Carrot Cake Protein Bar (Quick and Easy)

(recipe at end of video)

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.

"Start Telling Yourself You Have 100% Control Over Your Level Of Fitness"

"Fat people believe that diets don't work...FIT people believe that people don't work.




Americans have been programmed to believe diets don’t work because of the inability of the average person to stick to them, and their unwillingness to take responsibility for their own failure.


Make no mistake: many diets work very well. Because an individual lacks the mental toughness to stick to a diet doesn’t make the diet any less effective. Fat people have a difficult time accepting responsibility for their own behavior, so they blame their diet. That’s no different than a college graduate begging for money on the street and then blaming the school for his failure to succeed.


This delusional thinking is a hallmark of the middle-class mindset. World-class thinkers know the real problem lies in the thoughts, beliefs and philosophies of the individual. They know diets work, but people often don’t.


Exacerbating the delusion of the masses are the weight loss companies telling people getting fat isn’t their fault. Of course, this makes fat people feel comfortable with their failures, and comfort is the most important thing to the middle-class consciousness.


So in addition to unhealthy foods, they begin ingesting pre-packaged meals and magical pills that promise to turn them into the next supermodel. To add insult to injury, these diet companies have the audacity to brainwash the masses into believing losing and maintaining their weight will be easy and effortless.


Fortunately for these companies and unfortunately for their customers, fat people want to believe this so badly they lie to themselves. Human history is filled with examples of the masses willingly deceiving themselves into believing things that aren’t true for the sake of psychological comfort.


They lack the mental and emotional toughness to cope with objective reality. All this self- deception eventually leaves the person frustrated, unhappy and fatter than ever. At the same time this preventable tragedy is occurring, fit people are taking advantage of brilliant diets and getting superior results." - Die Fat Book, Steve Siebold, CSP, CPCS

Scott
www.fullforcefitness.net

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.

Cedar Park, Texas Fitness Boot Camp Owner Kicks Off The Super Bowl Weekend With Tasty Low Calorie Snacks

Super Bowl kick off time is right around the corner. While Pittsburgh and Arizona are trying to outscore each other with the pigskin, millions will be watching and eating.

That’s where the trouble starts.

Beer will be guzzled. Pizzas will vanish in astronomical numbers. And calories will skyrocket.

And by the time a lot of us try to get up off our couches we may find that we are a few pounds heavier.

To avoid this fitness setback, check out the tasty recipes below that are perfect for snacking on during the Super Bowl festivities.

You’ll get great taste, better nutrition and you won’t sacrifice the hard work you’ve already put in towards realizing your 2009 fitness goals.

The following is a comprehensive list of both approved food choices and/or healthier substitutes for traditional party foods. Use this list to satisfy your taste buds while saving at least hundreds if not thousands of calories in the process. If you use these strategies consistently for parties and social gatherings over the course of the year, this could prevent 5-10 lbs of fat gain… easily!

Section I- Appetizers

• Naked Sandwiches (preferably bun-less, only use whole grain bun option if absolutely needed)
• Thin Crust Whole Grain Pizza
• Fruit Salad (throw low carb whipped cream and dash of splenda/stevia on top as desired)
• Super Salad Bowl (use unlimited veggies and meats, dip dressing on the side or use low calorie substitutes)
• Sweet Potato Fries
• Tuna or Chicken Salad
• Nut Butter on Celery Sticks
• Mixed Nuts (no sugar, unroasted, low in salt)
• Cheese, Eggs, and Meat Tray
• Caprese Salad
• Raw Veggies (use dip sparingly)
• Grilled/Sauteed Veggies (use extra virgin olive or coconut oil)
• Figure-Friendly Nachos (see “accessories” below for ingredients: tortillas, cheese, salsa, and guacamole)
• Buffalo Chicken Bites (skinless, no breading, use low calorie buffalo sauce sparingly)
• Pasta Salad (use whole grain pasta and go easy on the dressings, choosing marina based sauces over creamier versions)
• Greek Yogurt with berries mixed in (blackberries and raspberries)



Section II- Accessories

• Natural Whole Grain Tortillas
• Natural Baked Chips
• Natural Cheetos
• Diet Lipton Green Teas (or other low calorie/carb beverages)
• Water
• Natural Salsa
• Guacamole
• Salad Dressings: Vinegars of choice (apple cider, red wine, balsamic, etc.)
• Other Low Calorie Condiments of Choice: mustard, hot sauce, horseradish, etc.

