Fitness Friday

At AMP, we focus on a slow approach when it comes to changing habits as it is more sustainable and more successful to focus on one habit at a time.  One big one that we try to instill is drinking more water. Especially when it comes to replacing soda with water.  If you're not aware, soda (yes even diet soda) has detrimental effects on your body.  For a more in depth look on how that soda affects your body, check out what happens.

Another habit we try to teach is eating whole, unprocessed foods.  Lots of fruits and vegetables.  If you were to look at the diets of most countries around the world, what would they look like?  What do you think?
This is what one weeks worth of groceries looks like around the world.  Notice the huge difference in fresh produce and lean meats compared to that of processed, sugary stuff.  That was the biggest thing that jumped out at me.

It's around this time, especially on Halloween that we either dig into that pile of candy, or we decide that it isn't for us and stay away.  Whether you indulge or not is up to you, but make sure you're ok with it. The worst thing you could do is feel bad or beat yourself up about either decision.

On that same note, working out should be a positive experience and never be looked at as a form of punishment.  If you have that mentality, change it up quick!!  You should work out because you love your body, not because you hate it.  Having that mentality makes you regret having a "treat" every now and then. Having that mentality leads to hitting that "cardio confessional" or "wanting a killer workout" to make up for any bad eating choices you may have made.
Exercise is all about being positive and building yourself up, not tearing yourself down.  Remember that!!

Lastly, we all want what is best for our kids, and when it comes to sports, we want them to have the best training possible.  However the best training possible might just be focusing on general exercise as opposed to "sport specific" training.  The more specialized the exercise, the more potential harm it could cause.  Build a solid foundation of strength, coordination, balance etc. first, then work towards more specific skills.

Why Do You Exercise??

Weekend Workout

Alt DB Chest Press 10

Reverse Lunge w/ weight on one side 10

Side Plank 30 seconds

DB One Arm Row 10

3 sets

Forward Lunge w/ One Arm Shoulder Press 10

Single Leg Deadlift w/ Row 10

Plank w/ Rotation 20

3 sets 

Stability Ball Stir the Pot Plank 10 each direction

Cross Body Mt Climber/Piston 20

2 sets

Motivational Monday

"We may encounter many defeats but we must not be defeated."

Maya Angelou

There are always times where we will be knocked down, where things won't go quite as smooth as you hoped they would.  But you can't stay down, you mustn't stay down.  With each defeat, there is a lesson to learn, something to solve.  Find out the solution and keep on plugging along.  Make sure you get up!!

 

"People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."

Maya Angelou 

Leave your legacy by being a positive influence on everyone you meet.  Leave a positive mark on the world.  Make people feel special, build them up, don't tear them down. 
 

Fitness Friday

We've always heard that breakfast is one of the most important meals of the day, however it isn't magic.  We always get asked for breakfast ideas, and its really simple.  Whatever you think you can eat, and sustain that habit, then do it.  It should make you feel good, it should be healthy, it should be fuel for your body, and it should be equal to what your goals are.  Make it a point to include saturated fats, protein, and greens in your breakfast.

What we don't want you to include in your breakfast, or any meal for that matter is sugar.  Sugar is hiding in pretty much everything often in surprising spots.  A tiny carton of OJ has as much sugar as almost 2 1/2 donuts.  That's crazy.  What about a salad with as much sugar as 4 1/2 donuts?  Yea that's a little insane.  Be careful with your choices, you never know where crap is hidden. 

Ive often said that men and women should train pretty similar with varying degrees of change.  However, there are ways in which men and women's metabolism differs.  Several having to do with how men and women burn fat and carbs.  This could give great insight into why its easier for men to lose weight over women.  However one thing is for sure, both need to AMP up the intensity. 

Injuries will happen, but when should you ice and when should you use heat?   Here is a quick guide to when to use each modality.  When in doubt, ice within the first 48 hours.  Heat for tight muscles.


At AMP we are following our dreams!!! We wanted to open up a facility that really helps people, that creates a family atmosphere, and above all else gets people the results they are after.  What is your dream?  What is holding you back from following yours? 

Start Following Your Dream Today!

 

 

 

 

Weekend Workout

Get in a quality warm-up including some movement based exercises.  Animal flow, spidey climbs, scorpions.  Anything that gets the muscles and the core temperature up. 

