Fitness Friday

It's no secret that when people first decide to exercise, their primary goal is fat loss.  Everyone wants to look better.  Of course people want to exercise to be healthy too, but primary we all want to look better.
With that said, here are a few awesome trainers that put together a list of their 3 best fat loss secrets.

As for our top 3 secrets
1.  Taking some sort of omega-3 is a great start.  Fish oil(DHA,EPA,ALA) is great as it cuts down on inflammation in your body, and keeps cell membranes more "fluid."
2.  Sleep!!!- sleep reduces cortisol levels, and allows for your body to fully recover.  More sleep = less stress
3.  Vary your exercise intensity!!


I thought this article was very cool and interesting.  This guy is undergoing an experiment on himself to determine if a calorie really is a calorie.


Weekend Workout!!

Jump Rope 60s
Prisoner Squat-10
Bear Crawl-50ft
Bodyweight Row- 10

Jump Rope 60s
Squat-8
Ape Crawl-50ft
Bodyweight Row-8

Jump Rope-60s
Squat-6
Dog Crawl-50ft
Bodyweight Row-6

Jump Rope-60s
Squat-4
Inchworm/Caterpillar 50ft
Bodyweight Row-4

Jump Rope 60s
Squat-2
Crab Walk-50ft
Bodyweight Row-2

Jump Rope 60s
Squat-1
Spiderman Climb-20
Bodyweight Row-1

Head down the ladder, then go right back up.

Motivational Monday

Memorial Day is the official kickoff to the summer.  Time to step it up a notch. 

 

Take advantage of every day you have. 

 

"Bravery doesn't mean you aren't scared.  It means you go anyway"

 

"Courage is the first of human qualities because it is the quality which guarantees the others."

-Winston Churchill

 

Thank you to all the brave men and women that help keep us safe. 

 

 

 

Have a safe and healthy Memorial Day. 

 

 

Fitness Friday

Cardio seems to always be a necessity when people think of losing weight and exercising.  However that is not always the case.  Take a look at the article about Cardio Confusion to get some answers.  Better yet, take a look at the Lift Heavy article to see what you can do instead.  Finally 15 doctor recommended tips to lose weight.


Cardio Confusion

Lift Heavy

Doctors Advice

Weekend Workout
Squat- 15
Single Arm elevated push-up- 12 total (one hand higher than the other)
Crossing Lunges- 10 each leg
Mountain Climbers- 30
Body Extensions/Fake Jumps- 10
Spiderman climbs- 20
Ice Skaters- 30
Push-ups 12
Pistons/Cross body Mt Climbers- 30

Rock that for 3 rounds, resting 1 minute in between rounds.
Feel free to add weight to any of the exercises below.


Have a great Memorial Day Weekend!!!

New Age of Awesomeness

Its time to get excited again to work out and get your fitness on.  For too long "big box" gyms have preyed on the good intentions and emotional goals that their members bring to the gym.  In general, these gyms do not care about you or your goals.  They are really after one thing and one thing only.   

Money!  Your hard earned money

Its time for a change.  

Active Movement & Performance (AMP) ignores all the nonsense that clouds the "sales driven" part the fitness industry and puts the focus on you.  AMP is all about creating a creating a culture, atmosphere and experience that produces incredible change and inspiration for our clients and has been and will continue to be one of the highest priorities for us.  We also expect all our clients to be committed to and help develop this culture.  What this means is that we are positive on all fronts, and change lives with positive, motivating, and encouraging words and actions.  

NO NEGATIVITY!!

NO CAN'T

AMP truly cares about each one of our clients and we guarantee we will know your name.  Just like Cheers!

As for our entire philosophy when it comes to training, AMP was founded on the idea that we don’t move as well or as often as we should.  We believe in teaching movement patterns as opposed to isolating muscle groups.  Most training programs focus on an antiquated style of training that splits the body into multiple units.  Our system is based on scientific research that proves the body does not work in isolation on a daily basis, it works as one unit.  We combine mobility, strength training, conditioning, and flexibility structured in fun, yet challenging sessions that are never repeated.

  

We have developed a proven system to help you increase your bodies’ performance and reach your goals, no matter what they are.  We help clients increase athletic potential, lose fat, gain muscle, lead healthier lives, increase mobility, and increase strength levels.  In addition, AMP is home to one of the few certified post rehab trainers in the area.  If you are coming off an injury, we have THE specialist for you.

Both our training staff and facility are constantly evolving by staying on the cutting edge of fitness.  All of our trainers continually seek out the latest education and certifications proven by academic research.  In addition we jam pack AMP with a constant stream of new “toys” to keep your workouts fresh, fun and intense to continually break through training plateaus.

Like we said before, our highest priority is to create a culture, atmosphere, and experience that produces incredible change and inspiration for our AMP clients.  We like to call our little studio and all of our clients, a "fitness family."  We are here to help you reach your goals and give you 100% effort while educating you and motivating you to reach your highest potential. 

So come to AMP and let us help you achieve awesomeness!

Are you ready to take action and join in on the fun that is Active Movement & Performance?

Are you ready to get AMPed!!


Check us out on Facebook Active Movement and Performance
and on Twitter @AMPtrain

Motivational Monday

100%. We always hear about giving it 100% effort or achieving 100%.
What exactly does that mean?

What Equals 100%?

Namely what equals 100% in life?

