With summer vacation about a month away many of us will be heading out of town to enjoy time with friends and family before the next school year grind begins.  Hopefully you are currently hard at work getting your body in shape for those bathing suits and tank tops that are right around the corner.  If not, you need to get busy.  Time is running out fast!
April and May tend to be the months that people get their behind in gear and start exercising with a purpose.  They know that trip to the beach is only weeks away.   And, if you have been hard at work, then I hope that you are seeing the benefits and your body is beginning to look “beach” ready.
But this year I have a favor to ask of you.  Do not spend 2-3 months getting your body looking great only to go on vacation and totally blow it because you sat on your rump for two weeks drinking piña coladas and snacking on Doritos.  Now, I know there isn’t much I can do about the Doritos and piña coladas but maybe, just maybe there is something I can do about the sitting on your rump thing.

As summer approaches one of the most common questions I get is “Can you give me some workouts I can do while I’m on vacation so I don’t lose all the results I have accomplished”?  That is a great question and a great attitude and I am always happy to help.  And the truth is that the people who actually utilize the workouts I provide for them end up having better vacations with less guilt and tons more energy (because nothing zaps the energy out of a vacation like inactivity, alcohol, and simple carbs).

Since staying active while on vacation is so important, I decided to help everyone (not just my clients) formulate some vacation workouts so you can all stay fit while funnin’ in the sun!  Obviously you won’t be taking any exercise equipment with you on vacation but guess what?  You don’t need ANY equipment to get the workout of your life.  All you really need is you!
When I am designing workouts I am a big fan of variety.  It keeps people from getting bored and makes exercising much more fun.  Below is a list of a bunch of body weight exercises you can do anytime anywhere and get an amazing workout:
·    Squats
·    Lunges
·    Pushups (multiple varieties)
·    Chair Dips
·    Pike presses
·    Sit-ups
·    Crunches
·    Jump squats
·    Jump lunges
·    Box jumps
·    Sprints (on the road or beach)
·    Long Runs (on the road or beach)
·    Mt climbers
·    Burpees (if you don’t know what these are just Google them…you’ll be thrilled…(heavy sarcasm))
·    Planks

(If you don’t know some of these exercises they can all be found online)
As you can see there are a plethora of options and all of it can be done right in your hotel room.
The next piece of the puzzle is figuring out how to take few of these exercises to formulate a workout.  There are literally millions of possibilities.  You can choose 2 of the exercises to make a workout, you can choose 3, 4, 5, etc.  You can also play around with the number of repetitions you do of each exercise.
Below I have listed a few of my favorite out of town workout so you can see how to do it.  You can either use them for your workouts make up your own.
·    Run 1/2 mile then 50 air squats – 3 rounds.
·    10 push-ups, 10 sit ups, 10 squats – 10 rounds.
·    Sprint 200m and do 25 pushups, 3 rounds.
·    Run 1 mile for time (this means push yourself)
·    40 sit-ups, 30 burpees, 30 sit-ups, 20 burpees, 20 sit-ups, 10 burpees, 10 sit-ups, 5 burpees
·    As many rounds as you can do in 15 minutes of 10 squats, 10 pushups, 10 box jumps

Again, these are only 6 examples but hopefully you get the idea.  And I can promise you that anyone these workouts will kick your tail.  But the great part is that most of them take less than 15 minutes so you won’t be cutting into family fun time.  Also, always be sure to warm-up before you begin and cool down/stretch when you are done.
So this year be sure to get away and enjoy a relaxing vacation but don’t forget to get up and burn a few calories while you are there!

Welcome to ALL THE NEW BOOT CAMPERS!!!

Post your thoughts

I’m sure you’ve noticed over the years that the portion sizes are in restaurants are getting larger and larger!  It’s ridiculous!  I take home more than half of my dinner and eat it for usually 2 more meals!  If you need a “visual” to compare the right portion sizes for your food groups, then take a look below. (all sizes are approximate).

1 cup of rice or pasta is the size of a tennis ball.

3 ounces of cooked meat is the size of a deck of cards.

1 ounce of peanuts is the size of one handful.

1 baked potato is the size of a fist.

1 cup of fruit is also the size of a fist.

1/2 cup cooked vegetables is the size of a light bulb.

1 tablespoon of peanut butter is the size of a thumb tip.

1 medium size fruit is the size of a tennis ball.