Section III- Main Courses

• Lettuce Burgers (use extra lean sirloin or bison, preferably bun-less only using whole grain bun option if absolutely needed)
• Rotisserie Chicken (choose “plain” and remove skin and dab off any grease as needed with paper towel)
• Extra Lean Kosher Hot Dogs (preferably bun-less, only use whole grain bun option if absolutely needed)
• Chili (preferably bean-less, only use if absolutely needed and feel free to swap extra lean turkey for the beef version to cut down fat intake)
• Pizza (see “appetizers” above or use whole grain/thin crust options from restaurants or frozen food isles)

Section IV- Desserts

• Edy’s Grand Light Ice Cream
• Larabars
• Cocoa Via Bars or Packs
• Low Carb Cheesecake from Cheesecake Factory
• Protein Cookies (swap in protein powder for flour)



BONUS- Top 10 Tips to Save Thousands of Calories on Super Bowl Sunday

1.) Go Naked: Replace all buns or breading for sandwiches with a lettuce wrap alternative to cut calories, stabilize blood sugar, and boost fiber and micronutrient intake.

2.) Hydrate: Drink at least two to four cups of water before eating AND one to two cups every 15-30 minutes after you start eating to fill your stomach and prevent overeating that can be triggers by dehydration.

3.) Eliminate Empty Liquid Calories: Minimize or eliminate all fruit juices, regular sodas, and alcohol. Opt for water, tea, or low calorie/carb beverages in moderation to leave more room for whole food choices that have more nutritional value and better fill you up.

4.) Do not fast in preparation for a feast as it will turn your body into a famished fat-storing machine the next time you eat. The resulting low blood sugar levels that come from not eating for four hours or more make you crave junk foods high in both fat and refined sugars.

5.) Replace All White with Brown (Or Better Yet... Green!): Be sure to use the whole grain alternatives for any starch you serve at your party (e.g. chips, tortillas, breads, rice, pasta). Whole grains have more vitamins and minerals and are high in fiber which means they won’t have as negative of an impact on your blood sugar compared to its white counterparts. However, if you want to be a nutritional boy or girl scout, go one step further by replacing all brown with green in the form of green veggies (see “Go Naked” above).

6.) Focus on eating lean proteins and fruits and veggies first. Use these in unlimited amounts as needed to fill you up and best prevent the typical party “killshot” of high carb and high fat meals (e.g. thick crust pizza with extra full-fat cheese).

7.) Never eat directly out of the bag or community bowl and use smaller plates to put your food on while limiting yourself to a pre-set plate total (e.g. four plate maximum during a three-hour football game).

8.) Replace Gold With Green: Opt for guacamole over cheese for your salads and chips. Guacamole is not only low in saturated fat and high in heart healthy monounsaturated fats but it also has a ton of fiber that will help fill you up fast and prevent overeating. Though cheese is a true super food in moderation, it is very easy to overeat especially when mixed with refined carb sources like white chips and pizza.

9.) Replace Flour with Protein Powder: Few people know that protein powder makes a great cooking or baking substitute for flour (e.g. protein cookies). By adding protein and reducing carb intake you will boost metabolism.

10.) 20 Chews: Eat slowly and require a certain number of chews before you swallow to allow your brain enough time to get the “I’m full” signal (e.g. 20 pre-swallow chews).

FullForceFitness Video Tip #3 (Something For The Guys) Jan 09

How To Turn Your New Years Fitness Resolutions Into Results!

In my 20 plus years of fitness training, I have helped countless people maximize their overall health, performance, and body composition faster than ever before.



Nobody knows better how to get in shape than bodybuilders. I spent 13 years as a competitive bodybuilder and currently work with some of the top professional fitness and figure competitors in the world.



At the professional level, it’s a business. If you are not in shape, you don’t make money.




If you don’t make money, then you better go find something else to do.



Getting in shape is no different for them than it is for the rest of us.



One of the biggest areas in which people misstep and don’t reach their fitness goals is due to their lack of setting a concrete goal.



