscles. Losing weight without lifting leads you to be a smaller version of your flabby old self with no muscle tone. Some call this skinny fat.

Snacking on Fruits and Vegetables

2010-02-05T06:12:00.000-08:00

Here's another great guest post from Angelique Marquez, R.D. of Simply Healthy Wellness. Enjoy!

In order to get 5 fruits and vegetables in a day, you will need to include one with every meal or snack. Try pairing your fruit and vegetable snacks with some protein and/or healthy fat, so they are more satisfying and stick with you longer.

Fruit Snack ideas:

Banana or apple with peanut butter (all natural, the ingredients should be: peanuts and maybe salt)

Apple or pear with cheese (laughing cow spreadable cheese works great)

Any sort of fruit with any sort of nut (almonds, walnuts, pecans, peanuts, cashews, pistachios...)

Trail mix of dried fruit and nuts works great too (especially before or after a workout), but remember that a little goes a long way, a handful is a good serving size.

Snackable Veggies:

Carrots, Snow Peas, Sugar Snap peas, Bell Peppers, Celery, Cucumbers, Zucchini, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Cherry tomatoes, the list goes on and on....These veggies pair nicely with some hummus, spreadable cheese, or with a dressing or dip.

Carrot tangent: You might want to wash and chop your own carrots. Do you really want the Pre-cut perfect little baby ones that have been rinsed in chemical solution...aka...bleach? They say it is not enough chemical solution to be harmful, but do they eat as many fruits and vegetables as I do? I prefer to buy organic when possible and wash with good old fashioned water. I choose to spend my dollar on what is healthier for my body and the environment. Of course, you can decide what's best for you and your family.

Get to snackin!

A little snack between meals will keep you from feeling famished and then overeating at your next meal. Start with the fruits and vegetables you enjoy most, and then get a little adventurous. Use snack time as a way to meet your nutrition challenge!

Angelique holds a bachelor's degree in Nutrition Science from University of Nevada, Las Vegas. She is a Registered Dietitian (R.D.) and cerified fitness trainer/instructor. She believes in a multi-facet approach to wellness. She is dedicated to improving the lives of many Las Vegas residents through wellness and disease prevention with proper nutrition.

For more from Angelique visit her online at www.simplyhealthywellness.com

If you like this post be sure to check out Four Nutrition Challenges for 2010

How to Tell if You’re Losing Fat

2010-02-02T06:08:00.000-08:00

It’s always a good idea to check your progress with any goal that you set. With exercise many people default to checking their weight on a scale. While the scale is a good tool, it can often be misleading. The scale isn’t always the best tool. Here’s why.

First of all, as of now I want you to promise me that you won’t obsess about your weight anymore. I’m serious, the goal should be fat loss not weight loss. There is a difference. You can do a starvation diet and lose weight; you will lose muscle and slow down your metabolism, and look like a smaller version of your current self with little muscle tone. Some people call this “skinny fat” you’re skinny but still flabby. Is that the kind of fat loss you want? I don’t think so?

What you want to do gain muscle which will boost your metabolism and make sure the weight you do lose comes from fat not muscle. If you the scale reads the same weight and you lose inches around your waist and thighs and your body fat is lower; you’ve lost fat but not weight. You’ll have more muscle tone as well. This is why it’s possible for your weight on a scale to remain the same and another reason I like to take body fat percentages and body measurements. This tells you a lot more than the scaled does.

Most women will be healthy fit and lean around 18-22% body fat, no matter what the scale reads. For men it’s around 12-16%.

Think of it this way: Imagine there was a magic fat loss machine – a little booth you could step into and come out looking exactly how you’ve always dreamed of looking: the exact pants size and with the muscle definition you wanted and the right body fat percentage, with abs too (if that’s what you’re aiming for) but there was one catch – this magic machine somehow increased your bone density by 100%? So while you looked great you weighed 50 pounds more. So if you were 150 before now you’re 200 but you look amazing. Would you be happy with that or would that number on the scale make you want other results? Now what if the opposite was true; the magic machine made you lose 20 pounds but you looked exactly the same. Understand how you look and feel and how much you weigh are not necessarily related.

From Rachel Cosgrove’s the Female Body Breakthrough

If you lose 10 pounds of fat and gain 10 pounds of muscle you will look like you’ve lost 20 pounds but your weight will be the same on the scale. Don’t focus on the scale, but how you feel and how your clothes fit.

Alternative tools to the scale the check your progress

Skinny jeans
Get a pair of jeans that are a few sizes too small that you want to be able to fit into. Try them on every couple of weeks to check your progress. Avoid doing this daily! At first you may not get them over your thighs, then you’ll get them over your thighs, but not your hips. After a couple more weeks they get all the way up but you won’t be able to button them, then you’ll be able to button them by sucking in your stomach. Finally they’ll fit comfortably. You won’t need a scale to tell you you’ve made progress!

Measurements
Every month pull out a measuring tape and measure around your chest, hips, waist, and thigh. If you’re losing inches from month to month, you won’t need to worry what the scale says because you are losing fat and gaining muscle.

Photos
Another way to check your progress is to take a photo of yourself. Guys can do this without shirt and wearing shorts and ladies and wear a swimsuit. From month to month you’ll see your progress as your waist shrinks and you lose the excess fat and start to see more muscle definition all over. No need to oil up and get a tan like the magazine ads though :)

Keep in mind weight loss is not always linear. While most people can lose 1-2lbs. a week on average through healthy eating and exercise some weeks you can lose 3lbs. and others you won’t lose any. That’s why it’s called an average. Again shift your focus away from weight and keep the focus on working hard every workout and eating right every meal everyday 90% of the time.

One Thing That Will Help You Get the Body You Want

2010-01-29T07:01:00.000-08:00

How many times have you won the lottery?

How many times have you got in the best shape of your life in a few short weeks with little effort.

Try, never and never.

You should know by now that quick fixes don't work. Stop looking for the easy way out. It's time to try a new approach. If you want to get what you haven't got, you have to do what haven't done.

That's worth repeating; If you want to get what you haven't got, you have to do what haven't done.

"You only fail if you quit"

You wanna know how to win the lottery? Here the answer - embrace hard work and take daily actions. It won't come overnight but as long as you keep going you'll eventually get there. If you're doubting me it's because you usually quit too soon. Keep on keeping on!

Here's a secret, those who have the body you want are either the hardest workers in the gym or they have better genetics than you.

Since you can't do anything about your genes you've got to be a hard worker. It's that simple.

"It's not going to be easy, but then again nothing worthwhile ever is"

Make a promise to yourself that from today on you're gonna work hard and take action everyday!

7 Strategies to Eat Healthy Without Dieting

2010-01-24T13:19:00.000-08:00

Every time I turn around it seems there's a new miracle fat loss gimmick for dieters. These fad diets aren't the answer; the answer is healthy eating. Luckily for you eating healthy doesn't have to be hard. To succeed you need to have a plan. I've listed seven strategies to make eating healthy a lot easier without the restriction and dangers of dieting.

1. Get off the “See Food Diet”
If you're like me when you're hungry you'll eat whatever you see. When you get the junk out of the house there's no temptation to eat it. Replace chips and cookies with fresh fruits and veggies and dip them in hummus.

2. Have a cheat day or cheat meals
This allows you to enjoy the foods you love without the guilt. The secret is eating clean 90% of the time.... so if you eat 5 times a day, seven days a week (35 meals) you should only have 3-4 cheat meals weekly. This is how you can eat ice cream, pizza, fried chicken, whatever - guilt free.

3. Carry shakes and bars as a backup plan
If you plan to be in the car, on a plane, shopping, or anywhere that could get in the way of you eating a healthy meal be prepared. Prograde has the best tasting bars and shakes without the artificial ingredients found in others.

4. Stop nutritional freestyling
Eating whatever you want and skipping meals is a recipe for disaster. Be prepared by planning your meals in advance and shopping for healthy foods on a regular basis.

5.Eat every 3 hours
This helps you avoid the point of total starvation. I don't know about you but when I get here I'll binge on first thing I can find. Avoid this point at all costs. Numbers 3 and 4 will help you with this.

6. Avoid temptation
When someone brings doughnuts in office practice a little self discipline. If you can't, know that you're choosing to use a cheat meal.

7. Enjoy your cheat meals away from home
This strategy works well because you won't have any left-over's in the house to tempt you later. If you buy a two liter soft drink and bring it home you'll be cheating all week until it's gone; have it at the restaurant and when it's done, it's done.

I put it out there for you, now it's up to you to do it. Even one or two of these strategies can have a big effect on fat loss.

All these tips are golden, but #1 is the key for me. Leave a comment with your favorite tips - I wanna know what works for you and which one's you're gonna try.

Tony

Abdominal Training Revealed

2010-01-21T07:02:00.000-08:00

Okay, so originaly I promised you two Core videos. But then I thought, I've got more great exercises for sculpting abs that I wanted to show you - so here's the 3rd video!

Again, you won't find any crunches here... If you like doing 500 crunches a day with nothing to show for it, sorry this video is not for you. However if you want something that'll get results in a short amount of time then check it out.

Remmber, there's no quick fix. You've gotta be consistent to get great results.

To keep it fresh try doing the core workout 1 on Monday, Core workout 2 on Wednesday and the 3rd workout on Friday.

Make sure to check out the first two videos here:

The Core Workout Part 1

The Core Workout Part 2

Four Nutritional Challenges for 2010

2010-01-17T09:09:00.000-08:00

Hey, Tony here I brought you another great guest post. This is written by Nutritioninst Angelique Marquez. I hope you enjoy it.

As published in the first "Connect to Fitness" of 2010, over the coming year, I will propose four nutritional challenges, goals if you will. If you accept each challenge as it is proposed, one at a time, it will compliment any other health or wellness goal you make this year and you won’t ever have to ‘diet’ again. By focusing on one challenge at a time, you are unlikely to become overwhelmed and give up.

Most Americans, health professionals included, do not eat nearly enough fruits and vegetables everyday. There would be no market for expensive health products with magical vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants if our diet came mostly from whole foods and less from processed foods. There is no one special ingredient, no vitamin, mineral, antioxidant, or other phytochemical that cures all. And guess what, if you eat a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and legumes, you will have everything and more that any of those special juices, pills, or elixirs can offer.