1/2 ounce of cheese is the size of a 9 volt battery.

1 pancake is the size of a compact disc.

So remember this holiday season to control your portions.  Moderation is key, folks, to staying on the healthy train during the holidays.  (and coming to boot camp too! )

Simple food choices go a long way when it comes to your heart’s health. Focusing on fresh foods full of heart-healthy fats and antioxidants can decrease your risk of developing heart disease and cut your chances of a heart attack. These 10 foods will help keep your ticker in top shape.

Oatmeal
Start your day with a steaming bowl of oats, which are full of omega-3 fatty acids, folate, and potassium. This fiber-rich superfood can lower levels of LDL (or bad) cholesterol and help keep arteries clear.

Opt for coarse or steel-cut oats over instant varieties — the coarse and steel-cut contain more fiber — and top your bowl off with a banana for another four grams of fiber.

[Read more...]

Childhood obesity, underage drinking, smoking and failure to exercise are all concerns for parents these days. If you want your kids to adopt a healthier, wiser lifestyle, you are going to have to show them the light. Children often learn best by example. Lead and they will likely follow.

How can you set the example and get them off on the right foot if your habits aren’t that great? Consider taking these steps to put yourself and your family on the road to better health and fitness: [Read more...]

How Important is Your Next

Breath? Very! (and not just for

the obvious reasons)

What is the most vital element to humans on earth?  Yep, you guessed it…oxygen.  Our body’s cells require oxygen to function. You probably already knew that, right?  The thing is, however, that most of you are probably not getting enough oxygen in your lives.

What do I mean by breathing shallow?  It means that you are breathing in a way that does not exercise your diaphragm, or does not draw oxygen into the body optimally.  The diaphragm is your primary breathing muscle.  It’s located between the thorax and abdomen.  Most of us are “chest” breathers.  We take in oxygen by just filling up our lungs, and not from the diaphragm up (explained later).  We probably only take in a few proper breaths per day, and usually it’s by accident. There are a variety of problems that arise from not taking long, deep breaths on a regular basis.  Some of them include…

•Cardiovascular issues – breathing and the heart go hand in hand – through diaphragmatic breathing, circulation is actually improved.  In fact, there have been many studies that show a direct correlation between regular diaphragmatic breathing and decrease in incidence of heart trauma such as heart attacks.
•Stress – the body likes oxygen.
•Visceral issues (gut) – believe it or not, movement of the diaphragm actually massages the gut, and promotes regularity.
•Orthopedic issues – starts to arise through bad posture, even though posture can be both a cause and effect of prolonged poor breathing techniques

Some of the things that cause us to breathe improperly are…

•    Walking surfaces – Flat walking surfaces force you to shift breathing muscles to be used to stabilize other body parts. That action takes away from your body’s ability to breathe deeply and properly.
•    Stress - stress (any kind) causes us to breathe primarily from the chest.
•    Posture – Bad posture causes our diaphragm to work improperly.  Inevitably, other accessory breathing muscles have to pick up the slack to compensate.  In many cases, this causes a variety of nagging health issues such as muscle tension and headaches.
•    Poor Nutrition – Even though your diaphragm massages your gut (including the stomach, intestines, kidneys, etc), the gut can still become inflamed due to the poor quality of the food that we eat today…namely through additives and preservatives, pesticides, hormones, etc.  This stuff wreaks havoc on our vital organs, and the subsequent inflammation of these very organs pushes on the diaphragm, decreasing its effectiveness.

Breathing during exercise…

There are a few things to consider when determining how to breathe during exercise.  The first being what kind of exercise you are doing.  Take weights/resistance training for example.  The old school train of thought was that you were to exhale when you contracted during an exercise, and inhale on the relaxed part of the exercise.  I’ll use the shoulder press as an example.  When you push the two dumbbells up over you head, you exhale.  When you lower them, you inhale.  The theory behind this is that you bring more power to the move by activating your core muscles a bit more.  This is actually a pretty good rule of thumb, especially if you are a beginner.  It will allow you to train in a way that develops a breathing pattern that is normal during exercise.

Things will progress, however, and your breathing pattern might have to change a bit as you get fitter, and become more experienced.  The problem with the “exhale upon contraction” theory is that it doesn’t account for variations in the speed of the exercise you are doing.  Let’s say you were doing a particular exercise rather quickly.  It wouldn’t really make sense to breathe in and out really quickly to keep up with the pace of the contractions.  You’d hyperventilate!  So what’s an athlete to do during exercise?