Put bluntly, I know how to help people lose ugly, unwanted body fat faster than most people can fathom.



I have done the countless hours of research and trial and error and I have had hundreds of people as real world case studies to prove that our system flat out works. But, today I am going to share something more powerful; something that must be set in place before you can even start to think about following a fitness program.



So what is it?



What do you think the real secret behind my client success is? Well, if your answer was my aforementioned training system, then your answer is wrong. Yep, it’s an incredible program, but unfortunately it’s useless if someone is unwilling to start it AND stick to it, right?



So, it appears that the most important component of changing your body is finding the motivation to achieve your goals, and that’s the main focus of this article today.



Before I get into this goal setting process, I just need to get something off of my chest.



I know a lot of people think goal setting is just a cheesy, useless thing. Unfortunately, these people just don’t get it and frankly if you are one of those people, please do us both a favor and stop reading this article and go buy another useless weight loss book or pill because I simply cannot do anything for you.



I can only help people who want to learn. I simply cannot help people who already think they know it all and think they are too good to take some time to figure out what the heck it is that they actually want to accomplish.



The bottom line is that the most successful people out there, and I mean not just weight loss success, I am talking business, lifestyle, etc., are shamelessly goal driven. They know exactly why they want to do something and harness that super motivation to figure out what and by when they want to go about accomplishing that. Furthermore, they plan and prepare for every possible roadblock they will encounter in their path to success. This is what I want to discuss today, so let’s get to it!



Step One- The Why: Why do you want to do this?



This is where it’s time to get real. In almost every initial telephone consult I do, when I ask why they have contacted me today, here is the typical blanket response that I first hear:


“Well, I just want to get healthy and lose weight I guess.”


Nope, I don’t buy it.


Sure, I know they want to lose weight and be healthy, I mean who doesn’t, but really WHY do they want to do this? I mean, what is it that’s going to get them up at 5 am to get their morning workouts in or take a couple of hours on Sunday to plan and prepare their meals for the upcoming week? It sure isn’t “being healthy” because for some reason this just isn’t a very powerful motivator for most people (though it should be).


Let’s face it: everybody, including YOU, wants to look better in his or her bathing suit. Stop giggling, you know it’s true and frankly that’s okay because the desire to improve one’s appearance is probably the most powerful motivator that there is.




So, after a little digging, I find out the real reason why they want to do this; I find their past or pain and then establish their current and future ambitions. Some people want to be able to mow the lawn in the summer with their shirt off and not feel self-conscious.



Others want to get back into their favorite pair of pants that they haven’t been able to get one leg into for the last five years. Then there are those who want to look and feel more attractive to ignite some passion back into their relationships and/or put forth their best image at work. And of course, my personal favorite is preparing for big events that have built in deadlines.



Wanting to get as lean and tight as possible to rock that dream bathing suit in Argentina, or get off the plane in Texas when visiting family you haven’t seen in two years to blow them away with your new body, or being a classic beauty in your wedding dress on the big day, it all works! This is the stuff that gets people jacked up and ready to commit to making some real changes. How do I know? Well, I just shared with you verbatim the exact “WHY’S” of some of my own clients.


So, the first thing you have to figure out is your personal WHY. To make this even simpler for you, just answer this question: what are your physical dreams? Once you establish this, everything else is easy.



Step Two- The What and When: What do you want to accomplish and when?



So we already figured out the obvious: you want to look better (and feel better)! So, now we need to establish what objective goal(s) need to be accomplished in order to realize this subjective dream.


Well, from a logistics standpoint and keeping things as cost effective as possible, there are three major ways I track “look better” progress with my clients, in order of least important to most important:


1.) Using The Scale: This is by far the least important goal, but it gives a number that’s worth tracking. Though body fat percentage would be a much better method of tracking progress, it is simply too inaccurate on a small scale and too costly on a large scale.




The key is to taking your initial weight before you start and then not weighing more than every 2 weeks. I have found most people to do better with tracking their weight every month. There are simply too many variables for controlling your body weight and the natural fluctuations based on diet (and for women, their menstrual cycle), means the less frequently you do this the better.




If the scale is just too de-motivating for you in general, then just skip this one altogether if you must, because the next two markers are far more important.