Challenge #1
Your first challenge this year, should you dare to take it, is to eat five big handfuls of fruits and vegetables everyday.

There is no need to complicate this by trying to calculate calories, carbohydrates, etc., or by getting the measuring cups and scales out. Vegetables should be mostly non-starchy, which means potato, corn and peas do not count. Try to make it usually 2 fruits and 3 vegetables, but if you happen to eat 3 fruits and 2 vegetables, that’s okay. The point is to get 5 heaping handfuls into your diet every day. And you don’t have to stop at 5—you can always have more! Five is just the lower limit. Keep this challenge simple!

Start with the fruits and vegetables that you enjoy already and then slowly add in some new ones. Eat a variety of colors and be creative, make it fun! Use fresh or dried herbs, like parsley, cilantro, thyme, oregano, basil, dill, rosemary and other healthy flavoring ingredients like spices, chilies, garlic, onion, ginger, and lemon or lime. Eat them raw or cooked, whole or sliced, fresh or frozen. Have vegetables in salads, soups, sauces or stir-fries. Use fruit in smoothies, on yogurt, salad, or as dessert.

Tips for attacking this challenge:

· Plan ahead. What will you have for breakfast, lunch and dinner this week?
· Shop and chop. Have vegetables washed and chopped, ready to grab and go, or ready to use when preparing dinner after a long day.
· Eat a fruit and/or vegetable every time you eat. If you go all day long without any fruits or vegetables and then expect to get 5 handfuls in when you get home, it is never gonna happen! So, with every meal or snack, ask yourself, “Where is my fruit or vegetable?” If one or the other or even both are not there, then something is wrong with that meal.
· Make them the first thing you eat with your meal, so you can’t forget or get full on something else.
· Ask for extra veggies. Instead of the noodle, rice, or potato that comes with your meal at a restaurant, ask for an extra serving of vegetables.

· Ideas. Visit websites like http://www.vegetariantimes.com/, http://www.webmd.com/, http://www.healthcastle.com/. And don’t forget to visit my website at http://www.simplyhealthywellness.com/ as I will be posting recipes and tips to keep you going.

Start the New Year Right
Start with Challenge #1, eat five handfuls of fruits and vegetables everyday and watch for the other three challenges in upcoming editions of this magazine. Challenge your clients to do the same and we will all be healthier by the end of this year!

About Angelique Marquez
Angelique holds a bachelor's degree in Nutrition Science from University of Nevada, Las Vegas. She is a Registered Dietitian (R.D.) and cerified fitness trainer/instructor. She believes in a multi-facet approach to wellness. She is dedicated to improving the lives of many Las Vegas residents through wellness and disease prevention with proper nutrition.

As a mother of two, Angelique understands the challenges of staying healthy in a demanding fast paced society. Weighing over 200 pounds herself after giving birth to her second child, she also knows how hard it can be to lose weight and keep it off. Angelique has a passion for helping people feel better and be Simply Healthy!

Visit Her homepage at http://www.simplyhealthywellness.com/ and if you like this article check out her blog at http://simplyhealthywellness.blogspot.com/

My Goals for 2010

2010-01-14T06:50:00.000-08:00

As I promised last week I'd post some of my goals for this year. While I have a lot of goals; some financial, some personal growth, others fitness related here's three I wanted the share with you.

1. Read 30 books this year.

Believe it or not I hated reading in school; seriously all the way up through college. It wasn't until I was done with school that I actually found out what type of books I like. I don't read mysteries or adventures - I have movies for that. I mostly read books on personal growth and of course always health and fitness stuff. Most people stop learning once they're out of school but for me I've learned way more since I finished school and I'm going to continue...

Two of my favorites from last year were - How to win friends and influence people by Dale Carnegie and the Slight Edge by Jeff Olsen.

This year I'm looking forward to reading The power of Now by Eckhart Tolle
The 21 irrefutable laws of leadership by John C. Maxwell
The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman

While I've never read more than 20 books in a year I wanted to challenge myself.

ACTION PLAN: I've broken this goal down to reading 2-3 books a month and even further to reading 25 pages per day. I think it's important to break down your long-term goal into daily actions like this so you don't find yourself way behind and then giving up all together.

2. Handstand for 20 seconds.

Nothing special here just something I always thought was cool and wanted to do. Somehow it always got put on the back burner. I just started practicing for this and can only hold it for a few seconds at best.

ACTION PLAN: practice for a minimum of 10 minutes twice per week.

3. Improve my flexibility.

I love strength training and the challenge I get from high intensity cardio work, but for some reason I never liked to stretch. I can tell I'm not as flexible as I was 10 years ago and don't want it to get worse. I've been talking about this one for years and finally decided to do something about it.

One of the specific flexibility goals I have is to improve the flexibility in my hips. If you are familiar with yoga there's a pose called pigeon, and I can't do it very well, my goal is to be able to do this pose with proper alignment and be able to breathe deeply while in it. This may not seem like a challenge to you but as tight as my hips are it is a big challenge for me.

ACTION PLAN: take at least one yoga class per week and stretch on my own for 20 minutes twice a week. Once I get past 60 days I'm going to bump up the yoga to twice a week. I just need to make it a habit first. No need to set myself up for failure from the get go.

Well there it is. My goals and action plans to accomplish those goals. I hope this helps you think about your goals for this year and how you going to break them down to daily actions. If you have no action plan then you're just hoping and wishing you'll get there. Make sure to get your plan of action in place.

Leave me a comment below on your thoughts or your personal goals for 2010. If you can do a handstand please share your tips with me, I need them :)

Tony

3 Easy Ways to Boost Your Metabolism

2010-01-10T10:28:00.000-08:00

If you're like most people you don't have a lot of time to workout. Maybe you're looking to lose a few inches or pounds and what you're doing doesn't seem to be working. It's time to stop trading hours in the gym for a poor result. Let me explain how you can get a better return on your time investment in the gym.

If you want to burn more fat you need to work smarter not harder. Here's what I mean, the more you get your metabolism elevated, the more fat you'll end up burning. Here's three easy ways to boost your metabolism and burn more fat.

1. Increase the intensity of your workout

Don't worry too much about how many calories you burn during the exercise. After all what's more important is how many calories you burn overall, this also includes after the workout is done. Several studies have shown that shorter high intensity workouts keeps your metabolism fired up for hours after the workout is over, something you don't get with long slow cardio workouts.

As strength coach Alywn Cosgrove puts it, "Caring about how much fat is burned during exercise is equivalent to worrying about how much muscle is built during exercise."

During weight training you don't build any muscle, you actually break it down. The recovery process afterwords is where muscle is built. The workout only stimulates what happens after, which is what we are interested in. I just want the end result, which is the fastest way to fat loss.

2. Do Strength Training

Another study showed how strength training keeps the metabolism elevated way after the workout is over. The group did circuit training for 31 minutes using compound movements (exercises that work multiple muscles - not one at a time) and free weight exercises. The findings showed that for 38 hours after the workout was over they were still burning fat! Imagine that, if you worked out at 9 am on Monday you'd still be burning fat at 11pm on Tuesday night from that workout!

3. Eating more frequent meals

A Japanese research team looked at the effects of meal frequency on body composition over a two week period. They took two groups and gave them the same amount of total calories. The first group ate these calories split between two larger meals and the second split their calories into six smaller meals. They found the group who ate only twice per day lost significantly more lean body mass than the group who ate six meals per day.

Losing lean body mass slows your metabolism, so to keep it revved up try to eat something every 3 hours while keeping your total calories in check.

So to recap...
stop doing long slow cardio (unless you're an endurance athelete) and add high intensity work in it's place, do circuit style strength training with free weights, and eat something every three hours to burn more fat.

What Can I Do For You?

2010-01-08T07:02:00.000-08:00

I hope you're doing great and that 2010 is off to a great start for you!

This post is a little different.It's a new year. You probably have some health and fitness goals set for yourself.

I want to help you achieve those goals.

So what I want to know from YOU is; what can I do for you?

What do you need more clarification on? What topics should I cover in the next few blog posts?

In the comment box below let me know what you need help with, and what I can
do for you to help you reach your goals for 2010.

Tony

What everybody Ought to Know About Weight Loss

2010-01-07T06:23:00.000-08:00

Weight Loss isn't just about dieting and working out. It's also about your support system.

Do you have people in your life that seem to suck the life right out of your dreams? They may be your friends, family members, or co-workers who are supposed to be supportive of you, but whenever you tell them you’re going to do something they get all negative about it.

You’ll hear them say things like, “You can’t do that” or “I tried that and it doesn’t work”.

Sometimes they’ll pressure you to eat doughnuts someone brought into the office when they know you’re trying to eat clean, “Come on, one doughnut won’t hurt”. I call these people energy vampires.

You need to stay away from them and get around positive people who will support you. It’s hard enough to stay disciplined to exercise and eat healthy as it is, you don’t need other people tearing you down to make it even harder. Their negative words can be poisonous to your success. Avoid them when you can.

You need people in your life that will tell you, “Yes, you can do it” and “great job for sticking with it”. They also understand when you pass on the junk food.

Ask yourself who is in your close group of friends? Are they supporters or vampires – sucking the life out of your dreams? You don’t have to stop being friends with vampires just spend less time around them. Often they do this not because they want to see you fail, but because your success makes them feel worse about themselves because they’re doing nothing to better their situation.

Leave me a comment down below about your experience with the vampires or supporters in your life.

Here's a Method that Helps People Achieve Their Fitness Goals

2010-01-04T06:57:00.000-08:00

“The only time you fail is when you quit. If you keep trying you will reach success.” - unknown

January is always a fun time to start exercising. People love setting New Year’s Resolutions to lose the fat and get in shape. Keep in mind if you’re looking for a quick fix, you might as well switch your resolution right now. Quick fixes either don’t work or are temporary and even harmful to your body. Understand to be successful you need to be in it for the long haul. Dedicate a minimum of six months, but preferably one year to this goal and don’t give up until you reach it. If you reach it before one year, great…. Then it’s time for maintenance. Besides, what’s the benefit of getting in shape if only to lose it once you get there? Use the New Year’s resolution to kick start your healthy new lifestyle.

Keep in mind obstacles will arise. The key is to ready for them and to overcome them. Don’t abandon ship just because you got sick, your kid’s activities take up too much of your time, or your work schedule changed. Successful people know obstacles will arise and they work around them.

