The Workout for Wedneday June 1st

Four Rounds. 60 seconds work, 15 seconds rest of Box Jumps, Push Press, Rowing Machine, Ball Slam, Sumo Deadlift High Pull.

June Fitness Challenge

The Fitness Challenge For June is Jump Rope/Running/Rowing. On every Monday, Wednesday and Friday of the month perform any one of the following: Jump Rope for 10 continuous minutes, run one mile for time, or row 1500 meters.

The Workout for Tuesday May 31st

Four Rounds

50 Hand-to-Hand Swings

75 Jump Rope

5 Renegade Rows each side

75 Jump Rope

10 Double Dead Cleans

75 Jump Rope

15 Snatches each side

75 Jump Rope

The Workout for Memorial Day, May 30th

"Murph"

Run one mile

100 Pull Ups

200 Push Ups

300 Squats

Run one mile

In memory of Lt. Michael Murphy

New Mobile Site

Here's a preliminary look at my new mobile website. It's called FFIT System on the Go . I plan to post the days boot camp workout, a weekly fitness tip, and an occasional recipe.  This site is optimized for viewing on your phone or mobile device.  Check it out!

The Workout for Friday May 27th

Five rounds

1 Sled Suicide

50 Hammer Drives

50 Swings

Waiters Walk--200 feet

The Workout for Thursday May 26th

Four Rounds

15 Deck Squats

15 Hindu Push Ups

15 Lunge Chops each side

15 Ab Wheel Burpees

10 Assisted Pistols

The Workout for Wednesday May 25th

Five Rounds

7 Double Kettlebell Squats

21 Double Kettlebell Swings

21 Mountain Hoppers

150 Jump Rope

Then....

Tabata Mountain Climbers

The Workout for Tuesday May 24th

Four Rounds

20 Jumping Dips

20 Tire Sit Ups

20 Jumping Pull Ups

20 Belly Busters

10 Burpees

Run the Stairs

The Workout for Monday May 23rd

Three Rounds

Clean & Split Jerk 6

Hang cleans 6

Push Press 6

Single Leg Deadlift 6 each leg

Hang High Pull 6

Barbell Jump Squats 6

Time for Fun in the Sun?

Despite our unseasonably cool weather of late, summer is just around the corner and that means outdoor activities like trips to the lake, tubing, and pool parties will undoubtedly get you out to bask in the sunshine and get some much needed vitamin D.

But wait, doesn't the sun cause skin cancer?  Shouldn't I be telling you slather on some SPF 50 before stepping foot outside?

Not exactly...

Unfortunately, dermatologists have made any sun exposure an evil affair that must be avoided at all costs. However, someone who gets moderate sun exposure may be healthier than
someone who avoids sun exposure for fear of cancer.  

I'm not saying you should go and buy a lifetime membership at your local tanning salon. But the truth is, even though too much sun can cause skin cancer (as well as old wrinkly and weathered looking skin), lack of sun can also cause
health problems like:

- fatigue
- restless sleep
- chronic pain
- muscle cramps
- headaches

And those are just the minor symptoms!  

Vitamin D deficiency has also been linked to increased risk of breast cancer as well as heart disease...roughly 50% of all adults in the US and Europe do not get enough vitamin D, due to lack of sun exposure!

Plus, a lack of vitamin D can cause your body to retain more FAT...

A recent study in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and
Metabolism found that 59% of women who participated in the study increased their body fat and decreased strength due to a vitamin D deficiency.  Who would have guessed vitamin D had anything to do with an increase in body fat?!

So how much vitamin D do you need?

A little sun goes a long way in keeping your health optimal.However, I want you keep in mind that the amount of sun you need varies with your skin complexion. If you have a fair complexion, you may only need 10 minutes a day.  If you have a dark complexion you may need up to 2-3 hours a day of sun exposure to get enough vitamin D in your body.

If you aren't sure, or if you lifestyle doesn't permit you to get your "sun quota", try getting some sun a little at a time along with talking a vitamin D supplement.  This way you avoid the risk of getting sun burned, while still getting enough vitamin D to boost your health. I'm not a fan of supplements in general, but it's better than the alternative. And obviously if you have a sun related skin condition, or sun damaged skin, a vitamin D supplement is your best bet.

So, I f you're going to go outside, enjoy the sun! And wait a little while before putting on your sun block ;-)  

Sources:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21127286
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110403205232.htm
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100305112157.htm

The Workout for Friday May 20th

Four Rounds

5 Wall Climbs

10 Toes-to-Bar

20 Super Planks w/feet raised

20 Modified Pull Ups

100 foot Bear Crawl

10 Ab Wheel

20 Flying Burpees

The Workout for Thursday May 19th

Two 40 yard sprints, and then on the right side with a kettlebell do 10 Floor Press, 5 Get Ups, 10 Bent Rows and 10 Presses. Then two more 40 yard sprints, and repeat  on the left side. This constitutes one round. Do four rounds.