2.) Dress/Pant Size: This is probably the most simple and effective unused method of tracking whether or not you look better. I think it’s safe to say that if you are dropping dress and/or pant sizes that you will be looking better, right?


Your best bet is to also select one dress or one pair of pants that you really want to get into since that is the true end goal in mind. For those of you would want to argue that every outfitter has different sizes, well that’s a mute point if you use the same pant or dress size to track.


There’s nothing more powerful than being able to literally feel yourself comfortably get into clothes that use almost rip when you put on.

3.) Digital Pictures: Pictures don’t lie, that’s the bottom line. If you want to look better, what better way is there to assess this than pictures? I cannot begin to tell you how important this is. Taking a before picture is essentially you telling the whole world that you are ready to change and that you are ready to do whatever it takes to make those changes.


The key is to take pictures wearing exactly what you want to look your best in. Ouch! Maybe it’s taking pictures of you in the dress or pair of pants that you are using to track your dress or pant size. Or maybe it’s a sleeveless shirt and tank top that you want to wear during the summer.


And if you want to see your abs, then you best believe that you need to take pictures of your abs to track how much more definition you get. Take a front, side, and rear view picture and be sure to note the exact conditions in which the picture was taken (lighting, distance from camera, time of day/week, etc.) to be as accurate as possible in your assessment. The clients whom I’ve transformed that failed to take before pictures in the past have nothing but regret about it.


Your before pictures will become your trophy and they are an absolute must if you really are serious about getting results that count.



Step Three- Planning and Preparing for Roadblocks: What are the big obstacles that will prevent you from having the success you desire? What’s contributed most to past failures?


Now that we know what you want to accomplish, it’s time to plan and prepare for any obstacles that might get in your way of getting the job done based on your own personal schedule.


In general, the number one thing I hear is that people are too busy and tired and don’t have enough time to get their workouts in or make their meals. Well, I don’t care how busy you think you are, there is always hidden time throughout the day and week that can be freed up if your re-prioritize.



Again, think back to why you wanted to do this in the first place and then examine what’s most important to you. Make your workouts and your meal times just like work appointments. Either you make the appointment or you don’t. And if you want to keep your job (or get your dream body) then you better make that appointment.


Another big obstacle is alcohol. People like to drink and unfortunately alcohol is about as detrimental to burning fat as it gets. Again, what’s more important to you, looking sexy or getting hammered. The choice is yours. Remember, once you achieve your goal(s), alcohol can be added back in with moderation. But know this, lean people just don’t get wasted unless they are genetic freaks.



Low to zero alcohol consumption is needed if you want to look your best year round and that’s a fact.


Lastly, many people deal with boredom by doing what is called emotional eating. Boredom eating means just that, eating to fill up dead time when you have nothing better to do. The best way to deal with this is, you guessed it, to do something! Find an active hobby to keep your mind off of eating when boredom strikes and you can beat this trend.



Emotional eating describes the use of food to cope with stress or to reward for accomplishment. Food is not unlike drugs or alcohol in this regard, it can be very addictive. There is no quick fix for emotional eating other than avoiding trigger situations (bars, parties, etc.) and trigger foods (starches, sugars, fast food, etc.) in the short term to break bad habits.


At the end of the day, whether your roadblocks are very individual or if they fall in line with the general roadblocks our clients encounter on a regular basis, the key is to be honest about them and to plan and prepare for them. And that’s where social support and accountability come into play.




The clients who have had the most success with us have undergone their transformation with the support of other friends or family members. This is so critical, especially since most of the poor food and drinking choices that sabotage one’s progress occur on the weekend, when most people hang out with their friend and family. If they are committed with you and your goal to get fit and look better, you can put yourself in a much better position to realize the success your desire and deserve.



The last thing anybody needs is sabotage or peer pressure from those closest to you, so get them on board and get them on board early.

The Future of Fitness in 2009

Since 2009 is right around the corner, I wanted to make a few predictions based upon my 20 + years of experience in the fitness industry.

I make it my business to keep my fingertips on the pulse of the industry to determine what trends are emerging as well as what trends are disappearing.