My wife was training for her first marathon last year and was following a six-month training schedule to build up from not running to be able to run 26 miles. Do you think the road was nice and smooth? Heck no, there were days she was sore, but ran anyway; there were days when our daughters soccer schedule got in the way but she made the time to do it anyway. Then she got the flu and missed three weeks of training a month before the run. Did she give up? No, she rested, recovered and continued her training and ran the marathon and finished.

Never let a setback derail you from reaching your goal. Stay focused on what you want and why you want it. Read your goals daily and stay hungry for the prize at the end of the journey. You’ll be so glad you made it through to the end, I promise.

Healthy Sustainable Fat Loss

2009-12-31T06:58:00.000-08:00

Hey, I got another guest post from my good friend Carisse Crossland, CSCS whose a Personal Trainer and group fitness instructor in Las Vegas. She's listed some of her favorite tips to help you reach your lose weight and keep it off.

Hold yourself accountable.
Keep a daily journal of food, calories, and activity. People can offer vitamins, recipes, ergonenic aids (caffeine, etc.) but it all comes down to calories in and calories out.

For detailed information - www.mypyramid.gov

Choosing to eat healthy is exactly that, its a choice.
No one is forcing you to eat the cheeseburger. No one is forcing you to NOT make food for the day. We either decide to be healthy or not. Surround yourself with individuals living the way you want to live. Adapt small changes! These small changes will result in long term gains and snowball into a HEALTHIER lifestyle.

For more tips from Carisse sign up for her Motivational Monday e-mail by sending her an e-mail to CarisseCrossland@hotmail.com.

If you like this check out 9 Tips for Successful Weight Loss

14 Strategies to Reach Success

2009-12-24T07:04:00.000-08:00

Are you ready to succeed in your fitness quest? Here's 14 of my favorite strategies to reach success. The key is to do them. You may know about them, but you don't truly know them until you apply them.

1. Set Goals

2. Be specific with your goals and dreams

3. Create good daily habits

4. Visualize success daily

5. Believe in yourself

6. Stop talking and start doing

7. Step outside of your comfort zone

8. Today is the best day to start anything.

9. Plan everyday. Success isn't an accident.

10. To be successful you must must take 100% responsibility for your actions.

11. Don't compromise your dreams

12. Expect more of yourself

13. Surround yourself with successful people

14. Don't be afraid to ask for help

Well there you have it. I've highlighted some of my favorites. What are yours? Leave me a comment down below. Please feel free to add to this list as well.

Tony

3 Tips for Fitness Success

2009-12-21T07:52:00.000-08:00

This is a guest post by my good friend Carisse Crossland, CSCS whose a Personal Trainer and group fitness instructor in Las Vegas. She's listed 3 tips to help you reach your fitness goals.

1. No pain no gain" is old news. Pain vs. Burn are 2 different things. Pain means something is wrong, burn means you are exerting yourself, keep THAT up!

2. There is no sport like your own. To run more efficient, you have to run. To play football better, you play football and incorporate workouts around the movements of football. A gentlemen once saw a lady on the stepmill. They spoke afterwards and she told him she plans on doing a marathon. He said, "Oh, if you can do the stepmill, you can run a marathon." This is incorrect. Climbing stairs is not comparable to running 26.2 miles. You have to train what you plan to compete. (Aka sport specificity)

3. If you are lacking drive or motivation, aim for an event to compete in. There is nothing more satisfying than joining people with the same goals and finishing an event you trained months for.

Please leave Carisse a comment and let her know what tips you like best. Also feel free to add your favorite in the comments section as well. You Can reach Carisse at CarisseCrossland@hotmail.com.

Why Slow Cardio Sucks for Fat Loss

2009-12-17T07:02:00.000-08:00

Hey I hope you’re doing great and still working hard at your goals as this year wraps up.

Last week I was talking to a new client about fat loss and toning up. She told me she was doing lots of cardio and now looking to start working with weights. Apparently, many people are still stuck doing long duration, low-intensity cardiovascular exercise.

I explained that metabolic resistance training is the fastest way to fat loss and the easiest way I could describe it was “cardio strength training”.

Here’s the deal: if you’re looking to achieve maximal benefit from the time you put into your workouts, long duration “slow-go” cardio is okay if you’re a distance athlete, but NOT the way to go, if you are looking to lose weight.
Here’s why:

1. Not enough calories burned — 45 minutes on the treadmill may burn 300 calories if you’re lucky, which is ONE TENTH of a pound of fat. Exercise ten hours a week and you might just lose a pound! Not good.
Which brings me to my next point:

2. Too much time invested — if you’re like most, you don’t have ten hours a week to put into working out each week. The good news is you only need a few hours tops for fat loss. I’ll get to that later.

3. Slow Cardio is just plain BORING — sitting on an exercise bike staring at the back of some sweating guy in front of you for 45-60 minutes everyday? I don’t think so.

4. No prolonged metabolic benefit — Did you know that with higher intensity exercise it is possible to continue to burn calories for up to 48 hours post workout? It’s true (see Burn Fat Fast). But you know what else is true? Long duration, low intensity cardio provides virtually NO prolonged elevation in metabolism. In fact, with slow-go cardio, metabolism returns to baseline almost IMMEDIATELY following the exercise session.

And finally:

5. Minimal fat loss — Fewer calories burned per minute and virtually no additional calories burned afterward = minimal, if any fat loss results. And what’s the point to doing cardio if not for the results.

So if long slow cardio isn’t the solution, what is?

Short duration, high-intensity exercise. Less time, faster results!

The beauty of “high intensity” is anyone can do it because it’s relative to you. I don’t care if you’re already in great shape or if you’re 50 lbs overweight, you can exercise with increased intensity.

It might be a sprint or a walk up hill but somehow you need to increase the intensity.

Stop doing what doesn’t work and embrace what does work.

If you want the end result, I urge you to add metabolic training to your training. For a sample program try the backyard strength workout.

Abs - Beyond Crunches

2009-12-14T07:03:00.000-08:00

If you're looking to flatten your stomach, tighten your tummy or get six pack abs, stop doing crunches. Before you work yourself into a fit with what I just said, listen up. If you want to get what you've never had you have to do something you've never done and I'm just guessing you've done tons of crunches in the past with not much to show for it.

I've put together four exercises in this video here for you to add to your workout routine. The best part is it only takes a few minutes.

Keep in mind there's no magic exercise that will shrink your waistline, they only build the muscles. So make sure you're also cutting out the excess calories in your diet to lose inches as well.

Your abs need recovery just like any muscle so make sure you give them a day off after working them. For variety switch off the between this workout and the core workout 1.

The Biggest Loser Finale

2009-12-10T06:58:00.000-08:00

So I'm watching the Biggest Loser finale the other night and wow did those people lose a ton of weight! I know what you're thinking if you saw the show - how did all those people lose in double digits in a single week and how did that guy lose 28 pounds in a single week.

They're in another world

You've gotta remember on the show they're living a different life than you or me. They don't have to work eight plus hours a day, go to school, take care of the kids, the dog, pay bills or do any of the things we have to do.

Plus they work out for hours a day under the supervision of two trainers that don't take excuses and push them to their limits and beyond. To top it off, they have nutritional and medical staff behind the scenes as well.

How to Lose 10 pounds in a week

Well they don't always lose 10 pounds a week, sometimes they don't lose anything - even with all those advantages. But the more you weigh, the more calories you can burn in a workout. After all walking a mile isn't all that tough when you weight 160, but imagine how much work you'd be doing if you weighed 400 pounds. More work = more calories burned.

The turning point

The contestants all came into the show with a burning desire to change, for some it was a matter of life or death if they didn't lose weight. Even so, at some point each and every contestant wanted to give up at one point or another and without a trainer they would have slowed way down or even quit completely.

You could see from the clips of the first few shows how the contestant were saying things like, "I can't do this", "I have to stop", and "this is too hard". Have you ever pushed that hard where you were telling yourself that? These people were working the butts off.

When you're not accustomed to working hard, you want to give up a lot. But then something changed. They got accustomed to hard work and started to believe they could step up to the challenge.

When you believe in yourself your language changes. They started saying things like, "I can do this" and "I will be the Biggest Loser". When you believe in yourself your language changes and your attitude changes and you can accomplish what you set out to do.

How you can succeed

*You gotta have a burning desire to change. Change doesn't happen by accident. Your health and fitness may not be a matter of life and death, but that's how serious you need to take it. Stop putting it on the back burner. I'm serious - stop it now. Make exercise and nutrition a priority in your life today.

*Change your thoughts. Until you truly believe in yourself you won't accomplish your goals. Stop hoping and wishing. Successful people don't hope and wish... they believe. Change your thoughts and change your life.

*Work hard; then work harder. I know you think you work hard on your own, but trust me, each and every last person I've trained always works harder when their pushed. When you want to give up - don't. Do you see how hard the contestants worked? They results they got weren't on accident.

Give more effort in your workouts and you'll get more in return. To truly push yourself, you need a trainer or at least a training partner; just make sure your partner spend most of the time pushing you, not talking your ear off :)

*Surround yourself with positive, like minded people. The more time you spend around negative people the harder it is to get where you need to go. Joining a boot camp or a running group are great ways to get around people with similar goals who are positive and will support you.

Stop hoping and wishing. It all comes down to believing in yourself and working hard.

What do you think of ab machines?

2009-12-07T07:34:00.000-08:00

Q: I’d really like to know what you think of the exercise machines out there. I just bought the Ab Circle. What do you think about it? Is it worth keeping? Do those things really help? I’d greatly appreciate your take on this and others that you know.

A: Okay, here's the deal. All ab devices are tools to strengthen the muscle. You already have one of the best tools available which is your own body. So is an ab machine needed? No. Is it useful maybe.

If you’re looking to trim your waistline and tone your abs, you need three things. Limiting yourself to just the ab machine will strengthen your abs, which is good but won't burn off the layer of fat covering the muscles.

Here's the three steps you need to take.

1. Do full body resistance training including exercises that work the core. Building muscle will boost your metabolism which helps you lose fat around your entire body.

2. Cardio exercise. Preferably high intensity exercise. Which gives you the best return on your time investment for fat loss.