The Workout for Wednesday May 18

6 rounds
Sled drag
6 Barbell Hang Power Snatch
20 Plank Rotations

Hard work pays off

Today's boot camp workout was a tough one.  Modified pull ups, push ups and heavy kettlebell swings then ending with one of the more demanding kettlebell movements, one I call Full Body Assault.  This movement (video posted earlier) calls upon just about every aspect of physical ability. Core strength, upper and lower body strength, balance, hip mobility, posterior chain strength and muscular endurance all come in to play in accomplishing this movement, and it will definitely highlight your weak points.  The participants of the boot camp are a highly varied lot, with the days attendees ranging from high school students to women in their mid-fifties.  For the Full Body Assault I paired people together, and Vicki , working mother of four and Dianne, a bank executive in her late fifties ended up sharing the pair of 26lb kettlebells.  As I watched  them take on this very difficult movement it dawned on me that there are so many people who will never realize their full potential because of preconceived or misguided notions about what they "should" be doing.  There's a common misconception that age and gender are separators when it comes to exercise. there's no way that a 45 year old man  and a 27 year old woman should do the same type of workout, right?  By and large if both individuals are healthy and have similar goals, then the major difference should be in the scale of the workout, not the type.  Human bodies respond favorably to resistance training, interval training and the appropriate amount of rest, no matter who they may be.  As I was coaching Dianne through her first set, there was a point where she looked at me with great doubt in her eyes and voiced her concern that she couldn't handle the weights she'd been given.  I quietly told her that I believed she could do it and she pressed on.  Over the next few minutes both she and Vicki took turns tackling the kettlebells, encouraging each other and digging deep to tap into the strength they had spent the last several months building.  In the end they finished, with celebratory hugs and high fives, knowing that they had just accomplished something that would have been beyond them a few short months ago.  How did they get to this point?  Endless hours on the treadmill? Set after set of high repetition/lightweight lifting?  No, they got to this point by challenging themselves to improve their physical abilities.  They pushed through the boundaries of their comfort zones and found something out about themselves on the other side. 

The Full Body Assault

The Workout for Tuesday, May 17th

21-18-15-12-9-6-3

Modified Pull Ups

Push Ups

25 Swings after each set

And then....

3 x 5 Full Body Assault

The Workout for Monday May 16

Three rounds, 60 seconds work, 15 seconds rest: Jump rope, Wall Ball, American Swing, Mountain Climbers, Slams. Then a Tabata Circuit: 20 seconds Rope Jumping Jacks/10 seconds rest, 20 seconds Hammer Drives/10 seconds rest, 20 seconds Air Squats/10 seconds rest. Repeat four times.

The Workout for Friday May 13th

Four Rounds

5 TGU

7 DLHP

9 Floor Wipers

11 Thrusters

The Work Out for Thursday May 12

3 Rounds

20 Super Planks

2 Suicides

20 Reverse Lunge Down and Up

100 Jump Rope

20 Dips

50 Mountain Climbers

Today's Workout Wednesday May 11th

Five Rounds
10 Pull Ups
200ft Sled Push
15 Kettlebell snatches each side

The Workout for Tuesday May 10th

10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 Barbell Cleans
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 Shoulder Presses
20-19-18-17-16-15-14-13-12-11 American Swings
Run the "stair course" after each round.
Example: 10 Barbell cleans, 10 Dumbbell Shoulder Presses, 20 American Swings and then run to the stair course.

The Work Out for Monday May 9th

6 Rounds
10 Walking Komodo Push Ups
10 Squat Jumps from a low start
10 Knees to Elbows
10 Push-a-ways
10 Step Backs each leg
10 Inchworms

There's a good chance that you'll find yourself in a bathing suit sometime within the next month.

If you are like most people then that realization will 1) bring a grimace to your face and 2) will motivate you to lose some weight.

While I commend your desire to slim down before baring it all, I'm here to warn you of the 5 myths that most people fall for. Don't waste your time on these:

Myth #1: Starve the pounds away.

Attempting to lose weight by starving yourself is not only ineffective, it's also dangerous. It may seem that severe calorie restriction would deliver the quickest weight loss, but your body is complex and by doing so you'll disrupt your metabolism and slow your results.

Tip: Don't starve yourself - instead eat healthy small meals throughout the day.

Myth #2: Take diet pills to boost your effort.

It's so tempting! The commercials make compelling claims about the power of diet pills, but don't fall for it. The 'magic pill' has yet to be discovered (it has been discovered - exercise. It's just not in pill form…). Diet pills are more likely to damage your health and burn your pocketbook than to slim you down.

Tip: Don't pop a pill - instead burn calories with exercise.

Myth #3: Do extra crunches to flatten your abs.

We all want our midsection to look toned as we stroll down the beach, but excessive crunches aren't the answer for tight abs. In order to achieve a lean look you'll have to focus on burning off the layer of fat that is covering up your abs.

Tip: Don't obsess about crunches - instead focus on fat burning.

Myth #4: Eat packaged diet foods for speedy results.