 

Split Squats 10 per side

DB Row(or TRX Row) 10 per side

Push-ups 20

3 sets

 

Split Jumps/Shuffles

Spiderman Climbs

Goblet Squats

Plank Pushups

30 seconds each exercise, minimal to no rest btw exercises, rest 1 minute btw circuits.  3 sets

 

Tabata Time

20 seconds on/10 seconds off

Bodyweight Squats- 10 second hold in the bottom position

8 rnds

 

Push-up Challenge

2 minutes of push-ups, go for high score

 

 



Motivational Monday

"You are the only person on earth who can use your ability, it's an awesome responsibility."
-Zig Ziglar

No one can do the work for you, its up to you to put in the work.  You have all the potential and talent in the world, but you must be responsible to use it.  Don't waste it.  Be awesome!

Fitness Friday

When we set out to open up our own gym, we had a vision of what it would look like, and a what kind of training our clients would be doing.  We wanted to train people using their bodies, using free weights, using bands.  Our vision was to train the body as one unit, one machine, forgoing all the usual machines you would find in a gym.  It seems like that type of thinking, that type of training is getting more and more popular as those that train this way see amazing results. 

Doing bodyweight and free weight training is a great way to get a killer workout that will build muscle and torch body fat.  The more muscles you work, the more you challenge yourself, the better.  One thing that people over rely on when they want to lose weight is running.  The problem with running (this coming from a runner) is that the body is extremely efficient when it comes to calorie burning.  The more you run, the better your body gets at it, the less calorie burn.  Check out these other 5 reasons why running is the end all be all of weight loss. 

Sticking to just cardio to lose weight is one of those MYTHS that won't die.  Why? Probably because people keep perpetuating the same BS time and time again with no significant proof.  My other favorites are spot reducing(especially abs) and avoid fats and carbs because they make you fat.  Don't fall for these.  Low fat diets could be worse for you when it comes to losing weight.  Most associate fat they eat for what's on their body, however that's not the way the human body works.  This experiment is pretty awesome and looks at the difference between a high fat diet and a high carb diet.  Definitely worth the read.

If you're stuck in a rut and aren't seeing the results you want, it could be all in your head. Changing your behaviors is probably the hardest thing to do, but the most important.  Little changes in behavior, whether its switching from daily soda's to water, or eating breakfast. 

What is necessary to change a person is to change his awareness of himself.” –Abraham Maslow

 



We love kettlebells, we especially love swings.  However, just a quick reminder of the form when you're hitting those swings.  Always think hip hinge, not squat and brace those abs!!!


With that said, heres your kick ass workout of the weekend.

Weekend Workout
Tabata Swings
20 seconds on/10 seconds off 8x

Windmill 5x each side
Get-ups 1x each side

Snatches 10x each side
Single leg deadlift 10x each side
Row 10x
3 sets

Windmill 5x
Get-ups 1x

Figure 8 -30 seconds
High Pulls- 30 seconds
Shelf/Shovels- 30 seconds each side
3 sets

Windmill 5x
Get-ups 1x

Motivational Monday

"Your life is LIMITED, so don't waste it living someone else's life.   Don't be trapped by dogma which is living with the results of other peoples thinking.  Don't let the noise of others opinions drown out your inner voice and most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition."
Steve Jobs

We don't have that much time on this earth, you really should make the most out of every moment, every day.  Don't take things for granted, if you have a passion, go for it.  Don't let the fear of failure or the fear of what others may think stop you or weigh you down.  Live your life!

Fitness Friday

October is upon us and that means its time for some seasonal fruits & veggies!!  Fall is the perfect time to try some new fruits and veggies.  Everyone knows about apples and pumpkins in the fall, but did you also know its the perfect time for kiwi's, beets, cranberries, & figs.  Give some of these a try this fall.

Fruits and vegetables should be part of a well rounded diet, but sometimes a "healthy diet" can go array.  Often times that occurs when there's some sort of depletion of nutrients, or extreme restrictions.  If you think you are eating "healthy" but aren't seeing the results you want, maybe there are some hidden sources of garbage in your diet. 

Should women train different than men? I've posed that question before and it's still the same answer.  90% of the time, no!! This sorta rant goes off on male vs female training.  An interesting read for sure. 

Some matter how much you workout, recovery is still a huge key to success and is often overlooked.  Most people don't focus as much on recovery as they do on their actual workouts and this could be a huge mistake.  This article highlights several recovery problems and what you can do to change up those habits.  My favorite is always getting more quality sleep.  It really is amazing what quality sleep will do for your body. 

