Fitness Friday

Most of the time, nearly 90%, we hear the goal of being "toned." But when it comes to training, the common thought is that in order to get that look, its high reps with very low weight.  However, the real truth is, is that men and women should train in just about the same fashion.  Both need MORE intense weight training and LESS gender specific exercises.  Sure there are some variations to training programs, but we all have the same muscles that work in the same way.

Since you're going to be training, and aiming to get stronger, you should also focus on mobility.  We always aim to get our clients more mobility through a myriad of drills, including many animal flow drills.  Having an increased ability to move will decrease the chances of any overuse injuries or any other aches and pains along the way.  How many times have you had an achy back or hip or shoulder???  Yea, that's due to poor mobility.  Work on stretching, foam rolling, and moving better and there will be no need for supplements to relieve joint pain.
One study showed that taking supplements of vitamin D and calcium made no difference in joint pain compared to a placebo group.  Interesting enough, but not totally comprehensive.

But the point is still the same, DO YOUR MOBILITY WORK.


When there is a focus on fat loss, it usually comes down to a choice between training more or eating less.  However, there is only so much training you can do, and there is only so much deprivation you can endure.  Eat too little and you set off a crazy chain of hormonal changes.  "When it comes to hormones, you have to nudge the body." You don't force it."
Jumping from diet to diet can have long term effects on your metabolism and can in turn make your body hold onto more fat than it did previously.  Yo-yo dieting and having weight go up and down leads to a relatively fatter body and a less responsive metabolism.  Like it was mentioned before, it does horrible things to hormonal levels tied closely with fat loss.  "The human metabolism is like tires on a car.  The more we wear it down over time through chronic dieting, the less responsive it becomes.

Moral of the story: Do both.  Focus on exercise and smart nutrition.

Weekend Workout
DB Chest Press- 12
Reverse Lunge- 8 per side
Single Leg Deadlift- 8 per side
DB Row- 12 per arm
3 sets

60 sec of intense cardio (jump rope, rowing, sprints, stairs, battle ropes)

Lateral Lunge 15 per side
Push-ups 15
Crossing Lunges 10 per side
3 sets

60 sec of intense cardio

Pull-ups 10
TRX/Bodyweight Rows 15
Squat Press- 10
3 sets

60 sec cardio

Plank- 45 seconds
Mountain Climbers 30 seconds
2 sets

 

Motivational Monday

"You must be the change you want to see in the world.”
-Gandhi

Don't just wish for things to happen, or expect other people to do the work, go out and make a difference yourself.  Create your own change!!

We often wish for things to be different, for our lives to be under different circumstances, for the world to be different.  We have to make that change ourselves.  We have to be the change we want.  If we want our lives to be different, if we want to be more successful, or healthier, or in better shape, WE have to take control, we, ourselves have to put in the work, change ourselves. 

Fitness Friday

I've become extremely worried at where we are headed in terms of health and fitness.  We are constantly bombarded with unhealthy ads and unhealthy products.  We are facing an unprecedented health crisis relating to obesity and these images show part of the problem.

Why is it that some people have an easy time losing weight while others struggle to get lean and stay there?  The quick easy answer is calories in vs. calories out.  However that doesn't tell the entire story.  There are many other factors that go into the equation.

Everyone struggles with dieting. There can often times be an emotional connection to.  Start having a positive relationship with food.  Far too often we chastise ourselves and punish ourselves for what we've eaten.  Cardio confessional anyone??  Usually Monday morning after a bad weekends of food choices we have the "guilty" slaving away on the treadmills or ellipticals. This is negative.  Have a healthy relationship with food.  You'll be happier and less stressed.







Weekend Workout
This weekend we're gonna work on some agility ladder exercises with Jen Sinkler.  These exercises will help with balance, coordination, and conditioning.  Good Luck!!

Motivational Monday

”Challenge yourself with something you know you could never do, and what you’ll find is that you can overcome anything.”

Attempt something outside your comfort zone, something you never thought you would do in a million years, and you'll discover how strong you really are.

Often times we get caught up in wanting to try something new, but we end up never doing it because we don't think we are strong enough, or smart enough, or _____ enough.  Just fill in the blank with any excuse.  What we need to realize is that we can achieve anything, we can do anything, as long as we want it. 

No Limits!

Motivational Monday

"It is not that last rep that is the hardest, it is the first."

Taking that first step, doing that first rep is the beginning and starting something is always the hardest. Take that first step towards greatness, towards your goal, your dream!!  It may be challenging, but if you believe you can, you will!!


What will you do today to take that step towards a healthier life,?  Are you surrounding yourself with like minded people that will help motivate you and empower you?

