Taste The Rainbow, Carson City!

Taste The Rainbow!

Those headaches.

That lack of energy.

The diabetes.

The weird skin condition.

The depression.

That acid reflux.

That extra padding around your thighs, tummy, and fanny.

And lots of other bad stuff besides.

What am I talking about?

All of the ailments above can be traced back to WHAT YOU EAT!

It makes perfect sense once you pause to think about it.

Your health is a direct reflection of the health of your cells.

You see, you need a constant supply of micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) in order to function at peak form. When you fail to give your cells the quantity and quality they need the health of your cells begins to deteriorate.

Remember: Your overall health follows your cells.

How can you get more micronutrients and improve the health of your cells?

Easy: Eat the rainbow. (My grandfather has recommended this for fifty years)

Families of micronutrients have corresponding color pigments and supports your health in a particular way.

Let’s group these foods so that we are eating every color in the rainbow!

Here we go….

Color: Red
Micronutrient: Lycopene
Benefit: Antioxidant/Cancer fighter
Fruits and Veggies: Beets, cherries, pink grapefruit, radishes, red apples, red grapes, strawberries, tomatoes, watermelons.

Color: Orange/Yellow
Micronutrient: Carotenoids
Benefit: Eye health/ Cancer Fighter/ Healthy Heart

Fruits and Veggies: Carrots, lemons, mangoes, oranges, papaya, peaches, pears, sweet potatoes, grapefruit, cantaloupe

Color: Yellow/Green
Micronutrient: Lutein
Benefit: Healthy eyes/ healthy skin/ antioxidant

Fruits and Veggies: Avocados, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, peas, honeydew melon, kiwi fruit, celery, artichokes, limes

Color: White/Brown
Micronutrient: Allicin
Benefit: lower blood pressure/ anti-inflammatory/ antioxidant

Fruits and Veggies: Bananas, cauliflower, onions, brown pears, turnips, dates

Color: Blue/Purple
Micronutrient: Resveratrol
Benefit: Cancer fighter/ Life extension/ Athletic performance

Fruits and Veggies: Blackberries, Blueberries, Acai, Asparagus, Eggplant, Plums, prunes

These fruits and vegetables do wonders for the health of your cells.

By eating a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables every day, your health will skyrocket, your energy will rise, and you’ll start looking great!

Dedicated To You,

~Lucas Wold

PS – Happy Holidays!

Is Just Playing Her Sport Enough For Your Daughter?

Q: I’ve heard how hard your volleyball players work out and I wish my high school players were that dedicated! What’s your secret? I have pushed weights and stretching, but their interest is still low. Any suggestions?

A: Thanks for looking for the best way to train your girls! If enough coaches help spread the message of proper nutrition, training, and rest, our female athletes will reach whole new levels of achievement.

I’ve worked with girls of all ages and skill levels and am in the position to have a good view of the current trends and training mindset for female athletes.

Participation in women’s sports has grown in both acceptance and sheer numbers thanks to women’s rights movements and Title IX.

I’m a huge fan of fitness, sports, adventures, and old-fashioned playing outside. And all girls will benefit physically, mentally, and socially from sport participation.

But even though the number of female athletes has increased, female sports lag behind male sports in a number of areas. This is a mindset issue, not a money and administrative support issue.

The main thing holding our girls back is their lack of a “training mindset.”

You see, boys are taught that nutrition, resistance training, and sprinting are essential if they want to improve.

So the boys are training while the girls are often only playing their sport. “Just playing” is NOT enough to bring a girl to her full athletic potential! “Just playing” increases the number of games played, but also increases the chances of injury as a result of a less physically prepared body.

Parents are often unwitting accomplices in this. They encourage their sons to hit the weights but never realize that resistance training is meant for girls too.

Listen up: TRAINING IS FOR EVERYONE!

What, you ask, needs to be understood before mindsets will start to change?

