Courage and Perseverance

"Courage and perseverance have a magical talisman, before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish into air"

–John Quincy Adams

The Will To Win

"Most people have the will to win; few have the will to prepare to win."

–Bobby Knight

The Most Expensive Personal Trainer In The World!

Joe and I spent yesterday afternoon at Tim Hallmark's ranch outside of Wimberley, Texas.

Tim is the longtime personal trainer and nutritionist of boxing champ, Evander Holyfield.

In fact, Tim was paid $1,000,000 to train Evander for 8 weeks leading up to a boxing match, making Tim the most expensive personal trainer in the world (that I know of).

Please correct me if I'm wrong :)

Tim's is an amazing story. He's passionate about training and the outdoors.

He has a beautiful 6000 sq foot home that he shares with his family (and 5 dogs).

He designs his own workout equipment - focusing on core movement.

He has a gym on his property that he trains Evander in.

It's packed with equipment.

He's energetic and positive.

It's people like Tim that make me proud to be a part of the fitness industry.

I picked up a couple of new core exercises from Tim that I'm still sore from.

And that was last Saturday, Feb 20th. I will be "introducing" them to my unsuspecting bootcampers at FullForceFitness during Session 50.

Oh by the way, if you think personal training is too expensive, tell that to Tim.

He charges $20,000 per person (up to 3 people at a time) to stay at his house for a weekend (2 days) of training.

FullForceFitness Bootcamp prices are looking better all the time, aren't they? :)

Schedule 2010

Session 48 1/4 - 1/28/2010 (underway)

Session 49 2/1 - 2/25/2010 (register at FullForceFitness now)

Session 50 3/1 - 3/25/2010

Cage Crushing With Monica Brant and Austin Fit Magazine

The Workout Full Force Fitness Boot Camp

Circuit Training & Cage Crush
with Scott york www.scottyork.com

{1} 30-yard sprints (x 4)
{2} 10 pistols/10 box jumps (x 4)
{3} 10 overhead squats/10 box out and ins (x 4)
{4} 30-yard sprints (x 4)
{5} Burpees for 1 min with 1 min rest (x 2)
{6} 10 dumbell swings/10 double-unders (x 3)
{7} 30/20/10 knee raises/ring pull-ups
{8} Cage Crush (2 min)

------------------

Q&A with Monica

Did you get your butt kicked?

Yes, it was a great workout and today (the day after) my glutes are sore which is awesome!

Did you ever feel over-exerted?

Definitely during the 2nd timed “burpees.”
Those are tough!

What was the hardest part of the workout?

The ring body-weight pull-ups. Especially since I took some time off from my regular gym workouts.

(read the rest of the article here

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Don't Feel Sorry For Yourself (Shake it off and step up)

The parable is told of an old dog that fell into a farmer's well.

After assessing the situation, the farmer sympathized with the dog but decided that neither the dog nor the well was worth the trouble of saving. Instead he planned to bury the old dog in the well and put him out of his misery.

When the farmer began shoveling, the old dog was hysterical. But with each shovel full of dirt hitting his back, the dog would shake it off and step up.

That became his routine: Shake it off and step up, shake it off and step up, shake it off and step up!

No matter how painful the blows or how distressing the situation seemed, the old dog fought panic and just kept shaking it off and stepping up.

It was not long before the dog, battered and exhausted, stepped triumphantly over the wall of that well.

What seemed as though it would bury him actually benefited him -- all because of the way he handled it.

Got some problems that threaten to bury you?

Maybe shaking them off and using them to step higher will be a good plan for today.

Follow These 4 FullForce Fitness Tips To Get Firm and Tight!

I want to share four quick tips with you today that, when you boil it all down, sum up what all of us need to know to get lean and stay lean for life.

It's simple and it works!

TOP 2 EXERCISE TIPS

* Obliterate Fat Using A Total Body Workout: This means doing a five-exercise circuit (designed to work your upper body, lower body, and core) at least three times per week. Alternate between 50 seconds of work and 10 seconds of rest using exercises like squats, pushups, lunges, rows and planks for core. Perform up to 4 rounds without rest for a killer 20-minute total body workout.