Well, first and foremost, you need to breathe.  Sounds silly, but anyone who has gone through a tough workout has held their breath for longer than they should have at some point or another.  It’s a natural reaction to stress.  Problem is, when you hold your breath, the pressure inside your body increases quite a bit.  At the very least, you can feel a little dizzy, or even pass out.  At worst, it could cause a stroke, which can obviously be fatal.  This would be an extreme circumstance, however, and would only happen during a period of extreme stress.  They call this the Valsalva maneuver, and it happens when there is a forced expiration against a closed airway, raising your blood pressure in a major way. Why take the chance though?

So how should you breathe?  The simple answer is normally.  Don’t worry so much about the “inhale on the contraction” and “exhale on the relaxation” portions of whatever exercise you are doing, (especially when doing a lot of functional-type training like we do in boot camp).  That’s more applicable to the traditional weight training moves that are slower and more controlled (and there are some exceptions with certain moves).  It’s more about remembering to do so, if not every repetition, then every other repetition.  If you are going fast, perhaps it’s every 3 or 4 reps, but the point is that you are getting a regular, deep breath on a frequent basis.

During cardio, it’s important to pay attention to whether or not you can get a deep breath.  If you are unable, you might be working too hard, or perhaps have started too quickly without getting into a rhythm.  It might take a little time to figure out a comfortable breathing pattern for you during a steady-state, longer duration cardio session (i.e. 20-30 minutes).  Sprints are a different story, as in an all out sprint; your body is going to probably only get in a deep breath or two.

So How Can We Breathe Better?….

First we start with the practice of breathing diaphragmatically.  First, it is important to know that the breathing this way helps the body to absorb more oxygen (good news).  When you breathe through your chest (as most people do), there is not as much oxygen exchanged in the lower part of the lungs (or not as much with each breath).  When this happens, you increase the rate of breathing.  Essentially, through diaphragmatic breathing you decrease the work that your lungs have to put in to get the oxygen you need.  A diaphragmatic breath is marked by an expansion of the abdomen.  The old school test would be to place a small bottle of water on your tummy while lying down.  If the bottle rises and falls, kind of like sticking your tummy out as you draw in a slow breath, you are engaging your diaphragm.  The perfect breath of fresh air would be diaphragmatic breath at the first part of the breath, and an expanding fill of air into the chest at the last part of the breath.  Then you’re good to go!

I’ll give you the best example of how good oxygen flow can improve your overall state of being, and quite frankly make you feel better in a matter of seconds.  Whenever I’m feeling a little run down, I take a couple of minutes to focus on my breathing.  I take 10 slow, deep diaphragmatic breaths, and voila, I immediately feel more refreshed, relaxed, and focused.  Let’s face it, wouldn’t most of the tasks we do on a daily basis go ten times smoother if we were at least a little more refreshed, relaxed, and focused?  So, my challenge to you would be to take a minute or two whenever you are feeling a little run down, and practice this technique.  I defy you to tell me you don’t feel much better.  Funny things happen when you give your body what it wants.  Things start kicking on all cylinders.

Just some thoughts about something that we totally take for granted.  Start with 5 minutes early in the day, and 5 minutes later on in the day to practice diaphragmatic breathing, and it will become second nature.

My Metabolism Has Come to a

Screeching Halt…Am I Out of

Luck?

I often hear people blaming their metabolism, or lack thereof, on why they are overweight and out of shape.  While it is indeed true that the metabolism slows as we age, this is not a sentence to a life of obesity nor is it an excuse to give up hope and let yourself go.  The decrease in metabolism is slow and consistent and does not just happen overnight.  There is hope and there is a way to completely change your metabolism starting today!

The truth is we are not victims of our metabolism; we are the creator of it.  Whatever type of metabolism we have is almost always because of the lifestyle choices we have made.  I say almost always because there are medical issues and metabolic disorders that can cause a sharp decline in metabolism and that are completely out of our control.  But that is a relatively small percentage of us.

The good news is that whatever life choices you have made to get where you are, they can be changed and your metabolism can be reversed.

There are several reasons that our metabolisms begin to slow once we get into our late 20’s and early 30’s.  Some are obvious while some may not be.  First, our muscles begin to atrophy (burn away) naturally once we get into our 30’s.  Lean muscle burns fat and increases the caloric expenditure in the body.  When you lose it, you burn fewer calories a day thereby lowering your metabolism.