Here’s the truth:

1. Physical training will not slow girls down (Actually, NOT training will)
2. Physical training will not stunt a girl’s growth (Actually, NOT training will)
3. Physical training is not going to make a girl grow a mustache (Actually, NOT training will)

This is what coaches, parents, athletes, and administrators need to know about proper physical training for girls:

1. Physical training will improve athletic performance (Making time spent working on technique more effective)
2. Physical training will decrease the chance for injury
3. Physical training will lead to improved self-esteem
4. Physical training will lead to better body composition (less fat and more lean muscle)

Just get straight on this and help me to reach all of the misinformed girls and parents who are out there.

If we all work together, I’m sure that the “training mindset” for girls will spread like a wildfire!

Dirty Trick For Higher Vertical Jumps!

Sneaky sonofagun that I am, I have my volleyball athletes performing the wide-grip deadlift as their main lower strength exercise this training cycle.

Why?

It is a great exercise for a powerful hip extension, which translates to a higher vertical jump.

(Last time I checked, vertical jumps are important in volleyball....)

A bunch of our girls complained/whined/screeched that "girls don't DO deadlifts!"

Well, here's a short instuctional video. And it stars.... A GIRL!!

Take a look:





Butt down, chest up, push the floor with your heels.

To your vertical jump,

~Lucas Wold

Carson City Dessert Tray

I know, I know, I know. The holidays are here and temptation seems to be EVERYWHERE. Now is NOT the time for those with a sweet tooth to fall off the wagon.

So that's why I've got two great Holiday dessert ideas for you that won't pack on the pounds.

First, is Grilled Banana Splits. Here's the simple ingredients you'll need:

4 ripe bananas

2 Tbsp chocolate chips

1/2 cup non-fat, frozen vanilla yogurt

4 tsp chopped walnuts

Here are the easy-to-follow directions:

1- Preheat oven to 400 degrees

2- Place each banana on its side on a piece of foil. Cut a slit lengthwise across the top. Leave the skin attached.

3- Push 1/2 Tbsp chocolate chips into the slit of each banana.

4- Wrap the bananas with the foil, leaving the top open. Grill or bake about 15 minutes or until the chocolate melts.

5- Loosen the foil and press the bananas open a little.

6- Top each banana with 2Tbsp of the frozen yogurt and sprinkle with 1tsp walnuts.

That's it for a nutritious and delicious treat!

Second, if you like your life even easier, and you're a big fan of Dark Chocolate, you are going to LOVE Prograde Cravers. They are the tastiest REAL nutrition bar I've ever had.

You have to watch this video to see for yourself. You'll see fitness professionals tasting Prograde Cravers for the very first time. Yes, even other fitness pros who have tasted every bar on the planet are amazed at how good they taste.

Trust me, you'll want to see this: http://lucaswold.getprograde.com/cravers

Best,

~Luke

PS - Seriously, Cravers make the PERFECT holiday dessert. They are less than 200 calories and are made from organic dark chocolate. http://lucaswold.getprograde.com/cravers

Training For Athleticism

I'm prepping to give a speech to a group of coaches next week. (Smart schools and organizations like to hire me to work with their coaches and athletes)

We found this handout from a presentation I did this summer. If you're a parent, a coach, or an athlete, you'll find a few interesting ideas here...

WHITTELL WARRIORS
Training For Athleticism
August 13, 2008

“Your movement patterns of the present will dictate your injury potential in the future.”

Physical Training Session:

1. Mobility
2. Activation
3. Movement Prep
4. Strength/Power
5. Range Of Motion

Sports Performance training isn’t about “forcing” improvements on young athletes. It is about offering stimulus that runs in conjunction with what is happening naturally from a growth and development standpoint.

“Stack Of Joints” Functional Movement Theory:
1. Ankle – Mobility
2. Knee – Stability
3. Hip – Mobility
4. Lumbar – Stability
5. Thoracic – Mobility
6. Shoulder – Stability

Weight Room Guidelines:
1. Require same discipline as practice
2. Make it a team activity
3. Use time efficiently
4. Require disciplined spotting and good technique
5. Make training a priority!

In-Season Strength/Power Guidelines:
· If your team competes 2x/week, lift 2x/week.
· If you compete 1x/week, lift 3x/week
· Train in the morning
· Short duration
· Emphasize “big” lifts (compound movements)

Recovery:
· Nutrition is key
· Low-Intensity Aerobics 1x/week
· Plan a “recovery day” into each week (usually Sunday for school sports)

Here's the take-home message: A school-wide plan based on sound training principles is the missing key to athletic success. Too many coaches present conflicting messages, so an athlete just bounces around from season to season, never making progress.