3. Supportive nutrition. You can do all the cardio and ab work in the world but if you eat like crap you'll never achieve the results you want. See clean eating 101.

So to sum it all up, if you’re looking for results you gotta do more than ab work to get the results you want; even with the best tool

9 Habits to Break

2009-12-03T06:55:00.000-08:00

Aren’t you tired of hoping and wishing you could finally get in shape? In all my blog posts I’ve put up tons of useful workouts to help you along the way, but if your mind isn’t right then it’s not going to help much. Once your break these habits and form new positive habits success is right around the corner.

1. Stop waiting for the right time to get in shape. Don’t wait until you have more free time, January 1st or next summer to start working out. I know people who’ve been waiting for 6 years for everything to be perfect before they start working out! Start now, because there’s never a better time than now.

2. Being afraid to fail. Maybe you failed the last time you tired to lose weight. So what! Everyone who’s been successful fails. The difference is successful people embrace failure, learn from it and try again.

3. Not finishing what you start. Do not let yourself be the person who makes a New Year’s Resolution just to give up 6 weeks later. Successful people get the job done whether or not they feel like it. Take it one day at a time and be successful every day.

4. Not having a plan. If you fail to plan, you plan to fail…. nuff said.

5. Being Insane. Hey the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. Stop being insane! If the workouts in the magazines aren’t working – it’s time to try something new.

6. Giving up because it’s hard. You know, I rarely see someone in great shape who doesn’t work hard. Yeah you’ve got a few people with great genes that don’t have to work hard, but for most of us we have to work hard for what we want.

7. Stop rationalizing failure. Maybe you don’t have a gym membership or you have a bad back. Stop using that as an excuse. Find a way to succeed despite the road block.

8. Stop complaining and blaming others. Don’t tell me you can’t eat healthy because you don’t buy the food in your household. If you want to succeed start taking responsibility for yourself. It’s your job to see that you eat healthy not anyone else’s. Go shopping with the person who shops or give them a list of the healthy foods you need.

9. Being inconsistent. Working out once in a while won’t get you in the shape you want to get in. Even if you can’t do your full workout once in a while, do 10 or 15 minutes. This will keep you consistent and you’ll be less likely to let a week or two go without working out which leads to giving up completely.

Let me know what your favorites are below.

Stop Doing Crunches!

2009-11-30T07:03:00.000-08:00

I know you've gotta be tired of doing crunches at the end of every workout with nothing to show for it. I put together a quick video showing you four new exercises that you can add to your workouts to help improve core strength and build those six-pack muscles.

Keep in mind this is a great workout to build core strength, but if seeing your six pack is your goal you've got to have low body fat. It's a three step process:

1. Do this workout

2. Cut out the junk food and eat clean - see clean eating 101

3. Burn off the extra fat covering up your abs - see the backyard cardio workout.

Can You Lose Weight Simply By Not Eating, or Do You Have to Workout?

2009-11-25T07:02:00.000-08:00

Q: This question has always been bugging me. If you don't eat, is working out really needed to lose weight?

A: You absolutely need to eat! Otherwise, your body will go into a "starvation mode" which slows down your metabolism and stores the food you eat to keep you alive. The problem here is you will lose a little weight, then it will come to a halt and your health will suffer. So it's not worth it.

You can still lose weight without exercising (it's called dieting) but you run into another problem - if you aren't exercising you will lose muscle which will slow down your metabolism and slow down your weight loss.

You can lose weight faster with exercise because your metabolism will speed up by buiding muscle. The added muscle will cause your body to burn more calories and you'll lose weight - so and instead of skin and bones, you'll end up with lean toned muscles.

So while you can lose weight without exercising; not eating is never recommended. You should exercise and eat right for best results. You can actually raise your metabolism even higher by eating small portions often throughout the day, just keep your total calories in check.

If you liked this make sure to check out Clean Eating 101

Accomplish Your Fitness Goals With One Easy Step

2009-11-23T06:43:00.000-08:00

You know, getting in shape really isn't that hard. It's no secret - all you gotta do is exercise and eat right. You know that. Everyone knows that. Then why is it that so many people are unfit and unhealthy?

It's really quite simple. It's not what you know, it's what you do. Like I said everyone knows to exercise and eat right but so many people are out of shape and their health continues to suffer because they are not doing what they already know they should be doing.

Watch this video to see how one simple action can lead you to success and see how failing to act will cause you to fail every time.

Please leave your comments below.

A New Spin on Interval Training for Weight Loss

2009-11-19T07:14:00.000-08:00

It’s no secret diet and exercise are two essential ingredients to natural weight loss. The problem for many is they don’t have a plan to reach that goal? If you run a mile you’ll burn approximately 100 calories. The problem with running a mile is it’s like doing 1000 to 1500 reps of impact double your body weight. That’s a lot of stress on your joints.

If you weight 200 lbs you’re doing 200 lbs x 2 or 400 lbs each rep; and remember you’re doing 1000 to 1500 reps. That’s a lot of forces put on your joints which can put you at high risk for injury.

Switching to the bike can take the stress off but you’re still doing a ton of reps to burn a measly 100 calories.

If you’ve read a few of my blog posts you probably know I believe interval training beats traditional steady state cardio for fat loss. If you’ve tried it you probably agree too. Switching to intervals doesn’t necessarily mean using a bike or treadmill though. Try a circuit using dumbbells, kettle bells or even body weight to burn the calories and keep the stress off the joint.

For a quick and effective body interval workout try the Backyard Cardio Circuit.

Clean Eating 101

2009-11-16T07:34:00.000-08:00

If you’re like most people, when you want to lose weight or tone up you already know what to do - diet and exercise. The problem for most is they don’t have the most effective plan to reach that goal. It’s not as complicated as you think.

It starts with the diet. The problem with traditional diets is they are hard! Whether it is counting calories, or always feeling hungry or never having the satisfaction of eating your favorite foods. Forget diets and focus on clean eating to not only lose weight and tone up, but also for maintenance.

Here’s a quick and easy way to eat clean:

1. Eat a big breakfast. This gives you energy when you need it and you have all day to move around and use those calories for energy rather than let them sit and convert to fat.

2. Eat small meals every 2-3 hours. This is as easy as eating breakfast, lunch and dinner, which a small snack between. This keeps the metabolism revved up and helps and prevents you from overeating at your next meal.

3. Eat a small late night meal before bed. You don’t need all those calories from a high sugar or high fat meal sitting all night to convert to fat. Stick with a small meal of lean protein and fruit or vegetables along with healthy fats.

4. Eat only Lean protein, Whole grains, Fruits and Vegetables and Healthy Fats.

5. Follow these instructions 90% of the time for best results.

While I don’t expect you to adopt each and every one of these five habits overnight you can focus on one right away. Once you master it, move on to the next. If you do this, you’ll cut automatically cut out the junk and never feel full. You’ll feel happy, full, have more energy and get in shape once and for all.

Short on Time and Need and Effective Workout

2009-11-12T07:00:00.000-08:00

Q: I need to start building muscle and getting back in shape. Can you give me a daily routine of exercise that takes a half an hour?

A: Try full body strength circuit to build muscle, save time and boost your metabolism to keep you burning calories all day. Follow this up with a quick cardio circuit to burn even more calories in a short period of time. This program can be done with just your body weight so you can do it anywhere. Just make sure to keep the intensity high to ensure you're getting the most from your time.

Strength Circuit: watch video

Squats
Squat Jumps
Reverse Lunge Left Leg
Reverse Lunge Right Leg
Close Grip Push up
Dynamic Plank
Single Leg deadlift Left Leg
Single Leg deadlift Right Leg

Do each exercise for 30 seconds each; repeat 3 times with little or no rest between exercises.

Cardio Circuit: watch video

Jumping Jacks
Hi Knee Jog in place
Burpees
Mountain Climbers

Do each exercise for 30 seconds each; repeat 3 times with little or no rest between exercises.

If you like this, make sure you check out this Time Crunch workout.

Don’t be a Treadmill Idiot

2009-11-10T07:00:00.000-08:00

As a kid nothing seemed to bother me, EVER, but now it seems people are ticking me off left and right. Maybe I’m getting old and crotchety, but it seems at least once a week in the gym I’m guaranteed to see something that just ticks me right off.

You know what ticks me off? When I’m in the gym and I see people doing things they have no business doing. For example, last week I saw a woman walking on the treadmill at a 15% incline doing something like 5 or 6 mph and holding on for dear life. Every time she took a step her entire body would jerk because she was holding on so damn tight and going way too fast.

Why in the heck do you need to be going that fast at that elevation when you can’t do it properly? I’m trying to figure this one out because honestly I have just don’t know why people do this. I’m not picking on this poor woman; I see all kinds of people doing this. For some reason this is a common thing to do in gyms. My guess is they think the faster they go and the higher the elevation; the more calories they burn. Okay that’s true, but the only if you actually do the work. The machine thinks you’re busting your tail doing the work, not halfway doing it and halfway getting pulled along. So all those calories it says you’re burning; you are not.

A quick remedy to this problem: Lower the grade and take the speed down. It’s that simple. Let go of the hand rail and stand straight up while walking or running. If you can’t perform the exercise without holding on or standing straight up, you need to slow down or bring the incline down until you can. If you want to burn those extra calories then add short intervals every two to three minutes; where you increase the speed or the incline for only 30 seconds or so at a time. This will add more intensity to the workout and allow you to keep proper form so you actually burn those extra calories.

Now go out and have a great workout, but don’t let me catch you being a fool on the treadmill.

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Want More Free Fitness Tips, and Workout Motivation?

2009-11-08T09:09:00.000-08:00

If you like the blog make sure to sign up for our free newsletter and get more Free fit tips, motivation and special offers.

Sign up for our free newsletter at workoutquest.com

Weight loss and muscle building??

2009-11-06T08:28:00.000-08:00

Q: I want to lose weight the natural way without supplements. First of all I am 5ft 9in and I weigh 240 and I want to lose weight and build muscle. I don't want big muscles but lean body muscle and I asked a trainer and they said I need to do more reps and less weight on the machines.

My question is what do you recommend? How many reps should I do? how much weight should I use? How long should I do this for? (like how many minutes) please help me.

A: While bodybuilders do high reps and low weight to lose the last bit of fat and keep the muscle they have this isn't your best option. You still need to build muscle first and you have way more fat to lose than they do.