Fitness Friday

Almost on a daily basis we get asked about breakfast.  People are always looking for great ideas for breakfast outside of the usual eggs or oatmeal answer.  It can get quite boring in fact.  Even having that super shake for breakfast can get boring too.  If you are looking for a change, and trying to keep it healthy, click here.
Ever notice that you are always in a hurry in the morning??  I am always in a rush.  I wake up, turn on my Keurig, and get ready for the day.  But it is always rush, rush, rush.  Maybe I should slow down a little in the morning, savor the beginning of the day, and meditate on what's to come.  Could this possibly be a new addition to your morning routine?

Like Ferris Bueller said:  "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it."


We all aim to eat healthy every day, and by including these 13 super foods you could make it even healthier.  How many of these 13 do you eat?  I hit 9/13. 
In addition to hitting on some key super foods, it's also important that you take in vital vitamins and nutrients to keep your body moving.  Make sure you get them. 


Lastly, at one point or another we all take medication.  Whether its Tylenol or something more specific.  However, one thing we don't always think about is how that medication can alter our fitness progress.  Certain medications can have great impact on your body's response to exercise and nutrition.  THIS is a helpful resource next time you have to take something.  Among these are the birth control drugs that most women take.  Since most of our AMP clients are women, this is a good one to point out.  Now I'm not saying drop everything you're taking, that is up to your doctor, but its more making you aware of what is going on inside your body. 


On a lighter note, here's Winnie the Pooh!!
My favorite being :

Have an amazing weekend!!!




Weekend Workout

Warm-up:
Hip Flexor Stretch
Kneeling Chops
Bridges
Dead Bug
Quadruped-thoracic rotation
Cossack Lunges
Squats

Side to Side Hops 20sec
Front to Back Hops 20 sec
Ice Skaters 20 sec
1 min rest btw sets
3 sets

Circuit 1
Goblet Squat-8-12
DB Row-8 per side
DB Chest Press- 10 per side
Hamstring Curls- Ball, Towel, TRX, anything that slides 15
3 sets

Circuit 2
Walking Lunges-10 per side
Half Kneeling DB Shoulder Press- 8 per arm.  (each set, switch leg that is kneeling)
4 sets

Circuit 3
Kettlebell Swings
Mountain Climbers
Body Extensions/Fake Jumps/Jump Squats
Plank Crawls/Army Crawls
30 sec each exercise, 20 sec rest btw exercise.  90 sec rest after each set.
3 sets

Motivational Monday

What is your dream?

No matter what it is, you have to work towards it every single day. 
No matter what your dream is, it is possible!!

Our dream was to open AMP, and help as many people as possible reach their goals, make them healthier, make them move pain free.  The day we opened, our dream came true.  But it wasn't without hard work.  And it wasn't without our awesome clients.

You have to realize that there is greatness in you, there is greatness in all of us. 
All it takes is that you invest in yourself.  Grow, work on yourself, push yourself towards greatness. 

Say to yourself:

"I can do this even if no one else sees it for me"

 

 

Live Your Dream!!





Fitness Friday

In addition to kicking peoples butts into shape, we want to educate and keep you from falling for scams and shady marketing.  
Transformation pictures are some of the biggest scams out there.  Ever see those amazing transformations in TV or magazine ads?  Would you be surprised if I told you that most are staged using simple lighting tricks along with other techniques to make these "amazing transformations."  By simply changing lighting, doing a few "pump" exercises and flexing in a certain way, you can go from "fat" to "lean" in a few hours.  So don't fall for these tricks.

What you need to do is follow good fitness habits.  The fittest people tend to follow these habits.  Out of these 8 habits, I really follow 7 out of the 8.  I struggle with getting my sleep in.  Try to take on these habits to prevent a plateau in fat loss.  Sometimes its simple things that are keeping you from losing weight.  One of the most common is not eating enough.  When trying to lose weight, often times people think that eating less is the way to go.  However, this only results in your body going into a starvation mode(thank our ancestors).

We want our kids to have the best things, we want them to be healthy.  However, in a world filled with junk food, its hard to get our kids to eat healthy.  The best way to get your kids to eat healthy and develop healthy habits is to be a role model for them.  If they see you exercising and eating healthy, they will be more apt to follow suit.  On top of that, you are the ones cooking for your kids.  So you have control of what they are putting in their bodies to some extent.

Be that Healthy Role Model!!!

Weekend Workout

Squat Press-15
Bear Crawl
Swings-20
Crab Walk
Overhead Reverse Lunge- 20
Ape Crawl
Kettlebell High Pull- 15
Inch Worm
Jump Squat-15
Tiger/Dog Crawl

Grab a weight heavy enough to complete the prescribed reps, but not light enough that you can do more than what is prescribed.

Challenge yourself to 3 rounds