Second, when we get into our mid 20’s we suddenly have way more responsibility (i.e. a job) and less free time. This leads to inactivity.  It’s far easier to get out and exercise and play sports when you don’t have a 9 to 5 weighing you down.

On top of having a job, the mid 20’s/early 30’s is when most get married and begin having children.  Nothing zaps away free time like a job and family.  It becomes increasingly more difficult to squeeze in a workout and prepare healthy meals when you are spending your time at work and/or changing diapers and cleaning up the endless mess around the house.

Not only do these things take away our free time, they also increase stress.  Stress is lean muscle’s worst enemy and body fat’s best friend.  Stress causes the body to produce more Cortisol which robs the body of muscle tissue and signals the body to store more fat.

Adding to the stress is the fact that we get less and less sleep as our responsibilities increase.  Lack of sleep also causes a spike in Cortisol and leaves us feeling lethargic which makes it even harder to exercise.

Last, and certainly not least, everything I said above combined with poor nutrition (and /pregnancy child birth if you are a woman) throw your hormones for a loop.  If you want a quick way to pack on the pounds and lower your metabolism, allow your hormones to get out of whack.  Stabilizing hormones is essential if you want to be lean and fit.

As you can see, it’s pretty obvious why our waist lines expand as we age.  But hopefully you can see how it is 100% controllable and fixable.

It all goes back to being healthy and sticking to an exercise and nutrition program.  You can avoid muscle atrophy by doing resistance training workouts 2-3 times a week.  Resistance training builds lean muscle which helps keep your metabolism humming along.

You can reduce stress in your life by forcing yourself to get more sleep.  This is tough for some but the payoff is huge.  Your goal should be 7-9 hours a night.  The result is less stress and more energy…not too shabby!

Committing to a regular exercise program will also reduce stress.  Exercise releases stress reducing endorphins which elevate mood and help make us happier people!  Cap this off with quality nutrition and you will have the metabolism of a twenty year old and all your friends will grow to hate you…but at least you will look good.

So there is hope.  You can have the metabolism of your dreams!  All you have to do is commit to being healthy…is that too much to ask?

Fish Oil vs. Flaxseed Oil

Health food stores are jam packed with flaxseed oil and fish oil.  These supplements are exploding in popularity and for good reason.  We are not getting enough of these essential fatty acids (EFA) in our everyday diet.  I am a big fan of EFA supplementation.  EFA’s do so many wonderful things for our health and they can even help you burn body fat.  We need to consume EFA’s but we need to consume the best and most complete ones.

That’s why many experts say that fish oil is superior to flaxseed oil.  Fish oil is a complete omega-3 fatty acid while flaxseed is not.  This means fish oil will be more effective once inside the body.  There is also research that states that too much flaxseed oil can increase the number of free radicals inside the body.  Free radicals in the body can lead to many different diseases including cancer.

Research on this is relatively new but for now choose fish oil over flaxseed oil to be safe.  As I said in a previous article, if t he taste of fish oil is just too nasty for you, krill oil is a great substitute.  You can also get fish oil in a capsule which eliminates the fishy taste.

V2R Fitness Inc.

Is it Really THAT Important to Stretch?

This may seem like a boring subject and therefore easy to ignore.  After all, we have been told how important it is to stretch before and after exercise since we were in grade school.  But don’t let yourself fall into that trap because if you truly want to be fit you MUST include stretching in your fitness routine.

Stretching can be done before a workout, during a workout, and/or after a workout.  While pre-workout stretching is good, post workout stretching is even more essential which is why it’s the focus of this article.

Post-workout stretching is often neglected because people are typically exhausted and ready to be done.  Some feel it simply takes too much time.  My hope is that after you read about the importance of post-workout stretching you will change your tune and make it a point to include a 5-minute stretching routine after each workout.

First and foremost, post-workout stretching maintains and can increase flexibility.  That seems obvious but what may not be so obvious is why maintaining flexibility is so imperative.  When you exercise your muscles shorten and tighten as a result.  Stretching your muscles post-workout will help to restore them and even lengthen them.  When you stretch after a workout and increase flexibility and lengthen the muscles, the following happens:

•    The muscles become more balanced around the joints which improves posture.  We all know how having good posture can improve appearance.  Good posture can help you look more fit and confident.  The next benefit to having good posture is increased airflow throughout the body. When we are not standing up straight, our lungs are not able to take in as much air as they potentially could, so straightening up helps alleviate the issue. As you use good posture, you will notice that your chest opens up, and it’s this that allows more air to circulate throughout the body.