For every pound of muscle you have your metabolism increases enough to burn an extra 50 calories a day. If you added just 5 pounds of muscle that is 91250 calories burned or about 26 pounds that's without diet or cardio!

You can see how important strength training is, but using heavier weights (something you can lift 6 to 12 reps is better for you) since you are not a bodybuilder and have more muscle to build and more fat to burn than the average bodybuilder. Use a weight you can do at least six times but no more than 12 times per set. Lift for 45 minutes three times per week.

For best results do squats, deadlifts, bench press, military press, barbell rows, and lat pulls to get the most bang for your buck because these work the largest muscles and build muscle quicker and burn way more fat.

For additional fat burning try cardio intervals such as the backyard cardio circuit after weight training or on other days.

7 Secrets to Successful Weight Loss

2009-11-04T05:34:00.000-08:00

Because I want you to succeed in quest to lose weight, tone up and feel better, I’m going to share with you 7 secrets successful people use to reach their goals.

Does this sound like you?

Someday when I have the time, I’m going to start exercising.
Someday when I have the money, I’m going to eat healthy.
Someday when I’m in shape I’ll start going to the gym.
Someday, someday, someday…

It’s been said that,

It’s been said that, “Someday is the eighth day of week, the only day that never comes”.

Okay so, now that I have your attention here’s those success secrets; and actions you can take:

1. Successful people do what unsuccessful people are not willing to do. Go to the gym when you’re tired. Eat healthy meals when everyone else is eating junk.

2. They get the job done whether or not they feel like it. Take a jump rope and resistance band and workout on vacation.

3. They set goals, write them down and read them daily. If you haven’t done this…please do it today!

4. They never blame circumstances or other people. I don’t care if you do the shopping in your household; it’s your job to influence the person who does. Get healthy foods in to your house and in front of you one way or the other.

5. They start with a dream, turn the dream into a goal, and make a plan to reach the goal. Start with a dream and write it as a goal. If you need help with a plan e-mail me at tony at workoutquest dot com

6. They spend time with other people who have done what they want to do. If you want to lose weight, find someone who has done it and ask them what they did. If you don’t know anyone check this out Steven’s story then find a trainer who specializes in weight loss and hire them to help you. Don’t use the excuse that it’s too expensive either. Where talking about your health and your quality of life. Find some other area to cut back on if you need to.

7. They use momentum. The first week of exercise it hard, but it gets easier by week two, and it’s a habit by week four. Avoid starting and stopping and keep that momentum rolling. If you can’t do a full workout keep the momentum going by doing the No Excuse Workout.

Remember, application is the key. These secrets only work if you apply them.
I’d love to hear some of your favorite success tips in the comment section below.

Boost Metabolism for Weight Loss

2009-10-29T08:24:00.000-07:00

Q: How can I increase the speed of my metabolism so I can lose weight faster?

A: Exercising will do it; more specifically strength training. Building a pound of lean muscle raises your metabolism enough to burn about 50 extra calories a day. This may seem insignificant at first, but if you gain 5 pounds of muscle you will burn 91,250 extra calories over the course of a year which equals roughly 26 pounds. This is without any added cardio or diet plan.

Also try to eat three small meals plus three small snacks in between. Skipping meals or going too long between eating puts you in starvation mode which slows your metabolism. Eat something every three hours but keep total calories in check.

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Check Your Exercising Intensity

2009-10-26T08:20:00.000-07:00

If you want to lose weight, you've gotta do the right things for weight loss. It seems like every time I'm in the gym I see people kind of half way working out. They'll be walking on the treadmill aimlessly or lifting the little pink dumbbells that are way too easy for them. Now I've got to give these people credit for even coming to the gym because they could be sitting at home with a remote in one hand and a Krispy Kreme in the other. I think they could do better though.

When you're in the gym why not get the best return on your time investment possible? Forget about all that fat burning zone stuff; there are several studies showing that low intensity aerobic work does almost nothing for fat loss. The harder you work the better results you can expect. Do you ever wonder if you're exercising hard enough to get the results you want?

Check out this video:

The next time you workout use the Rate of Perceived Exertion Scale below to gauge your intensity while exercising.

Level 1: Very, very, light (this is so light; you probably are sitting on the couch with a remote in hand)
Level 2: Very light, Can maintain this pace all day long
Level 3: Light, but breathing a bit harder
Level 4: Starting to sweat a little, can carry on a conversation effortlessly (this may be your warm up)
Level 5: Just above comfortable, sweating more and can still talk easily
Level 6: Can still talk, but slightly breathless
Level 7: Can still talk, but I don't really want to, sweating more
Level 8: harder, can only keep this pace for a short time period (great for interval training)
Level 9: Very hard, want to stop
Level 10: very, very hard. An all out effort that requires every bit of energy you have. (you can only do this a few seconds then you have to stop and catch your breath)

Here’s a quick interval program that if done right will have you sweating and feeling like you actually did something and give you a better ROI on time spent in the gym.

You can do this workout on any cardio machine. Each day use a different machine or do sprints in the pool or at the park. Choosing your favorite activities will increase adherence.

5 minute warm up – gradually build up from level 3 to 5
1 minute level 9
2 minutes level 6-7
Repeat 3 times (four sets total)
5 minute cool down – gradually from level 5 to 3
Total time 22 minutes

I'd love to hear your comments below.

9 Tips for Successful Weight Loss

2009-10-21T08:01:00.000-07:00

This is a guest blog from Mike Owens who's a trainer specializing in rotational athletes such as tennis and golf in Las Vegas.

He's listed 9 quick and easy tips to help you succeed in your quest for fat loss.

3 Healthy Snacks
- Turkey burger wrap (lettuce, tomato, onion, turkey patty)
- 1 serving of almonds with medium banana
- Chicken/bacon salad: olives, lettuce, squash, cucumbers, broccoli, tomato, bell pepper, shredded (boneless/skinless) chicken breast, bacon pieces, salad dressing (red wine vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, pepper)

3 Exercise Tips of Fat Loss
- Get the heart rate up
- Do a little everyday...every little bit counts
- Vary your activities (hiking, biking, swimming, strength training) and keep it fun!

3 Nutrition Tips
- Plan meals in advance and cook them the night before
- Eat every few hours (breakfast being the most important meal)
- Record meals in a logbook every now and then to track your progress

Mike is a N.S.C.A. - Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist and YogaFit - Level One Yoga Instructor who holds a B.S. in Kinesiology from UNLV and will have a M.S. in Exercise Physiology (Spring of 2010) from UNLV.

*contact Mike Owens at mhowens85@hotmail.com for more tips*

Quick Upper Body Circuit

2009-10-18T07:58:00.000-07:00

Hey, I got a quick tip for you. If you ever find yourself short on time and want to skip your workout try an abbreviated version instead. A shortened fast paced workout is better than nothing at all because it will help you maintain your current fitness level and even help you burn a few calories.

Check out the video below showing you exactly how to get it done in only ten minutes.

You can do this when you only have ten minutes or add it to your regular workout.e

I'd love to hear your comments below.

Tony Wood

Steven's Weight Loss Story

2009-10-13T10:11:00.000-07:00

Small changes over time can add up to big success. When you're trying to lose weight remember slow and steady is the safe way to go and allows you to maintain it. A few behavior modifications can add up big time if you stick with it.

I brought you an inspiring story from a regular guy who lost over 50lbs. with diet and exercise (No fad diets or photoshop here). Just all natural results!

Read Steven's Story.

1. What was your starting weight? Ending weight?
Starting was 220lbs now I'm 167 lbs (at 5'10")

2. How long did it take you to lose the weight?

I lost 20 lbs in the first 6-8 months, then after I started doing lifting and toning exercises primarily (my cardio weight loss tapered off) I lost another 20 lbs in around the same time frame, maybe 7 months. So 13-15 months approximately.

3. How long have you kept it off?

About a year or so

4. When did you realize it was time to do something about your weight / health ( what was your a-ha moment)?

When my doctor looked at my triglycerides and cholesterol and said "(If you don't start changing your lifestyle and exercising, you WILL have heart disease when you hit your 40s (i'm 27)

5. What lifestyle changes did you make in your diet and exercise regime?
First thing I did was cut sugar soda's out of my diet COMPLETELY. I also started eating veggies for lunch, and yes, smaller portions as well. I also at first completely cut out candy and ice cream, but now I have a little from time to time to reward myself (if I deserve it! ;-P). Lately i've been walking alot, so I've been able to keep alot of it off. I also need to get back to lifting so I can bulk up more and get rid of the rest of the lil fattiness I have left.

6. How was your energy level before? After?

OH MY GOD... My energy level at the very least DOUBLED. I have so much energy now, and have frequently been able to go to clubs and dance all night, go for really long walks/hikes, etc. Also, (maybe TMI lol) but my sex life improved 4-fold! You'd be so surprised how much better it gets, especially with the confidence in your body in addition to the endurance you create with exercise and the extra vitamins and such you get from eating right. I also take 3-4 vitamins in the morning as well, and they help too.

7. What were the keys to your successful weight loss? Maintenance?

SELF-DEDICATION! Don't rely on ANYONE else to bring you there. The desire to change has to come from within, and keep coming from within, or you WILL falter.
Give up sugar sodas and most sugar drinks. You'd be surprised just how much that effects your weight. After switching to crystal light other alternatives (I actually gave up soda altogether, even diet, for a time so I wasn't tempted to get a sugared one) I actually lost about 5 lbs in just around 2 weeks.

Also eat lots and lots of Veggies. Use them to replace foods you normally eat. Also, eat chicken instead of beef and pork as a mainstay of your diet. Not having all the fat works wonders.

Congratulations Steven keep up the good work.

If you'd like your story told leave a comment below.

Comments Section Added to Posts

2009-10-12T10:59:00.000-07:00

Hey I just want to let you know I just added a comments section to the blog posts. I'd like to get your opinion on my posts, so leave a comment and let me know what you think.

Thanks,
Tony

Lower Body "No Excuse" Circuit

2009-10-11T08:13:00.000-07:00

Hey, I hope you're doing great. Check out my new no excuse workout that you can do anytime and anywhere! This quick lower body circuit will help strengthen your legs and get your heart rate up in only 15 minutes.