The Hips Don't Lie?

Q: Hey, I cycle long distance, but lately my hips are getting tighter and less flexible. How can I get them loose again? This tightness is killing my back!

A: Sitting on a cycle makes your pelvis tilt forward, pulling your butt muscles out of alignment.

This forces you to use more of your lower back for everything instead of your bigger and stronger glutes.

See, since your hips act as a brace for your lower back, your back has to compensate with more flexing, extending, and rotating than it was designed for.

You can release your tight hips and fire up your glutes with a few simple exercises performed 3x weekly.

(Note: We use these exercises in our warmup routine, to make sure your back stays healthy)

Active Hip Flexor Stretch:

Lie on your left side with your heels by your butt and your knees at waist level. Place your left hand on your left knee. Grab your right ankle, flex your foot toward your knee, then rotate your right leg downward. Pause, return, and repeat 10x each side.

1 Leg Glute Bridge:

Lie on your back, knees bent to 90 degrees and heels on the floor. Lift one leg off of the floor and straighten it. Squeeze your butt to lift your hips until you make a straight line between your knee and your shoulder. Lower your butt back to the floor. Repeat 10x each side.

Side Bend Back Lunge:

Stand tall. Step back with your left foot and bend your knees 90 degrees. At the same time reach overhead with your left hand and bend your torso to the right. Then push yourself back up. Repeat 10x each side.

Too Much Benching!

Q: I have been lifting for a few years now, but I mostly stick with bench presses. My coach says I am getting too tight in my shoulders to play football any more.

A: What your coach has noticed is that all of your benching has led to the overdevelopment of your internal rotator muscles.

Bench Pressing

When this happens, your shoulders 'roll' forward and you look like a hunched over caveman. (This same rounded forward look is common with people who work at a computer all day)

Do You Have A Caveman Back?

The problem is that the weaker muscles of your back get stretched out and are made even weaker.

You can fix this though balancing out your training. Pushing strength is important in football, but your training is too much focused on this one thing.

For starters, even out your training with plenty of rowing exercises. Some examples are cable rows, bodyweight rows, and dumbbell rows.

Bodyweight Row

And if you're looking to become a great athlete, start training your lower body with squats, deadlifts, and lunges.

Start training right and not only will your performance improve, your shoulders will thank you for it someday.

Hot Chocolate For Hot Bodies!

It's about fifteen degrees outside in Carson City, and I'm FREEZING!!

This can mean only one thing... Time for high protein hot chocolate!

Mmmmmmmm

Here's what you need:

*Chocolate Prograde Lean Protein Powder

*Carb Countdown Fat Free Milk

*DaVinci Sugar Free Syrup (I like Caramel)

Sugar Free Deliciousness

Heat the milk up (you can use the microwave).

Blend in the Prograde Lean.

Add a splash of syrup.

Tastes good. Reeealll gooooood.

When I make this, I heat up the milk (or water, if you'd prefer) in the microwave and then put it in the blender with the protein powder.

You see, using the blender makes a much smoother mix than does using a spoon.

It also makes your hot chocolate frothy and delicious.

You can even sneak a bit of low calorie whipped cream on top...

Happy drinking, and stay warm!

~Luke

Carson City Fat Loss Shopping List

One of my friends emailed me her shopping list for her week's groceries next week.

(Yes, she's on a fat-loss plan and charts out her meals out a full week in advance. That's the best way to do it!)

