Fitness Friday

Soreness will happen, but that doesn't always signal that you had a good workout.  Sometimes it is just the result of a new stimulus.  Avoid falling for other myths about soreness and what it really means.
If you are sore, and it is going to happen, try one of these nine ways to reduce soreness.  (Taking pain relievers is NOT one of them)

When it comes to nutrition, everyone thinks that carbs should be the first thing to eliminate.   However, it shouldn't be about elimination, it should be more about choosing the right kinds of foods, even carbs.  Did you know that carbs make up fruit and vegetables?  Clearly you're not cutting those out, so you're not going "No Carb."  Eating carbs also have far reaching benefits, such as having a better mood, and easier fat loss.  Check out other benefits to eating carbs.  But make sure you're eating the right ones!!

10 Commandments of Fat Loss is a simple guide to follow to ensure that you get the most out of your training and nutrition plan.  Develop habits, and focus on performance, and the results will come.

Did you know that there are several drugs that could be hindering your fat loss?  Certain drugs have side effects that can hinder or stop fat loss altogether.  So if you're getting frustrated by not seeing progress maybe one of these drugs is the culprit.

Are you drinking your calories?  Chances are with all the beverage options out there, you could be taking in way more sugar than you even think.  Research has shown a huge correlation between sugar and obesity.  Best way to fight this?  Eat REAL FOOD & drink WATER!!




Weekend Workout/Health Tip:
Are you drinking enough water?  Odds are you are not.  Did you know that by being dehydrated, even just a little, it can throw off the way your body/muscle functions, the way it burns calories, and even the way you lose fat?
So do yourself a favor and make sure you are hydrated.

Motivational Monday

Here's what I want you to do:  Make a fist, and squeeze your hand.  Then squeeze a little harder.  Then squeeze a little harder.  Then squeeze even harder still.  

There's always a new level to go to, a little more you can squeeze, a little more you can push.  You just have to be willing to dig deep, look inside yourself, and find that next level.  

Listen to Eric Thomas talk about Toothpaste.  Squeeze every bit out of life.  We all live life, but some get more out of it than others.

Fitness Friday

We all want to work our hardest, we all want to sweat when we hit the gym.  But often times, we hit little snags and get minor aches and pains.  Yet, we push through them thinking that maybe if we warm them up, get loose, the little ache or pain will go away.  Ask yourself, "Does It Hurt?" Don't rationalize pain away.  If you're injured, you're injured.  You need to take step back, regress some exercises, and work on something else like foam rolling or stretching.  Pain is often an indicator that something is wrong, not that you have to work through something. 

Speaking of injuries, did you know that people complain of low back pain more often than anything else?  The problem often times comes down to what kind of position we put our bodies in on a daily basis.  Think about when you drive your car?  How exactly are your feet positioned or more specifically, your right foot?  Turned out?  Or how about your shoulders?  Are they elevated and rolled forward?  Next time you're driving, be conscious of how you're sitting.  In the meantime, give these exercises a go.  If you're not sure you are doing them correctly, with good form, check with a knowledgeable trainer!

I've written about this time and time again, but the value of sleep can not be overstated.  There are so many benefits to getting a good nights rest.  On the flip side, there are severe detriments to being sleep deprived.  After one night of poor sleep, your hunger increases, your immune system is put at risk, and you lose focus easily.  Long term, risk of stroke, diabetes, & obesity increase.

There is a lot of talk about fat and how much or how little you should eat.  People get easily confused with all the overload of information that is out there.  Fats are essential to eat.  Don't let
"low fat" = healthy in your head.  Cooking is where using some sort of fat becomes iffy.  Some oils are better to cook with than others.  Use this handy dandy chart to figure out what kind of oil/fat you should use for what. 




Weekend Workout
Warm-up: Pick a distance, about 30-40ft
Skips
High Knees
Butt Kicks
Carioca/Grapevine
Frankenstein Walks
Forward "Tebow" Lunges
Reverse Overhead Reach Lunges

DeadBugs x20
Bird Dogs x 20
3 sets

Ladder Workout
1-10-1 reps (1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1)
Squats
Push-ups
Rows
Reverse Lunges
Pistons/Cross Body Mt Climber

Motivational Monday

“If you aim at nothing, you will hit it every time.” 
-Zig Ziglar

From our experience, he is spot on.  As a species, humans tend to drift towards ease and comfort.  We set out with good intentions and goals, but we never quite get around to turning those intentions into reality.

Those good intentions, while important, tend to go unaccomplished, mainly because they are often vague and too general.  These general, vague ideas are impossible to focus on because they are always changing, they are moving targets so to speak.    

Are you focusing on moving targets?  Maybe one of your goals for 2014 is to eat a more healthy diet, or lose some lbs that have crept on.  Maybe it's just establishing a regular training routine and actually sticking with it.  

Your success comes down to two things: picking a steady specific target and creating a "snowball" effect.

Imagine a target shooter trying to hit a small bull’s eye on a distant target.  He begins to aim, but then the target suddenly moves to the right, and before he can position himself to aim again, the target darts to the left.  Will he ever hit that target?  Not likely.