To get the most from this circuit work as hard as you can from start to finish. To challenge yourself go as fast as you can while focusing on correct form.

Here's the video.

Backyard Strength Circuit

2009-10-05T08:47:00.000-07:00

Tony Wood here. I've got another quick video for you that you can do anytime and anywhere! If you're short on time you can do this quick strength workout to help build your muscles and get your heart rate up fast.

The best part about it is that you don't need any equipment and can finish it in under 12 minutes. Remember to work as hard as you can from start to finish.

Check out the video.

Video Recap

Squats
Squat Jumps
Reverse Lunge Left Leg
Reverse Lunge Right Leg
Close Grip Pushup
Dynamic Plank
Single Leg RDL Left Leg
Single Leg RDL Right Leg

Do each exercise for 30 seconds each; repeat 3 times with little or no rest between exercises.

To make the workout more challenging do each exercise for 45 or 60 seconds each. You'll still be done it less than 20 minutes!

Backyard Cardio Workout

2009-10-04T08:00:00.000-07:00

I hope you're doing great! I made a quick video for you that you can do anytime and anywhere! If you're short on time you can do this quick cardio workout to get your heart rate up fast; or add it to the end of your main workout for a cardio boost.

The best part about it is that you don't need any equipment and can finish it in under 10 minutes. Since it's a quick workout work as hard as you can from start to finish.

I hope you like the video.

Video Recap

Jumping Jacks
Hi Knee Jog in place
Burpees
Mountain Climbers

Do each exercise for 30 seconds each; repeat 3 times with little or no rest between exercises.

To make the workout more challenging do each exercise for 45 or 60 seconds each. You'll still be done it 9 to 12 minutes!

For more Free fit tips, motivation and special offers sign up for our free newsletter at workoutquest.com

Put Your Phone Down While You Workout

2009-10-02T15:29:00.001-07:00

As a trainer I see a lot of people getting poor returns on their time invested in the gym.

Just today I saw a woman texting on the inner thigh machine. Then less than 20 minutes later I saw another woman texting while riding a recumbant bike.

The two things they both had in common was they both were going so slow it was almost pointless. From the looks of them I would guess their intensity usually stays pretty low.

The take home message is this: don't go to the gym and half ass it and expect fabolous results. Put down your phone (better yet, leave it in your locker) for 30 to 45 minutes and bust a sweat to get a result you can be proud of.

Take Your Workout Outside

2009-10-01T16:02:00.001-07:00

Whether you go to a boot camp or not, there are plenty of fun ways to get fit beyond the walls of the health club. Exercise can be done anytime and anywhere as long as you get creative.

Here's what I did on Tuesday.

6 minute dynamic warm up consisting of:
High knees, butt kickers, Carioca, Frankenstein walk, back pedaling, inchworm and spiderman crawls

14 Minutes of running football wide receiver routes and back pedaling. Approximately 5 seconds per sprint at full speed with 30 seconds rest between.

Finished with alternating sets of pull ups on the soccer goal and feet elevated pushups. Did four sets to failure on each with one minute rest between exercises.

Worked on cardio conditioning, agility, and upper body strength in under 35 minutes.

You don't have to do this workout but it's good to step out of the gym and get creative once in a while.

Time Crunch

2009-09-27T12:09:00.000-07:00

Q: I’ve been missing workouts because I don’t have time due to my new work schedule. Can I still get good results working out only two times a week?

A: If you’re only working out twice a week that may be enough to maintain, but if you’re still looking to improve shoot for at least three days a week. Make a serious effort to make your health and fitness a priority in your life. Do your best to get in and stay in the habit of doing all your workouts. When you get in the habit of skipping a workout here and there it becomes all too easy to let a week or two go by without working out.

Even if you can’t complete your full workout do your best to work hard for 15 minutes. This may not seem like much but it keeps you in the routine of being consistent and not skipping your workouts. Since you only have 15 minutes some days you need to make it count. Spend as much of your time working and rest as short as possible. Here’s an example of a lower body workout:

1 minute Squats
1 minute Bulgarian Split Squats right leg
1 minute Bulgarian Split Squats left leg
1 minute SL Deadlift Right Leg
1 minute SL Deadlift Left Leg

Repeat 3 times

This workout also has a cardio component because the circuit doesn’t allow for rest, so your heart rate will remain elevated giving you a 15 minute cardio workout as well. However if you need rest take it when needed, but keep it to a minimum as your goal is to do as much work as you can in a short period of time.

Choose Your Calories Wisely

2009-09-23T11:23:00.000-07:00

No matter how hard you try you can’t out train a crappy diet. Stop rewarding yourself every time you workout by splurging on some sort of high calorie treat because you had a good workout. I hear this one all the time, “That was a good workout, now I can go out to the buffet (I live in Vegas and they’re everywhere).

Let me simplify this for you. If you burn 300 calories in your workout and you reward yourself with a large blueberry muffin that’s 465 calories that you don’t need. Now you are 165 calories in the wrong direction and you WILL gain weight! That 300 calories you burned is fine and dandy, but if you want it to mean something you better not eat that muffin or you better run for and additional 50 minutes or bike for 66 minutes because that’s how long it will take to burn off the extra calories.

That’s just with one muffin, not a whole buffet. Choose your calories wisely and remember it’s okay to reward yourself once or twice a month but if you do it after every single workout you’re going to be disappointed with the results you get.

For more Free fit tips, motivation and special offers sign up for our free newsletter at workoutquest.com

Cardio or Weights?

2009-09-20T10:39:00.000-07:00

A few days ago I saw a man and a woman enter the gym together and he asked her, “Do you want to do cardio or weights today?” I didn’t even listen to the answer because two things immediately ran through my mind:

1. If you have to ask you’re probably not following any type of program

2. Do you really have to choose?

If you are following a program you should know what you’re going to do before you step foot in the gym. If you aren’t you’re probably going to waist time figuring out what to do, and I don’t know about you but as much as I enjoy working out I don’t like wasting time. My other issue is when you follow a plan you have progression, meaning it gradually gets harder so you get stronger, faster, more endurance, greater fat loss, ect. And when you don’t have a plan you have no progression because you're making it up on the fly which leads to poor results.

Even if there was not benefit to having a progression, you still don’t need to choose. Why not do both? Again, stop wasting time and do both weights and cardio to get the benefits of both in less time. Start with your weights and add cardio intervals between your sets instead of resting so you can build muscle and burn more calories in less time leading to greater fat loss.

Eat Right for Fat Loss

2009-09-13T08:11:00.000-07:00

Are you trying to burn fat? If so, I hope your exercising and eating right. Eating right not only means eating at the right times but also the right types of foods at the right times. Food is your fuel. So to slim down and boost your energy levels you need healthy meals not junk food. Junk food contains empty calories so eliminating them from your diet, especially at night is best. It’s like putting dirt in your gas tank; it’s not going to do you any good.

Because food is your fuel, in the mornings you need to eat larger meals to provide energy throughout the day. In the evenings stick to smaller meals since you are less active.

Instead of a late night snack of ice cream and cookies or some other sugar and fat filled combo try this low calorie late night snack packed with protein and plenty of antioxidants.

4-6 oz. of orange juice
4 oz. of fat free cottage cheese
4 oz. of fat free milk
¼ cup of frozen blueberries
½ small banana (frozen)

blend into a shake and enjoy!

If you like this check out Stop Drinking Your Calories and Start Losing Weight

Top 10 mistakes people make in the gym

2009-09-06T07:54:00.000-07:00

When I'm in the gym, I can't help but to see people making mistakes that are slowing down their progress. I'm not alone either. The American Council on Exercise (ACE) recently polled 2,500 certified fitness professionals to find out what they consider to be the top 10 mistakes made by health club members today.

Here are the surprising (and not-so-surprising) results of that study:

10. Exercising too hard: Moderate exercise is the most effective. Many people believe that they can "make up" for missed workouts.

9. Not exercising intensely enough: Picking up the pace will help members achieve changes they may not be experiencing. If their workout isn't challenging, then the lack of results can be discouraging.

8. Bad posture: People should never slouch or slump when either using machines or participating in a group exercise class. Proper posture can prevent back injuries.

7. Using momentum, rather than muscles, to lift weights: Slow, controlled movements are what builds muscle strength.

6. Lifting too much weight: If complete range of motion is not possible, then most likely the weight is too heavy. As my husband always says ... more is not necessarily better!

5. Not stretching: Stretching helps reduce injuries and increases muscle length and mobility, if done properly.

4. Skipping a cool down: Cooling down after a workout will lower the heart rate and prevent dizziness.

3. Not warming up properly: People who start their workouts full-force are likely candidates for injury and/or exhaustion. Warming up gets the blood flowing and gives muscles time to adapt.

2. Not drinking enough water: In exercise, the key is hydration, hydration, hydration! Please ensure that water is readily available in your club at all times.

1. Not consuming a nutritious "meal" within one hour of workout: The optimal time for consuming a combination of protein and carbohydrates is immediately following an intense workout session. This "window of opportunity" is imperative to the recovery of the body. A good choice is a fruit smoothie containing at least 23 grams of protein.

Check out the top 10 Nutritional Mistakes

Top Ten Nutritional Mistakes Made By Active People

2009-08-30T12:12:00.000-07:00

Many people think exercise alone is the key to reaching their fitness goals. While exercise does a lot of good, make sure you're not making these mistakes and you'll get more out of your workouts.

This post comes from the American Council on Exercise.

Though active people typically pay close attention to their fitness regimen – proper cardiovascular workout, strength training and stretching - they may be making crucial mistakes in their diet. Not putting the right nutrients in your body could ultimately affect the overall fitness benefits of an active lifestyle. To stress the importance of proper nutrition ACE shares the following nutrition mistakes commonly made by active people.

Skipping breakfast. Experts agree–skipping breakfast just means you’ll be hungrier later, which can make it more difficult to control both your diet and your weight.

Not eating before a workout. Providing the body with food for energy allows for a better, more productive exercise session. Try eating a pre-workout meal consisting of carbs, a little fat and some protein.
Waiting too long after exercise to eat. One of the best things you can do to prepare for your next workout is eat a small meal that includes both carbohydrates and protein within two hours of your last session.

Replacing meals with energy bars or replacement drinks. Many energy bars offer little more nutrition than your average candy bar and replacement drinks may lack adequate fiber. There’s really no substitute for healthy whole foods.