The bottom line tells me that while people are becoming more informed and aware of the pitfalls of poor health and wellness, they are still not taking action as evidenced by our continuing obesity epidemic.

It appears as though the fitness industry as a whole has again failed to produce any significant results on a broad scale to effectively reverse the scary obesity epidemic that is plaguing our society.

More specifically, the sickening fact that American adults keep getting fatter, more lethargic, and less healthy has mirrored the unabated deterioration in the health and fitness of our youth population.

However, on a positive note, I predict that 2009 will be see rise to several growing fitness trends that will provide the long-term answers to solve this ever-growing problem:

Fitness Trend#1- Fitness Boot Camps Will Grow, One-On-One Personal Training Will Not

If you are one of Santa’s little helpers and have been busy at the North Pole, then perhaps you are not aware that we are in the midst of the biggest economic recession since The Great Depression.

With an economy that will most likely get worse before it gets better, the average American simply does not have the disposable income for typical personal training rates that run about $60 and up per hour.

However, thanks to good old American ingenuity, behind every problem lies an answer.

The answer is fitness boot camps.

Boot camps are probably the hottest thing in the fitness game right now.

Why? Because they work – they get results!

They have a built in social element that keeps everyone honest regarding their attendance and as a result this is a huge key to fitness goal success!

The group training business model creates the ultimate win-win for trainers and clients making the one-on-one alternative obsolete. Fitness trainers get to better leverage their time and maximize profits by working with an unlimited number of clients per hour.

Fitness clients are able to better access personal training services in a unique and dynamic team environment that provides better social support and accountability for only a the third of the cost of typical one-on-one training rates.

Fitness boot camps will continue to spring up all over the place, and for good reason. If you are trying to lose weight in 2009, do yourself a favor by saving your hard-earned money to get better results by joining a local fitness boot camp.

The money that you spend is an investment - not an expense.

You will feel better, sleep better, have more energy, be happier, less stressed, be stronger mentally and physically and as a result be able to deal with any obstacle that comes your way.

Fitness is an investment that pays you back multiple times over.

Do not shortchange yourself or your health.

Fitness Trend#2- Interval Training Beats Aerobic Training For Improved Fat Loss And Body Shape Remodeling

High-Intensity Interval Training has been around for a while but it will continue to gain fans due to its more efficient means of improving fitness levels and for superior “body cosmetic effect” (creating a lean and mean body.

Thankfully, 2009 will see more people doing sprints and less people doing marathons to lose weight. However, make no mistake about it; lots of people are still going to do hours of snail-paced cardio to burn fat.

Aerobic or endurance training is essentially going at a slow, low intensity pace for a long period of time (typically at least 30-60 minutes). In other words, the focus of endurance training is on the total volume of exercise (not quality). Think about all those speed limpers you see every New Year foolishly running for hours pounding the pavement or treadmill to get rid of that winter blubber.

Sadly, this results in minimal fat loss and lots of overtraining injuries.

With interval training, the focus is on the intensity of exercise (quality). Intervals consist of alternating between shorts bouts of all out high-intensity effort and active recovery periods for a much quicker and focused amount of time (typically 10-20 minutes of intervals works best).

This approach is scientifically proven to burn nine times more fat AND lead to faster improvements in fitness than the aerobic alternative.

Two landmark scientific studies come to mind here:

The Tabata study compared the effects of four minutes of high-intensity interval training with 45-60 minutes of low to moderate intensity cardio. The interval training group burned just as much fat as the endurance group and also had greater improvement in both anaerobic (think sprinters) and aerobic (think distance runners) fitness… in only four minutes!

The Gibala study compared the effects of 20 minutes of interval training (30 second sprint followed by four minutes of rest) with 90-120 minutes of endurance training in the “heart rate zone.”

The conclusions of the study were that both methods of training lead to the same improvements in oxygen utilization (or aerobic fitness). In other words, intervals accomplished what endurance training did from a fitness standpoint in only a sixth of the time!

The time is now to jump on the interval training bandwagon. Come 2009, do yourself and your body a favor and start sprinting to look and feel better.

Fitness Trend#3- Lean Proteins And Fiber Are The Carbohydrate Junkies Answer For Improved Health, Performance, and Body Composition

Americans are carbohydrate junkies. We simply can’t get enough starches and sugars in our diet, and we have the bulging midsections to prove it. One of the biggest misconceptions about diet today is that eliminating starches and sugars from your diet automatically means low carb.