Anyhoo, I thought you might be interested to see what she has on her list:

Canned Goods:

• 1 can sliced black olives
• 1 can juice packed pineapple chunks
• 1 can roasted red peppers
• 1 can water chestnuts
• 1 can artichoke hearts

Egg/Dairy:

• 3 32 ounce containers of pasteurized egg whites
• 1 dozen omega-3 eggs
• 2 ounces feta cheese
• 8 ounces low fat cottage cheese
• 1 container low fat yogurt
• 1/2 cup shredded colby cheese
• 1/4 shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 slice mozzarella cheese
• 1 slice fat free american cheese

Pasteurized Egg Whites

Produce:

• 1 Roma tomato
• 1 1/2 pounds broccoli
• 1 large head of cauliflower
• 1 bunch celery
• 2 avocados (I wouldn't have put these on my list, because I think avocados are gross)
• 5 onions
• 1 red onion
• 11 medium scallions
• 5 snow peas
• 2 pounds asparagus spears
• 1 fresh rosemary
• 1 fresh cilantro
• 3 fresh parsley
• 1 fresh mint
• 4 ounces green beans
• 5 oranges
• 1 head iceberg lettuce
• 1 pound fresh spinach
• 5 ounces bean sprouts (I don't like beans, but I do like bean sprouts. Weird)
• 8 ounces fresh mushrooms
• 3 heads garlic
• 1/2 head of cabbage
• 4 large carrots
• 1/2 pound baby carrots
• 2 large cucumbers
• 3 medium green bell peppers
• 1 red bell pepper
• 2 small jalapenos
• 2 inch piece of fresh ginger
• 2 limes
• 5 large lemons
• 8 small tomatoes

Meat and Fish:

• 2 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 2 pounds extra lean ground beef
• 4 ounces turkey ham
• 1 pound salmon fillets
• 1 can slamon
• 1 1/2 pounds striped bass fillets
• 6 ounces lean turkey sausage

Sea Bass with Asparagus

Misc:

• Recovery Drink
• Protein Powder
• Coconut oil
• Krill oil capsules
• Green tea
• 2 1/2 cups quinoa
• 3/4 cup oat bran
• 1/2 cup wheat bran
• Flaxseeds
• 2 cups raw almonds
• 1/4 cup salsa
• 2 tablespoons white cooking wine
• 2 tablespoons dry white wine

Workout Drink

What do you notice about her list?

Lots of produce.


A variety of lean proteins.

Healthy fats.

Everything on here is a great food choice for losing fat. (Seriously, imagine gaining weight on a diet of broccoli and sea bass. It just doesn't happen!)


What can you do with this info?


Well, copying her list exactly wouldn't help, because you don't have the recipes or any other part of her meal plan. But you CAN copy this list over to a word document and erase the amounts, making it into a shopping checklist.


Then on Sunday afternoon you can sit down and rough sketch your week's meals, then check off what you'll need.


"Let's see.... We'll need broccoli, carrots, quinoa, a couple pounds of chicken breasts...."


The other thing I want you to notice is the VARIETY.


Tons of different foods during the week, and she has at least 2 protein shakes and one workout drink a day.


This isn't some lame-o starvation diet, it's a whole new way of thinking about how you eat.


Eat to fuel your metabolism, and let your exercise and metabolism burn off the fat.


Cool.

Second Dumbest Ab Machine Ever!

My favorite feature on this piece of junk is the spring-loaded platform that bounces you up.

If we spring-loaded everything, we'd never actually have to lift our bodyweight!

(When I see inventions like this, I'm almost embarrassed to work in fitness...)

Black Friday Fat Loss Prediction!

This may or may not apply to you in regards to Black Friday, but chances are it applies to your life one way or another.

You see, I predict that untold numbers of people got up super early today and went shopping on Black Friday. I also predict these folks either skipped breakfast or grabbed something sugary on the way out the door.

Then at some point, when their shopping frenzy has begun to die down, they'll plop down at a food court and load up on greasy fast food or something very close.

Food Court Casualties

Not good for fat loss. Not good at all.

If you want to shed pounds and inches you just have to eat a solid breakfast. It sets the tone for your metabolism for the entire day. Taking the time to plan what you're going to eat for breakfast the night before is more than worth the time if you're serious about melting fat off your frame.

But look, sometimes you just don't have time for it. Sometimes it's the day after a holiday and you're not firing on all cylinders. No reason to fret. You can reach for a great tasting meal replacement shake that will stoke your metabolism and help you burn fat all day long.

People ask me all the time what brand I recommend. Simple: Prograde Lean. Why? Because it tastes amazing and will keep you full for hours. It's just what the fitness pro ordered on a day like Black Friday.