Good posture can also decrease injury potential.  When your body is not aligned and you try to participate in sports or exercise, the chances of injury increase because maintaining proper form is extremely difficult.

Lastly, good posture results in increased energy. This is partially due to the increased airflow moving through the body, as touched upon above, and also because when the body is in the natural good posture stance, the muscles will not be quite as stressed, thus are less likely to feel as fatigued.

•    You reduce the chance of injury when playing sports or exercising.  If you are injured you can’t exercise, if you can’t exercise you gain weight…enough said.

•    You increase blood, oxygen, and nutrient supply to the muscles and cartilage thereby reducing muscle soreness after a workout.  This in and of itself should make it worth it.  If you have every worked out the right way (by right way I don’t mean 20 minutes on the elliptical watching Dr. Phil); if you have ever truly pushed your body in a sport or workout then you know all about muscle soreness…it’s not a lot of fun.    Why not take a few minutes to stretch so that you aren’t miserable for the next 3 days?

•    Stretching can also directly aid in stress management and mental clarity.  One of the biggest enemies of fat loss is stress.  Stress can cause the body to store fat and burn muscle.  The exact opposite of what you are trying to accomplish.

Those are some pretty powerful reasons to include a 5-8 minute stretching session at the end of each workout.  Hopefully this motivates you to do so.

Pre-workout Stretching

While stretching after a workout is most important, pre-workout stretching does have some merit.  It can loosen you up for your workout helping you with range of motion and proper form on individual exercises, some say it reduces the risk of injury during exercise (this is often debated, however), and it can get the blood flowing therefore boosting energy as you begin your workout.

If you are going to stretch before a workout NEVER do so without a 3-5 minute warm-up.  Stretching cold muscle is one of the quickest ways to an injury.  It’s akin to putting a rubber band in the freezer, letting it freeze, then taking it out and trying to bend it.  It’s likely to be stiff and will tear and fray.  You need to warm-up so that you get warm blood to the muscles making them more pliable for stretching.

How to stretch

When stretching, be sure to do so slowly and under control.  Be sure to never bounce while stretching as this too can lead to injury.  You should stretch to the point of mild tension or tightness but never pain.  Stretch each muscle group for 1-3 sets of 15-20 seconds.  Below is a list of body parts that should be stretched prior to a workout:

•    Calves
•    Hamstrings (back of the upper leg)
•    Glutes (butt muscle)
•    Hips
•    Quads (front of the upper leg)
•    Lower back
•    Shoulders
•    Chest
•    Triceps

If you are unsure on how to properly stretch these body parts there are countless books out there on stretching or you can consult with your local fitness expert.

When not to stretch

While stretching is great, there are times when it is unsafe and should be avoided, for example:

•    Following muscle strains or ligament strains
•    When joints or muscles are infected, inflamed, or injured
•    After a recent fracture
•    When sharp pains are felt in the joints or muscles

Motivational Quotes

Living a healthy lifestyle will only deprive you of poor health, lethargy, and fat.
Jill Johnson

A man’s health can be judged by which he takes two at a time – pills or stairs.
Joan Welsh

Happy Holidays everyone!!

To Your Health,

Jason

P.S. To register for your FREE V2R Fitness Boot Camp session, click the link below and register now:

www.duluthbootcamps.com

Come and join us for a fat burnin’, calorie churnin’ workout with other people who have the same goals as you! It’s fast, it’s fun, and it works!  There is no better time to begin getting fit than January.  Be sure to register now as spots fill up VERY fast this time of year!

If you would like more fitness and weight loss tips click the “Free Report” link to the right of this article and get my latest reports “Finally…The Truth About Weight Loss” and “10 Ways to Lose Weight…FAST!” They will be emailed to you immediately!

COMING SOON!

COMING SOON!

We all know it’s best to have a healthy snack after working out. Studies have shown that eating a small meal of protein and healthy carbs helps increase the benefits of your workout and speeds up the fat loss process.

So what’s your favorite post workout meal?

Leave a comment below and tell us your favorite healthy after-workout snack.