Eating too much protein and not enough carbs. The current popularity of low-carb diets has many people trying to fuel their workouts with poultry instead of pasta. But carbohydrates are essential to effective workouts.

Trusting the accuracy of dietary supplement labels and claims. Because the supplement industry remains largely unregulated, manufacturers can make unproven and untested claims about their products. Do your homework before putting anything into your body.

Not consuming the right amount of calories for the amount of activity you do (i.e., too many or too few). Your caloric intake should be sufficient to support your active lifestyle, but not so abundant that weight control becomes a challenge.

Believing that exercise means you can eat whatever you want. Whether you exercise a little or a lot, you still need to follow a healthy, balanced diet and watch you portion sizes.
Not drinking the right amount of fluids. Dehydration can be a serious problem, especially if you exercise in hot, humid environments. Drinking fluids before, during and after exercise will help you maintain adequate hydration levels.

Jumping on the latest diet craze in search of that elusive “edge.” It’s tempting to believe there is some magic formula out there that will dramatically improve our performance or lose weight, but the best approach is to stick to the basics and follow a healthy, balanced diet.

Stop Drinking Calories and Start Losing Weight

2009-08-23T10:14:00.000-07:00

Stop drinking your calories. Many of your favorite soft drinks and flavored coffee drinks can contain 200 or more calories. Drinking a couple of these a day can add up to major weight gain. First make sure to stay away from super sized beverages (stick with 8 to 12 ounces), second making the switch to water can lead to a 20 pound weight loss or more over the course of a year.

Also drink plenty of water. Aim for .6 to .7 ounces per pound of body weight. For instance if you weigh 160 pounds aim to get at least 96 ounces per day. Having 16 ounces of water upon waking in the morning is a good idea because you have been dehydrated during your sleep. With each meal you should also drink one to two cups of water. Carrying a water bottle to work or school and sipping throughout the day, helps keep you hydrated and full between meals.

Non-Diet Weight Loss

2009-08-04T14:50:00.000-07:00

Find out how many calories you eat in a typically day. Track everything (including gravy and butter) for a few days to get an average. Once you’ve figured out how many calories you eat in a typical day start by cutting 200-300 calories from that, so if you currently average 2800 calories, try dropping down to 2500 a day. This may be as easy as cutting out high calories drinks or making healthier choices when eating out.

Next split the total between five to six meals to get your metabolism working for you. The goal is to eat more frequently, but less overall. Get an early start by eating breakfast within 30 minutes of waking up in the morning and eat every three to four hours after that. Follow up breakfast with a mid-morning snack, lunch, a mid-afternoon snack, dinner and if needed a light evening snack. With your busy schedule it may be hard to eat every three hours so be prepared to bring cheese sticks, low fat yogurt, apples, oranges and other whole grain snacks that provide fiber and keep you full.

Food Inc

2009-08-03T12:21:00.000-07:00

If you want to feel better, have more energy and be sick less you need to workout regularly but you also have to provide your body with the right fuel.

I haven't seen this movie yet but it looks good. Check out the Trailer here

http://www.foodincmovie.com/

I'll try to post the video soon.

The 5 Biggest Workout Mistakes that Slow Down Results

2009-07-19T08:46:00.000-07:00

1. Not drinking enough water. Dehydration can diminish energy and impair performance. Even a 2-percent loss of body weight through can put you at a disadvantage. Shoot for eight to ten eight ounce glasses of water daily and drink 16 ounces of water 2 to 3 hours before training. You should then drink an additional 8 ounces 10 to 20 minutes prior to training. The result is more energy to lift weights and you’ll tone up faster.

2. Reading on the treadmill. If your only goal is to build a healthy heart and lungs, then a low intensity treadmill works fine while reading a book or magazine. However if you really want to burn a ton of calories and make a noticeable difference then you’ll need to pump up your intensity which makes it hard to read. If you’re concentrating on reading then you’re not working hard enough. Put the magazine down, increase your intensity and burn more calories now.

3. Get off the treadmill if you hate it. Stop torturing yourself doing cardio exercises you don’t even enjoy. Exercise doesn’t have to be something you hate to do. If you can’t stand the treadmill try the bike, if you hate the bike try the step mill, if you dislike that then try jump roping. You’ll get better results if you pick a cardio routine that’s fun for you. Keep trying new things until you what you like. You can also cross-train. Take a 30 minute workout and do three different exercises for 10 minutes each.

4. Stop wasting all your time on cardio. If your goal is to be a distance runner or some other type of endurance athlete then keep it up, but if your goal is to burn more fat and your doing over 30 minutes of cardio a day it’s time to cut down and add some weight training. Weight training builds muscle which boosts your metabolism which leads to weight loss. Cardio does not.

5. Not paying attention to diet. I’m not saying you need to get on a diet. But you can’t go out and eat anything you want just because you workout a few times a week. If your workout burns off a few hundred calories don’t spoil it by treating yourself on a daily basis; adding back in a few hundred extra calories. That just puts you back at square one. Pay attention to portion sizes and try to eat something every three to four hours and forget the high calories drinks.

Overweight and Need to Lose Bodyfat

2009-07-12T10:44:00.000-07:00

Here’s a question I was recently e-mailed about needing to lose weight.

Q: I am currently 214 lbs at about 34% bodyfat and I need to lose some fat.
Here is my plan:

I'm going to start a low carb diet and train with weights four times a week. Here’s the weight training split:
Mon: Chest and Back
Tue: Legs
Wed: Off
Thu: Arms and Abs
Fri: Off
Sat: Full Body Circuit
Sun: Off

I'm also going to start walking for 45 to 60 minutes every morning but I'll make sure to keep my heart rate in the fat burning zone.

Is there anything you'd do to upgrade or modify this?

A: From your program I’m guessing you haven’t read my blog. At 214 with 34% bodyfat you’ve got about 72lbs of fat to cut back on, so pretty much any program will work as long as you're burning more calories than you take in, but since you’re looking for an upgrade let’s see how we can improve your program.

If you’re looking for fast results I'd start by throwing this plan out and starting over from scratch. Here’s what I recommend you do:

Stop it with the body part split. You’re not a bodybuilder so you don’t need to hit each muscle with its own day. Besides you’re goal is to lose fat and your arm day won’t burn much fat or elevate your metabolism much. Instead switch to and upper lower split three times per week for a higher caloric burn and a better use of your time. Day 1 do upper body compound lifts such as rows, pull downs and presses on Day 2 rest, Day 3 do lower body exercises such as squats, lunges, and deadlifts. Day 4 rest and day 5 back to upper body. Keep alternating between upper and lower body exercises. Next week you’ll do two lower body days and one upper body day.

For cardio stop the doing the fat burning zone workouts. Besides there are several studies showing that low intensity aerobic work does almost nothing for fat loss. To get more bang for your buck switch to high intensity interval training three times per week, it burns more calories while you are doing it, burns more calories after you have done it (EPOC) and in every single head-to-head study is shown to be more effective than steady state cardio.

For your diet know that carbs aren’t bad. Making some changes aren’t a bad idea though. Switch to whole wheat pastas and breads and brown rice and load up on vegetables. Most important stick to correct portion sizes. Don’t forget high protein foods such as lean turkey, chicken and fish and healthy fats. Make sure you’re not drinking your calories either. Swap sodas and high calorie coffees for water.

Overall this plan should help you lose 1-2 lbs. of fat a week. For more tips check out my blog and workoutquest.com.

The Secret to Successful Fat Loss

2009-07-05T09:04:00.000-07:00

I’m going to share with you the secret to successful fat loss. It’s real easy and begins with three questions you must ask yourself.

1. Where am I today?
2. Where do I want to be?
3. Is what I’m doing today going to get me there?

Let me break down each one for you.

First, do you know where you are today? Did you set a goal at the beginning of the year to be down 25 pounds by December? If so, the year is half way there; are YOU half way there? Or do you have the same open ended goal of losing some weight and toning up? First before you can do anything else, figure out where you are today.

Second, where do you want to be? What is your goal? Figure it how, write it down, and have a clear picture in your mind what this looks like and know what it’s going to take to get yourself there.

The third question is so powerful because it relates to you taking action. You can read all the blogs, magazines, and books you want but nothing happens until you take action! Ask yourself this question daily; is what I’m doing today going to get me there? If you can answer yes to this question on a daily basis then you’re on your way!

My Muscle Building Fat Burning Countdown Workout

2009-07-05T08:43:00.000-07:00

I’m going to share with you a workout that I recently did using countdowns. It was a great workout because it was a full body circuit that incorporated strength, balance, cardio conditioning, and core stabilization with only four body weight exercises. To do countdowns you’ll start with a high number of reps and with each round you’ll do fewer reps, working your way down to 1 rep on the last round. I started at 10 reps and worked my way down to 1. Best of all it was done in under 30 minutes; my heart rate was racing, I was sweating and my muscles were burning (remember if you want to see results, you must push beyond your comfort zone; translation - work up a sweat).

The four exercises:

1. Bulgarian Split Squat 10 reps with right leg, 10 reps with left leg
2. Single-leg Romanian Deadlift 10 reps with right leg, 10 reps with left leg
3. Chin up 10 reps
4. Pike push up 10 reps

The exercises are done with no rest between (unless you’re tired) that’s one round. The next round repeats the same order with 9 reps of everything, then 8 rep and so on until the last round is complete with 1 rep of everything. That’s 330 total reps!

The great thing about this workout is I didn’t need any weight; all I needed was a pull up bar. Anyone who thinks you can’t do cardio without a machine needs to try this. I challenge you to work through it with as little rest as you can and let me know how high your heart rate gets.

Not Seeing Results with Cardio Workouts?

2009-06-28T09:16:00.000-07:00

Do you do the same cardio workout day after day and week after week? If so, you may have noticed a decline in your progress. In a previous blog I wrote about progressive overload with resistance training, the same principle holds true with cardiovascular workouts. That is your workouts must gradually get harder over time in order for you to see improvement.