It is amazing to see the kinds of foods that are packaged as 'diet' or 'weight loss' aids. More often than not these products are packed with refined sugar and other artificial ingredients that your body doesn't need.

Tip: Don't eat packaged diet foods - instead stick with nutritious whole foods.

Myth #5: You have to spend two hours a day working out to burn fat.

The days of the "one hour of weights, hour of cardio" workouts are over. Circuit training with weights and cardio intervals are far more effective at burning calories, and can reduce your workout time by half.

Tip: Don't waste time with isolation movements, do multi-joint exercises and use cardio as your "rest" i.e. jump rope, running or jumping jacks between sets.

Now that you know what not to do in order to look great this summer, it's time to go over your beach ready game plan. Here's what you need to know in 3 simple steps:

* Step One: Cut out the junk.

The best way to do this is to start by purging your kitchen. Get rid of sugary, processed and fat-filled foods. Once the junk has been cleared out don't buy any more of it. Remember that your beach ready abs depend on what you eat - don't eat junk!

* Step Two: Focus on whole foods.

Replace the junk food in your life with plenty of the following: cooked and raw vegetables, fresh fruits, moderate amounts of seeds and nuts and lean meats. Clean eating really is that simple.

* Step Three: Do intervals

Interval training is by far the most effective method of burning calories. Get away from the long drawn out cardio sessions with shorter interval workouts. Start with a 1:1 ratio of work to rest and when you're ready, kick it up to a 2:1 ratio. Remember, the greater the effort during the work period, the greater the calorie burn and most importantly AFTER the workout you will continue to burn calories at a higher rate.

Don't fall for the myths, the quick and easy and the two good to be true. Employ these tips consistently and you'll be poolside with confidence before you know it!

Sweet Poison

The correct answer to the following question will shock you.

Would you survive longer on a diet of just water OR on a diet of water and refined sugar?

The answer: You would survive longer on just water.

Sound impossible? Just ask the five sailors who were ship wrecked in 1793.

The ship was filled with sugar, thus giving the marooned five a diet of sugar and water. When they were finally picked up, nine days later, they were in a wasted condition due to starvation.

The story of the five sailors intrigued French physiologist Francois Magendie to conduct a series of experiments in which he fed dogs a diet of sugar. All of the dogs died.

Magendie proved that as a steady diet, refined sugar is worse than nothing.

How can sugar be worse than nothing? Plainly put, refined sugar is an anti-nutrient.

It starts out as sugar cane, and then goes through an extensive refining process that destroys all of the enzymes, fiber, vitamins and minerals. What you're left with are empty, naked calories.

The problem is that the enzymes, fiber, vitamins and minerals that were taken out in the refining process are needed in order to metabolize sugar and use it as energy. So instead they are taken from your own body.

So while you are enjoying that chocolate bar, sugar is draining vital nutrients from your body. Like a sweet parasite.

And it doesn't end there…

* Sugar creates false hunger (as a result of the insulin rush and then ensuing plummet in your blood sugar levels), which makes you overeat. This means a constant struggle with your weight in which you never seem to achieve your ideal size.
* Sugar promotes aging (due to the advanced glycation end products, or AGEs, that occur when insulin levels are consistently elevated as a result of eating too much sugar). Sugar has even been dubbed the negative fountain of youth.
* Sugar weakens your bones - making you vulnerable for osteoporosis, and weakens your teeth - making you vulnerable for cavities (both due to the calcium being pulled from your bones and teeth in order for your body to process sugar).
* Sugar in excess is stored as fat (after your liver has no more room to store it, sugar is converted to fat and deposited on your belly, thighs, hips and the backs of your arms).
* Sugar can impair brain functioning (as a result of depleted B-vitamin production).

If you're still not convinced of the danger of sugar here are more ailments linked to its over-consumption: varicose veins, constipation, hormonal imbalances, ADD and ADHD, increased emotional instability, depressed immune system, increased risk of cancer and degenerative diseases.

The average modern person consumes 46 teaspoons of sugar every day. That comes out to roughly 175 pounds of sugar each year.

And it's no wonder, since sugar industry is big business. They sneak sugar into any product that they can.

Go through the foods in your home and you'll see that sugar has been added to everything from ketchup and spaghetti sauce to crackers, oatmeal, peanut butter and even ‘healthy' items like weight loss bars.

Where does this leave you?

You are in a unique position. Your personal judgment determines the foods that you eat and the foods that you avoid. It is my hope that you approach sugar with new eyes.

While all other foods offer you caloric energy PLUS some nutritional benefit, sugar doesn't. Sugar is simply caloric energy with a sweet habit forming taste, and a hoard of health risks.

Use your judgment wisely and limit your sugar consumption - you'll love the benefits of low sugar living.

(Oh and if you're ever in a ship wreck with only sugar and water at your disposal - just drink the water!)

The Many Names of Sugar
While you're checking out nutrition labels for sugar content be on the lookout for the following names that all describe added sugar:

* Sucrose
* High fructose corn syrup
* Fructose
* Lactose
* Organic sugar
* Maltose
* Dextrose
* Glucose