* Discover the Power of Intervals: Interval training is scientifically proven to burn nine times more body fat than ordinary exercise and elevates metabolism for up to 48 hours following your workout. Perform cardio intervals on non-strength training days three times per week. Selecting your cardio exercise of choice, alternate between 20 seconds of work and 10 seconds of rest and repeat this 30 second interval eight times for four total minutes followed by a one-minute rest. Repeat for up to 20 total minutes. This routine works best on a stationary bike or for body weight cardio exercise that you can do at home like running in place or jumping jacks.

TOP 2 FOOD TIPS

* Eat Early and Often: Eat immediately upon waking and then every two to four hours to starve fat and feed muscle. By continuously fueling your furnace, and eating some animal protein (meat, eggs, cheese, etc.) at every feeding, you'll also keep your metabolism revved up throughout the day and prevent overeating.

* Think Fiber First When Consuming Carbs: Eat an unlimited amount of fibrous, cruciferous green veggies to fill your stomach both during and between meals. For optimal fat-burning, try to limit fruit and other carbohydrate consumption to within 1-2 hours post-workout when your body best tolerates starches and sugars.

Live by these 2 training and nutrition rules and you will have a body to be proud of... I guarantee it.

Scott

www.fullforcefitness.net

PS- Read about one of my best friends, Dr Joe Vitale, and me in the latest issue of Austin Fit Magazine (http://www.austinfitmagazine.com/). There’s also my new video project called “Kick Mo’s Butt” in this issue.

Find the free magazine all around the Austin area…

PPS – Some random pics from days gone by…

View Full Album

Cedar Park, Texas Personal Trainer Reveals the Top 5 Diet Tips For Those In A Hurry To Get In Shape

Scott York is a local Cedar Park, Texas fitness expert. Today he shares the top 5 diet tips for those of you who are in a hurry to get in shape for Spring and Summer.


I have worked with a lot of people and one of the most important components in getting my clients the best results around is by piggybacking on some sort of deadline.

There is no better example of this than with a new bride to be, someone preparing for a cruise or a sun drenched beach vacation. It’s amazing what happens to women as soon as they set a wedding date- they are ready and willing to do whatever it takes to get in their dream dress and inspire awe in all those who attend the most important day of their life.

It’s the same for a guy who’s getting ready for Spring Break at the beach or a couple preparing for a vacation on a cruise ship.


All of these individuals still need a dietary blueprint in order to get the job done. After all nutrition is 80-90+% of building a leaner, sexier physique. The following dietary guidelines have produced both body and life-changing results for many, many clients around the world (I have a Cedar Park, Texas fitness boot camp and I train clients using cutting edge technology online).


Typical results are losses of 2-3 pounds of ugly, unwanted body fat per week and a reduction in at least 1 clothing size per month. Remember- the focus must be on improving overall health, body composition, and performance, NOT weight loss!


The Fit Body Mentality:

EAT to Elevate Metabolism and Lose Fat (NOT Weight)

Tip#1- Stay Hydrated:

- Drink at least 2-4 cups of water immediately upon waking and then drink at least 1-2 cups of water every 2 hours you are awake. A dehydrated organism cannot effectively lose body fat! Fat burning is a dehydrating process and water helps the body along the way.

- Drink 1-2 cups of water for every 15 minutes of vigorous activity to maintain optimal performance and to prevent dehydration during your workouts.

- Consume at least 3 servings of antioxidant-rich green tea per day to boost your immune system and accelerate recovery from exercise.

Tip#2- Eat Early and Eat Often:

- Eat immediately upon waking (unless you workout first thing in the morning – in that case eat or have a protein drink right after the workout) and then again every 2-4 hours after that for a total of 6-8 feedings per day.


This is a staple for any solid fat loss nutrition plan because it allows your body to starve the fat and feed the muscle, optimizes performance, and prevents your body’s starvation signals from going off- signals that will slow fat loss to a snail’s pace.


- The dietary breakdown is 3 total meals per day consumed at breakfast, lunch, and dinner time, 3 total snacks/day consumed between meals and before bed, and workout nutrition in the form of a protein or amino acid supplement consumed around your training sessions. Snacks are typically half the caloric value of meals.

Tip#3- Focus on the Essentials:

- Consume a wide range of organic lean high quality proteins at each feeding. A great rule of thumb is to consume at least a fist-sized portion. Protein is not only the only macronutrient responsible for building and repairing that lean, sexy muscle tone but it also allows your body to best starve its ugly, unwanted fat stores.