Without setting specific goals, your good intentions are exactly like that moving target.  You would like to lose some weight, feel a little better, make a change in your diet--but without clearly defined goals and methods, you can’t focus and make it happen.

The way to steady the target so you can finally hit the bull’s eye is to define your goals and write them down: 

How much weight do you want to lose?

What nutrition strategy can you sustain? (ahem Precision Nutrition Coach @AMP)

How many days are you going to train? (ahem AMP)

Once you have a destination, you can start creating a plan, and with a plan you are more likely to get there.  But you have to start moving toward your goals.  

The Momentum Principle of Success (Brian Tracy) states:

“This principle says that although it may take tremendous amounts of energy to overcome inertia and get started initially, it then takes far less energy to keep going."

The hardest part of reaching a goal is just getting started.  That first day, that first step, that first temptation can be rough.  It isn't easy and it certainly isn't fun.  If it were easy, everyone would do it.

So how do you get that momentum, that snowball effect?  How do you start moving?  Accountability!!!  Having someone else involved in your efforts can be the most important factor in your success.  It's hard to change lifelong habits.  Set deadlines, make commitments, find something that will motivate you.  Hold yourself accountable!!

Once you get started, and once you start to see semblances of SUCCESS, everything will snowball and you will find that momentum kicking in.  Then it becomes easier and easier to keep going.

Focus your goals, set specifics, make a plan and be accountable.  Success is there for you to take!! You can do this and AMP will help every step of the way!!

Fitness Friday

What if there were a drug or magic pill that could treat and/or prevent many of the chronic diseases a majority of Americans face?  Well you are in luck, there is!  It's called EXERCISE!  The benefits of exercise are long and well known.  It can help improve memory, lower cholesterol, reduce blood pressure, ease arthritis pain, and reduce general inflammation.  Moral of the story:  The more you move, the better you'll feel.  Do you know someone that could benefit from exercise?  I'm sure you do.  Tell them to start moving, their health depends on it!!

2014 is upon us and January is all about setting new goals.  Letting go of bad habits and letting go of negative thoughts is a great way to start off 2014 on a positive note.  Let go of negativity, fear, worry, regret, and quite possibly the most important, let go of self hate.  Let go of that voice in your head that says you're not good enough, or strong enough, or the right weight.

If your goal is fat loss, take a look at these tips that could help speed up your progress.  Among my favorites on the list are drinking water(#31),  doing strongman exercises(#17), and getting more sleep(#47).





Weekend Workout
Make sure you start with a proper warm-up to get your core temperature up and get mobility in your joints

DB Chest Press-12
Reverse Lunge- 8
Deadlift-8
Row- 15
3 sets

Lunges- 15
Push-ups- 15
Ice Skaters- 30
3 sets

Pull-ups- 10
Bodyweight Row- 10
Squat Press/Thruster-10
3 sets

Plank- 40 seconds
Mountain Climbers 20 seconds
4 sets with no rest

Motivational Monday

Motivation!!!!- I dare you to watch this and not be pumped up to run through a wall into 2014 and after everything and anything you want!

There is no perfect time to start!!  It seems like we are always waiting, waiting for certain circumstances to start something, to go after something.  WHY?  Are we that scared to actually DO something?  Listen up!

There is no perfect time!

You need to make your own moments, you need to take those moments and go with it.  There's a great line in Caddyshack, "See your future, be your future. May, make--make it. Make your future..."

You want to know when the perfect time is?  It's NOW!!  

JUST START!!

The new year is always the time to start something, a resolution to be healthier, or to eat right, or to exercise. Don't wait for things to be less busy, don't wait for there to be time, don't wait for the perfect scenario to get back to the gym, don't wait to start changing your nutrition habits, don't wait!!

Get After It Today!!!

Fitness Friday

Squats are one of the best exercises that can be part of your arsenal.  However, they get a bad name because people associate squats with knee pain.  That couldn't be further from the truth.  Squats can in fact make your knees stronger and healthier by making the muscles around it stronger.  When your form is poor, that's where the knee pain can come in.  Here are 6 reasons to SQUAT!

What's more important than just squatting well, is having good posture.  Good Posture can help with injury prevention, reduce back pain, improve breathing, and a whole lot more.

Recovery is where all progress is made.  You can't beat yourself up time and time again with intense workouts and hope to get some where.  Sometimes you need a day or two for a full recovery, or even a week where you de-load and do less.  Progress is made in how well you can recover, not how hard you can push yourself.



Weekend Workout
40 second on/20 seconds off
Jumping Jacks
Prisoner Squats
T-Pushups
Jump Squats
Reverse Lunges w/ Rotation
1 min rest
2 point Pushup
Speed Squats
Spiderman Climbs
Dead Bugs
Burpees
1 min rest
Seal Jacks
Mt Climbers
Body Extensions
Lateral Lunges
High Knees
1 min rest
Split Shuffles
Ice Skaters
Side Plank Left
Side Plank Right
Pistons
1 min rest
Curtsy Lunge Left
Curtsy Lunge Right
Push-up
Lateral Lunge Left
Lateral Lunge Right