Because you body adapts to the workout after a few weeks you need to be doing something harder than you’re used to in order to continue to improve. Your body becomes more efficient as it adapts. Let’s say you go out and run a mile and you burn 138 calories running at 5.0 miles per hour and it takes you 12 minutes. We’ll if this were your first run in a while you’d be sweating pretty good, you’d be huffing and puffing and your heart rate would be up pretty high. Now if you did this every other day for a month straight your body would adapt and if you continued to run at the same speed; still doing 5.0 miles per hour and finishing in 12 minutes your body would be more efficient and you’d sweat less, you wouldn’t be huffing and puffing and your heart rate would not be as high. This all equates to a lower caloric burn.

What this all means is you need to gradually make the workout harder if you want to continue to burn more calories. You can go faster, longer, or add hills or harder intervals. I prefer to add intervals because although your body still adapts to them they provide a raised metabolism for hours after the workout resulting in the greatest caloric burn. To see more on that click here.

Here’s one quick and easy way to make this work for you while doing intervals:

Month 1 - Run hard for 1 minute and jog light for 2 minutes; repeat two times. Total 9 minutes

Month 2 – Run hard for 1 minute and jog light for 2 minutes; repeat three times; Total 12 minutes

Month 3 – Run hard for 1 minute and jog light for 2 minutes; repeat four times; Total 15 minutes

As you can see each moth you run a little bit more. That’s how easy it is to avoid reaching a plateau in your weight loss.

I know you may be thinking how am I going to burn lots of calories in only 15 minutes? First off this example may not suit your specific needs, but the principle does; and that is increase time, distance, intensity or shorten rest intervals. Just remember it’s the high intensity that helps get your metabolism revved up for hours later. And if you’re not really sweating during the hard run your intensity is too low.

For more information visit us a www.workoutquest.com

Beat Dehydration and Improve Your Performance

2009-06-14T17:02:00.000-07:00

Many people still underestimate the importance of proper hydration during their workouts. Because water is a key component of your body, making up 60 to 65 percent of total body weight, dehydration can diminish energy and impair performance. Even a two percent loss of body weight through sweat can put you at a disadvantage while exercising. Research also shows that properly hydrated resistance-trained weight lifters can lift more than those who are dehydrated.

Follow the Tips Below to stay hydrated during your workouts:
• Shoot for eight to ten eight ounce glasses of water daily

• Remember fluids throughout the day. This may be as simple as using fountains, coolers, or carrying a water bottle for drinking throughout the day.

• Hydrate 2 to 3 hours before training. Aim for at least 16 ounces (2 cups) of fluid at this time and an additional 8 ounces (1 cup) 10 to 20 minutes prior to lifting.

• Drink during and after training. Sports drinks can help ward off dehydration and muscle cramps because they help replenish both fluid and electrolytes (i.e., sodium and potassium) lost in sweat without overdrinking. Just be weary of those containing artificial sweeteners such as sucralose, acesulfame K or high fructose corn syrup.

Nutrition is the Key to Reaching Your Fitness Goals

2009-05-23T05:32:00.000-07:00

Whether you want to burn fat or build muscle what, when and how much food you consume can be the key to your success or keep you from succeeding. No matter how often and how hard you workout you cannot out train a crappy diet. Many guys fail to bulk up because they aren’t eating enough or enough of the right things. At the same time many of you fail to lose weight or build muscle tone because you of your eating habits.

A few simple changes can be the difference in finally reaching you goals.

First, eat small meals with correct portion size every 2-3 hours
Plan to eat every 2 -3 hours, whether it’s a full meal or just a healthy snack. When you eat more often, your blood sugar level tends to stabilize, which means you are less likely to experience severe hunger. Since your body only needs so many calories at a given time, excess calories become stored as body fat. The longer you wait between meals, the more likely you are to overeat at your next meal prompting your body to store more body fat.

Second, don’t skip breakfast
Eat a big breakfast, a medium sized lunch, followed by a smaller evening meal, with small frequent snacks in between. After sleeping at night your metabolism has slowed down. Eating a big breakfast gets your metabolism revved up first thing in the morning to help you start burning fat. You should make an effort to eat larger meals in the early part of the day when you are most active, and can use those calories as energy throughout your day. In the later part of the day when you are less active, your body requires fewer calories so make sure to eat smaller meals as the day progresses.

Third, stop drinking your calories
Many people drink a large number of calories during the day without even knowing it. Super sized soft drinks and flavored coffee beverages can have 300 to 700 calories or more. First make sure to stay away from super sized beverages (stick with 8 to 12 ounces), second making the switch to water can lead to a 20 pound weight loss or more over the course of a year. Non-calorie beverages such as water and green tea are your best choices.

Aim for .6 to .7 ounces per pound of body weight. For instance if you weigh 160 pounds aim to get at least 96 ounces per day. Having 16 ounces of water upon waking in the morning is a good idea because you have been dehydrated during your sleep. With each meal you should also drink one to two cups of water. Carrying a water bottle to work or school and sipping throughout the day, helps keep you hydrated and full between meals. Don’t wait until you’re thirsty to have a drink as this is a sign that you are already dehydrated.

Remember, Small changes go a long way to getting you where you want to go. Make the change today.

The Definition of Insanity

2009-05-03T09:24:00.000-07:00

Albert Einstein once said “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results”. Think about this quote for a second and ask yourself, does this quote apply to me?

Well, if you have been doing the same workout for years and aren’t getting the results you want then guess what? You might be a little insane. First of all don’t feel bad at least you’re still going to the gym right? The problem is you need to learn what is going to get you the results you’re after.

Chances are the intensity of your workouts is too low and you’re not breaking out of your comfort zone. Until you push beyond your comfort zone you’ll maintain at best. Don’t be afraid to sweat and don’t be afraid of being sore. These are two indicators that you’re pushing yourself hard, and when you push yourself hard results aren’t far behind.

Stop the insanity now and push yourself to the next level. For more tips visit us www.workoutquest.com

7 Habits of Highly Effective Weight Loss Programs

2009-04-13T11:34:00.000-07:00

1. Eat Breakfast
After sleeping at night your metabolism has slowed down. Eating breakfast gets your metabolism revved up first thing in the morning to help your body start burning fat.

2. Eat Frequently
Plan to eat every 2 -3 hours, whether it’s a full meal or just a healthy snack. The longer you wait between meals, the more likely you are to overeat at your next meal prompting your body to store more body fat

3. Lift Weights
Weight lifting not only builds muscle but also increases your metabolism. Every pound of muscle you build increases your metabolism enough to burn an additional 50 calories per day, so gaining 5 pounds of muscle will help you shed over 25 pounds of fat over the course of a year.

4. Perform Interval Training
Interval training is a great way to burn a ton of calories in a short period of time. It also forces your body to continue to burn more fat in the following hours than you will at a steady state low intensity cardio resulting in faster fat loss.

5. Decrease Caloric Intake
Research has shown that Americans often underestimate how many calories they are consuming each day by as much as 25%. Therefore they think they should be maintaining or losing weight, when they are actually gaining weight. Measure out correct portions at home and eat only half of your oversized meal when eating out.

6. Drink Water
Super sized soft drinks and flavored coffee beverages can have 300 to 700 calories or more. Making the switch to water can lead to a 20 pound weight loss or more over the course of a year and avoiding dehydration lets your body perform to the best of its ability.

7. Set Realist Goals
Realistic weight loss is ½ to 2 pounds a week. Remember you didn’t put the weight on overnight so don’t expect to lose it that quick. Write your goals down and review them every night. Research shows people who write down their goals and review them daily are more successful than those who don’t.

I’m Not Losing Weight, Why?

2009-03-23T09:43:00.000-07:00

Q: Six months ago I started doing cardio to lose weight. I began walking 30 minutes three times a week, now I’m running 60 minutes five days a week. I feel like I’ve been putting in a lot of time, but I haven’t lost any weight in the last two months, why?

A: To continue to lose weight you may need to adjust your training regime. The problem is the fact that your body adapts to the stimulus you give it. If you lift weights, for example your body responds by getting stronger allowing you to lift heavier weights; if you eat only two meals per day your body adapts by slowing your metabolism (not a good thing if you want to lose weight) so you don’t starve. When you do aerobic training as in your case, your body becomes more efficient at running, so your body requires less energy to complete the task, resulting in less caloric burn.

When you started running 60 minutes it used to be very hard, on an intensity scale of 1 to 10 it might have been an 8 or 9 (meaning it’s harder), now that you’ve conditioned yourself it may only be a 5 or 6 (meaning it’s easier). So to continue to improve you have to workout harder and harder to achieve weight loss. To do this you can run longer, add hills or go faster which will bring your intensity back up to an 8 or 9. If weight loss is you goal, there’s no fun in running 70 minutes up hill to burn the same amount of calories you used to burn in 60 minutes on flat land.

While you can increase the time of your run to burn more calories, to make your workout more time efficient my recommendation is to add hills or speed increases. The best way to do this is with interval training, which will be a little harder, but saves you a lot of time and gets a much better result. If you can currently run 30 minutes you'll add work intervals such as small hills or all out sprints (level 9 or 10) for 60 seconds every four minutes.

As you improve from month to month gradually decrease your rest interval time from 3 minutes to 2 minutes and finally to 1 minute. The shorter rest intervals will keep your work intervals feeling hard; a level 8 or 9. As you get better conditioned you can also add steeper hills and faster sprints keeping it at a level 9 or 10 and you’ll never stop burning fat.

Example:
Minutes 1-3 normal pace
Minute 4 sprint or hill (level 9)
Minutes 5-7 normal pace
Minutes 8 sprint or hill (level 9)
Minute 9-11 normal pace
Minutes 12 sprint or hill (level 9)
Minutes 13-15 normal pace
Minute 16 sprint or hill (level 9)
Minutes 17-19 normal pace
Minutes 20 sprint or hill (level 9)
Minute 21-23 normal pace
Minutes 24 sprint or hill (level 9)
Minutes 25-27 normal pace
Minute 28 sprint or hill (level 9)
Minutes 29-30 normal pace

Train With Weights To Lose Fat

2009-03-22T09:24:00.000-07:00

Did you know that for every pound of muscle you gain, your metabolism increases enough to burn an extra 50 calories per day? This may not sound all that impressive, but if you gain five pounds of muscle you’ll burn an additional 250 calories a day just sitting there carrying around that added muscle. Over the course of a year you’ll shed 26 pounds without any added cardio or diet changes.

If you’re not lifting weights start today and begin shedding fat and tone up. For help with muscle building workouts visit workoutquest.com.