In addition, the sheer consumption of protein elevates metabolism and burns calories through the thermic effect of feeding since protein is more than twice as energy costly for your body to digest than fat or carbs.


- Consume a wide range of natural fats at each feeding (olive oil, coconut oil, beef, salmon, whole eggs, avocado, mixed nuts, flax, full-fat cheese, etc.). Sufficient dietary fat intake is critical to beneficial hormone production, which allows for optimal fat loss. Furthermore, your body cannot optimally burn stored body fat without a sufficient amount of healthy dietary fat.

- Consume a wide range of fruits and veggies at each feeding (with a special emphasis on green veggies). A great rule of thumb when it comes to produce is to consume at least one green item AND as many other colors as possible at each and every meal to get the most health benefits.



Sample One-Day Menu

Breakfast- 6am Scrambled Omega-3 Eggs, Greens, and Turkey Sausage or Bacon

Mid-Morning Snack- 9 am Mixed Raw Nuts and Fruit/Veggies of Choice

Lunch- Noon Chicken, Salmon, or Shrimp Caesar Salad

Mid-Afternoon Snack- 3 pm Full-Fat Cheese and Fruit/Veggies of Choice

Dinner- 6 pm Turkey or Beef Meatballs and Spaghetti Squash

Pre-Bed Snack- 8 pm Wonder Bowl:
Mix of Full-Fat Cottage Cheese, Protein Powder, Flax Meal, and Raw Nut Butter

Tip#4- You NEED These 2 Supplements:

- Take a daily whole food based multi-vitamin for your gender. Ensuring adequate intake of vitamins and minerals is essential for your body to function optimally, especially for people who struggle to get at least 8-12 servings of fruits and veggies per day.


- Take a high quality essential fatty acid (EFA) or fish oil supplement. Omega-3 fats found in fish oil are scientifically proven to increase metabolism and generate increased fat burning, besides having a host of other benefits like preventing cancer, reducing inflammation and joint pain, enhancing skin and hair quality, etc.

Tip#5- Think Fiber First When It Comes To Carbs:

- It is critical to focus on carbohydrate quality first AND then quantity second. In terms of quality, all carbohydrates (outside of dairy) that you eat should contain AT LEAST 3 g of fiber per serving and offer LESS THAN 10 g of sugar per serving.

In terms of quantity, we have found most females achieve the best fat-burning effects by limiting their total daily carb intake to 50 g or less, NOT including their unlimited daily fibrous carb intake from green veggies (fruit can be used in moderation) nor the trace carbs from protein and fat foods.


- Use The Carb Reduction Blueprint: Use the following step-by-step process in the exact order listed to breakthrough any plateaus in your quest to get into that dress:

Step#1- Replace all white carbs with 100% whole grain carbs and all refined sugars with natural sugars found in food choices with ONE ingredient (e.g. fruit, honey, etc.). This will results in much more stable blood sugar levels, the key to maintaining high energy levels and burning fat.


Step#2- Limit all 100% whole grain starch and natural sugar consumption to within 1-2 hours post-workout or immediately upon waking for breakfast. Your body best handles these types of carbs at these times without excessive risk of this energy being stored as fat.


Step#3- Replace all starches and sugars with fruits and veggies. Fruits and veggies are the most nutrient dense carbs loaded with tons of vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, antioxidants, and stomach-filling fiber, making them the staple of any good fat loss meal plan.


Step#4- Replace all fruits with green veggies (or any other veggies BESIDES corn, peas, carrots, and potatoes) to weed out any remaining dietary sugar (fructose- fruit sugar) that will prevent your body from maximally using stored body fat for fuel.


Green veggies like broccoli, spinach, dark leafy lettuce, green beans, asparagus, etc. have the most figure-friendly benefits of any carbohydrate out there and can be consumed in an unlimited amount throughout the day to keep you full and satisfied.


Step#5- Use strategic carb and calorie cycling to take your body to next level (my clients and I have had great success with this but it is beyond the scope of this article).


Well, those are my top 5 diet tips to help you look your best on the biggest day of your life, Spring Break or a get away vacation at the beach. When it comes to nutrition, keep it simple and stay the course. And remember, it’s not about weight loss- it’s about being as visually stunning as possible via losing inches in all the right places.