Better said, eliminating grains (even whole grains) and refined sugars still allows for consumption of the other carbohydrates: fruits and veggies. These nutrient-dense carbs are loaded with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber and create more stable blood sugar levels to keep your body burning fat all day long.

All of my clients who have lost the most fat have followed our guidelines of unlimited veggies all day long (besides corn, peas, carrots, beets, and potatoes). In other words, eat lots of vegetables, and very little of the other stuff if you want to see your abs!

Believe it or not, I actually look FORWARD to grilled chicken, mixed vegetables and 16 oz of water at lunchtime.

Because I know that not only is it going to make me FEEL better but I’m also going to get FASTER RESULTS with my workout program.

This is how I lost 13lbs leading up to my vacation to Cancun, Mexico in October 2008.

And now that that excess weight is gone, my metabolism runs better, my clothes fit better, I have more energy and I am lighter on feet.

The overwhelming scientific literature proving the fat burning benefits of a diet high in lean protein and fiber is finally catching the eye of mainstream consumers.

It’s what bodybuilders and elite athletes have known all along.

Protein is the most important component of each and every meal or snack you consume. It builds and maintains muscle, allows your body to preferentially burn fat, increases metabolism through the thermal effect of feeding, and fills you up.

Fiber (ideally obtained from fruits and vegetables, specifically green vegetables) helps slow digestion for a more steady supply of nutrients and sustained energy, it prevents overeating at each meal, and it helps keep you more full between meals.

Thus by combining protein and fiber every two to four hours, you provide your body with the optimal one-two belly fat burning punch for a leaner, stronger you.]

(Speaking of a 1-2 punch and becoming leaner and stronger, check out the 45 second video of one of my clients, Monica Brant performing a recent kickboxing style workout with Jake.

Does she look wiped out or what at the end of this video?)

Click -> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGovqNyHHkg&fmt=18

(turn up your speakers to hear)

Since our indoor boot camp location in Cedar Park, has heavy bags, gloves, pads and more we are going to be implementing more of this style of training in 2009 during our boot camp classes.

Hopefully, people will be consuming more protein and fruits and veggies next year, and their bodies will reap the rewards of this.

That wraps up my “Fitness Forecast” for 2009, hope to see you in the gym and I hope that the information in this article gives you the “kick” that you need to be the trendsetter for your own body and the bodies of those whom you care most about in the New Year!

“I wanted to tell you that I am really enjoying your class and appreciate your patience, motivation, professionalism and obvious passion for what you do. It really is contagious... !”

R. Armour

Cedar Park, Texas

P.S. I hear from people all of the time who would like to enroll in my boot camp but are nervous or apprehensive about joining due to one thing or another.

I can assure you that nearly everyone feels that way before taking that first step.

Remember, it’s not where you start, it’s where you finish that matters!

Scott

Scott@fullforcefitness.net

512.233.0756

Holiday Gift Ideas for Fitness Enthusiasts

If you're stumped about what to give your friends and loved ones for the holidays, why not consider a present related to fitness?


Just for fun, why not add a few fitness gifts to your own wish list this holiday season? After all, who doesn’t want to look or perform better?


Here are my top gift ideas for the fitness enthusiasts on your list:


1. A Foam Roller


If you happen to be like the majority of people, you are glued to your desk most of the day. And when you actually do have time to work out, all you usually can fit in is the workout itself. In today's fast paced world, who really has the time to stretch daily?


A foam roller is useful at this point. This self-massage tool is remarkable and it greatly helps to avoid injury along with also improving performance. It is optimal to have five minutes after workouts to help speed up the healing of very small tears in muscle tissue that can result from a strenuous workout; foam rollers can rapidly start the recovery process.


Plus, a foam roller both kneads out and lengthens your muscles and connective tissues thus alleviating, if not eliminating, nagging aches and pains in your back, knees, hips, shoulders, and elbows.


If you’re going to get a foam roller, get a good one. The really inexpensive versions have a habit of wearing out and turning into limp noodles within a few months. The brand that I prefer is the EVA Premium Foam Roller (roughly thirty dollars), I use them often and I stand behind it! Check Academy.com, walmart.com or any local sporting goods store.