As far as what you do when you wake up, it might be time to think of a routine that is free of email and cell phone messages.  This is something I know I struggle with because I set my alarm on my phone, actually make that an alarm and a backup alarm.  I do like the idea of getting in some quality stretches when you wake up as well.  I really do love a full body over head reaching stretch while laying down. 
What's your morning routine like?  Anything you'd want to change?  I know I'm going to try to not check email/texts when I wake up. 





Weekend Workout
Start with a quality warm-up, maybe some animal flow fun

Start off with this Core Set.  After you finish each super set of strength exercises, you'll throw these in.

Barbell Grappler Twists- 20
Heavy Uni-lateral Suitcase Carry 40yds
Plank 60 seconds

Box Jumps or Broad Jumps 3-5
5 sets

Deadlift- 6 reps
5 sets

DB Row- 12
Hamstring Curl- 20
Goblet Squat- 15
3 sets

Core set

Push ups- 15
Superman pulls- 10
Step up w/ Shoulder Press 10
3 sets

Core set

Conditioning Set
Rower/Battle Ropes/Swings/Sprints
Go 20 seconds all out with a 40 second recovery x 10 sets


Have Fun!!!

Motivational Monday

"Strength does not come from winning.  Your struggles develop your strengths.  When you go through hardships and decide not to surrender, that is strength."
-Arnold Schwarzenegger

We find out what we're made of, how strong we really are when we are forced to get up after getting knocked down.  Staying on that daily grind is true strength no matter who or what gets in your way. 

Don't give in, don't give up.  Just keep grinding!!

Fitness Friday

Ever think to yourself, "Why am I foam rolling? It hurts like hell."  Well the idea of foam rolling and myofascial release is relatively new.  Research is quickly catching up to what we have been recommending you do on an almost daily basis.  Foam rolling has been shown to have immediate and long term affects on the body.  In short, there a many benefits to doing it.  If you want to read the research, check it out here!!

Kettlebell!! Not kettleball!! :-)
If you haven't given the kettleBELL a try, you really should.  It can be an intense workout, and even just doing swings as part of an interval/"cardio" workout can replace your usual boring "cardio."

Weight loss is often the goal one has when they start working out, however eventually that weight loss comes to a stop and hits a plateau.  There are several factors that could be involved that stunted your fat loss.  In this 3 part series, it breaks down possible changes you could make to your current plan including cutting back on certain exercises/not focusing solely on burning more calories, make small changes to your nutrition, and focus on recovery!!

There are so many reasons to exercise, not just focusing solely on weight loss.  Being healthy and getting off of certain medications is a great reason to exercise.  New research is showing that exercise can be just as beneficial as some pills, even surpassing some stroke medications.  Now, this article doesn't suggest going off of medications, only that maybe we should think about being more active to diminish the need for them.  Hopefully in the future, doctors will be more willing to prescribe exercise over pills. 

Another great reason to exercise is that it can make you happy; and it should make you happy.  Exercise and movement is a gift that far too many take for granted.  Do yourself a favor and move more!!   We are always talking about maintain a positive attitude.  Positivity breeds positive results.  Give this checklist a go, and go to sleep happy.  I have the extreme benefit of working with positive people every day and setting a positive vibe in the gym every day. It does spread.  There are days when the music is cranking and people are grinding and working hard and I look around and smile.  I love those days. 
One thing that makes me happy is the success of other people.  My friend has a blog that I've mentioned before called The Unattainable Life, and if you're not following do it NOW, that has been completely inspirational since its inception.  His latest is 6 ways to really live a happy life and I have to agree with pretty much every thing he says. 

Don't Worry, Be Happy

Have a great, happy, positive weekend!!!




Weekend Workout
Its all about kettlebells this weekend!! It gets your heart pumping pretty quickly, making it an "easy" quick workout.
*Disclaimer: If you've never worked with bells before, find a QUALIFIED trainer to teach you (No, YouTube does not count)
oh and get a quality warm-up in too

Goblet Squat 12 reps
Push-ups 15 reps
Kettlebell Row 12 reps
KB Clean & Press 8 per side
Windmills 5 per side  or side plank for 30 seconds
Russian Twists 20 reps
3-4 sets

Swings 30 seconds
Plank 30-60 seconds
Jump Rope 30-60 seconds
6 sets