Lets look at it from a math perspective.
What if we correspond a number to each letter of the alphabet:
A-1 B-2 C-3 D-4 E-5 F-6 G-7 H-8 I-9 J-10 K-11 L-12 M-13 N-14 O-15 P-16 Q-17 R-18 S-19 T-20 U-21 V-22 W-23 X-24 Y-25 Z-26

HARD WORK
8+1+18+4+23+15+18+11 = 98%

KNOWLEDGE
11+14+15+23+12+5+4+7+5 = 96%

ATTITUDE
1+20+20+9+20+21+4+5 = 100%


Therefore you can conclude using math that: While Hard Work and Knowledge will get you close, Attitude will get you there!

What kind of attitude do you have today?

Fitness Friday

We've made it another week.  I did a lot of reading this week, and I found these 4 articles of particular interest.  I really feel that we devalue sleep a lot, and it can reek havoc on our bodies. 
I also think that parents, especially moms put everyone else ahead of themselves and this could be backwards thinking. 
Lastly, everyone gets on the "low fat" or "no fat" craze when you truly should be eating fat.  I'm not saying burgers and fries fat, but healthy fats.  Without fats, a lot of bodily functions couldn't take place, like the production of hormones. 



Balance your fats-Eating fats is not a bad thing.  In the end, it is about balance.  Science has shifted away from what advice has been in the past.  Saturated fats aren't as bas as they've been made out to be.  Check out this article by Precision Nutrition all about fat balance.

For all the moms- This seemed appropriate after Mothers Day.  If you're a mom, or even a dad, putting your health first should be a priority.  After all, if you don't take care of yourself, who is going to take care of your kids. 

Are you impulsive?- Research found that people who experience weight gain were more likely to be impulsive and deliberate in their actions. 

 

 Sleep-  A 3 part series on why getting sleep is important, ways to get better sleep, and supplements to improve sleep.  Sleep is super important on cutting down on stress and cortisol levels.  When we sleep it gives our body a chance to repair and recover from the previous day.  Its part of the 5 part process of being healthy: Nutrition, Resistance Exercise, Sleep, Stress, and Cardio Exercise. 

Weekend Workout:
In this workout, we are going for speed, but controlled speed.
Each exercise will last for 10 seconds, with a 10 second rest between each exercise.  Once you finish one round, rest for a minute.  All you need is a good set of dumbbells.

Squats
Burpees
Renegade Rows
Squat Press
Swings(with the dumbbells)
Pushups

Shoot for 2-5 rounds for a killer workout,

Add on some crawling exercises for some core/movement work.
Ape, Bear, Crab, Dog, Duck Walks, Inchworm/Caterpillar.
 

Motivational Monday

Champion Swimmer!

This girls story is amazing.  Born with no legs and only one arm, she has set records in swimming at the Can-Am Championships. 
Her parents told her that there was nothing she couldn't do.  That is so true.  There is never a time to say that you can't do something.  You may have to find a different way to do it, but just giving up and saying you can't is too negative.  There is ALWAYS a way. 

If you ever think you can't do something, turn to Kayla Wheeler and look at what she has accomplished.  Your "can't" excuses don't seem so valid now. 

Fitness Friday

Staying positive and having a positive attitude will breed positive results.  Its really that simple.  Try the 4 foods for a good dose of "happy juice"  Sweet potatoes release serotonin for example. 
 

TendinITIS vs TendinOSIS-  You may think you have tendinitis, but it could likely be tendinosis, and the treatment for each is very different. 

Quit being so negative-  Engaging in negative "fat talk" seems to lead to being less liked by peers. 

Reverse that Negativity-  Change that negativity and be happy with these 4 foods. 



Quick Weekend Workout!!

For this weekends workout, we're gonna get an intense tabata workout using 6 different exercises.
For those that don't know, this exercise protocol requires intense exercise for 20 seconds, followed by 10 seconds of rest, for a total of 8 rounds.  Try to keep track of your reps and aim to hit that number each round.  Stay consistent. 

1.  Squats (go for speed, but control)
2.  Push-ups/Plank (alternate between the two exercises)
3.  Reverse Lunges (one leg at a time)
4.  Rows (TRX works perfectly for this)
5.  Spiderman Climbs (foot is going towards the outside of the hand)
6.  KB Swings (if no KB, then go for "fake jumps" aka body extensions)

Give yourself 90-120 second rest btw exercises for a killer workout. 

 

Motivational Monday

"The pain you feel today is the strength you feel tomorrow. For every challenge encountered there is opportunity for growth.” - Unknown



This quote couldn't be more appropriate to the exercise and training world.  Today's training session might suck, you might feel terrible, it might hurt, you will have to give it everything you got, but tomorrow I promise you, it will all be worth it.  Take on today's challenge for tomorrow you will be stronger, better.

Fitness Friday

Finally its Friday, time for some awesome reading.  This weeks readings are a little lengthy but well worth it.


Whats holding you back-  Is it your mind? 

Hormones, Homeostasis and why you probably need carbs
A little sciency but skip to "what does it all mean"   This one is chock full of great info





Weekend Workout Awesomeness
30sec on/15 off.  1 min rest between circuits.
Circuit 1
Squats
T-Push-ups
Lateral Lunges(alternating)
Mountain Climbers

Circuit 2
Ice Skaters
Alternating Reverse Lunges
Push-ups
Spiderman Climb

Circuit 3
Walking Lunges
Plank Push-ups
Lateral Step-ups(alternating)
Front Switches

Circuit 4
Burpees
Cross Body Mountain Climb
Body-weight Row(TRX)
Inchworm Pushups