2.) Resistance Bands


Resistance bands are far and away the most simple, handy, and least costly choice of gear in the fitness equipment arena. They allow you to do quick and effective workouts no matter where you are.


Traveling professionals do well to use bands as a lightweight training tool for workouts on the road because the bands can easily fit in very small bags. Bands are useful too, for stay at home Moms (or Dads) who would like to work out in the comfort of their own home. For a bit of added variety to your weight training, try bands, which need no set up, are joint friendly and they're fun to use.

Find them at your local sporting goods store. Speaking of which...



3.) Gift from Your Local Sporting Goods Store


It doesn't get much better than a gift from your local sporting goods store for the weekend warrior on your list. It is never a bad idea to opt for a gift card in this case since everyone has their own tastes, especially in terms of fashion sizes and styles.

4.) Food


Everyone has to eat, right? Consider giving 7 days of healthy food from an organic grocer like Whole Foods to a friend or loved one instead of throwing away money at an overpriced restaurant.


Years ago, I had the impression that Whole Foods was some elitist store for wealthy folks or hippies. Boy was I mistaken. I shop there somewhat regularly these days, particularly when buying produce to avoid foods that are typically loaded with hormones and/or pesticides. The key is to plan ahead and stay on a budget. I aim for $20 on fruits and veggies, $10 on miscellaneous items and spend $50 bucks on protein.


5) Massage



My boot campers hear me mention this one a lot. Most of us are busy and stressed during the holiday season and nothing eases the tension like a good massage


This gift is as close to being a can't miss idea as they get, unless it's for a person who can't stand being touched! It feels good to indulge once in a while, and while the foam roller I talked about above can do great things for most of your body, nothing can relieve stress in your upper back, neck and head like a highly trained massage therapist!

6.) Supplements that Work: Protein Powders, Fish Oil, Multi-Vitamins


I have helped hundreds of people lose lots of fat. Over the years of trying different supplements, I've found three that have become a mandatory part of a fat loss program: protein powders, fish oil and multi-vitamins.


For a quick, easy meal alternative, snack or post workout drink, try protein powders. When looking for a protein powder, you should try to find a brand that has low sugar with a mix of both casein (slow absorbing) and whey protein (fast absorbing).


I like Cytosport’s Muscle Milk. I got my Mother to try Muscle Milk years ago and it has since become a staple in her daily diet. Find it at your local health food store or buy it online at www.amazon.com. All of the flavors are good.


Fish oil, or more appropriately an essential fatty acid (EFA) is critical to providing key omega 3’s to maximize overall health, performance, and body composition. Find it at Whole Foods or even at your local supermarket.


A daily multi-vitamin provides key vitamins and minerals which can be very hard to get unless you have a diet that is almost perfect.

And who does?

I like to pull out all the stops when it comes to taking care of my body, how about you?


Make sure that you pick a multi-vitamin supplement and make sure it is made from whole foods instead of synthetic materials, along with also making sure the supplement is specifically made for your gender.

7.) A Gift Card to a Fitness Boot Camp


Boot camps provide a fun and exciting team environment that can get better results than one-on-one personal training for only a fraction of the cost… it’s a total no-brainer.


Look for a local fitness boot camp with tons of social proof (client testimonials, videos) to make sure they have a solid reputation and a bunch of raving fans of people just like you.


Plus, any good boot camp worth its weight offers free trials to all newcomers because they are so confident their program works that you’ll more than likely continue after a test-drive, This way there is typically no risk on your part… besides getting your butt kicked, in a good way!

So join a fitness boot camp with at least one other friend or family member or buy a boot camp gift card to give to your loved ones. As a boot camp owner myself, I know firsthand that clients always get better results when they embark on a fitness journey with others.


We’ve all heard the media telling us not to buy gift cards as businesses are failing and the sky is falling, blah, blah, and blah.


Still, just make sure that the business has been around a few years before springing for a gift card.


And if you live in the local Cedar Park, Texas area, come join us for the best boot camp experience in the Austin, Texas area by visiting FullForceFitness. Our workouts will change your body and give you more energy in 2009!