If you'd like to try Prograde Lean for yourself, well, if you hurry you can get it on sale today. The Prograde Nutrition Thanksgiving Week Sale ends TODAY at 11:59pm EST. You can save 11% off all of their products. All you need to do is use their coupon code when you checkout.
For instance, if you want to order Prograde Lean just go here:

http://lucaswold.getprograde.com/lean

Place your order. And when you get to the coupon code simply type in the word:

thanks

(Yes, that's the word 'thanks' in all lower case letters)

If you're a busy person on the go, and you're serious about fat loss, then I highly recommend giving Prograde Lean a try. I know it took them nine months of taste-testing to get the chocolate flavor just perfect. It really is delicious!

Yours in health,

Luke

PS - Again, the sale ends TONIGHT, so if you're thinking some Prograde Lean would make your life easy then you need to order right away before you forget.

http://lucaswold.getprograde.com/lean

Turkey's Revenge In Carson City!

(At the end of this post I tell you how to save 11% on your nutritional supplements! so read all of the way through...)

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day.

A time when families, friends, and loved ones all gather together to stuff as much food into our tummies as possible.

The kick-off of the holiday "indulge and bulge" season.

Here's the thing: Many people figure that it's a license to go hog-wild for five weeks.

No, no, no, no, no.

Eat big on Thanksgiving. And Christmas. And maybe two or three other parties. But that's only five days. You still have more than thirty to eat smart and exercise.

To help you kick off the Holiday Season the right way, this Friday morning I'm hosting a very special "Turkey's Revenge" Bootcamp Workout.

It'll be here at Silver State Athletic Center (5680 Morgan Mill Rd, Carson City) from 7am until 8:30am.

And the best part is, it's absolutely free. If you're already a bootcamper, bring your friends. If you've been wanting to meet me and try a session, this is a completely fun, zero pressure way to see what we do at High Sierra Bootcamps.

This time you can even invite men along, so if you have a husband, boyfriend, father, or son who thinks he's tough, bring him in with you and show him how much tougher you are!

Why am I offering everyone a great workout on a day when every fitness professional in his right mind is on vacation? Simple, I have more fun with all of you than I would have anywhere else.

So come on in this Friday morning, have a great workout, meet some great people, and start your holiday season off with a bang!

See you then!

~Luke

PS - An Early Thanksgiving Feast!

As you probably already know, there's only one nutrition company I believe has your best interests at heart. And when I heard they were having a rather unusual sale for Thanksgiving I had to tell you about it. You see, http://lucaswold.getprograde.com/ has two big reasons to be thankful this week...

1- They have completely revamped their website. It is cooler looking and it makes ordering SO much simpler than the old set-up.

2- They have just released their brand new Anti-oxidant formula - Prograde Longevity.

Oh, and the interesting part is it's an 11% off everything sale.

Here are some other details I want to make sure you know about:

- Again, you receive 11% off all Prograde products. - It will run from Monday, November 24th until Friday, November 28th at 11:59pm EST.

- Yes, that 11% will be applicable to SmartShip orders. But it only applies to that first purchase. Not ongoing.

- The coupon code your clients will need at checkout is:

thanks

(Yes, it all needs to be in lower case.)

- In case you missed it, the website is http://lucaswold.getprograde.com/

20 Pounds Lighter On New Year's Eve!

It's been said many, many times that the average person gains ten pounds between Thanksgiving and New Year's.

Ten pounds.

Some sources have reported up to a FIFTEEN pound average weight gain.

That's a lot of weight to put on so quickly.

But here's the thing: Your body doesn't know that it is the holiday season.

Your body doesn't change. Your actions and diet change, but the way your body responds stays the same.

So there's no reason why you can't actually LOSE weight over the holiday season.

With a professionally designed workout program and a sound nutrition strategy, it's possible to lose ten pounds in the five weeks between Thanksgiving and New Year's Eve.

And if that original statistic is true, if most people gain ten pounds over the season - and then you lose ten pounds over the same time frame - it's worth "double" when you're standing next to your friends at that New Year's Party....

The only thing left is for you to do it. Are you in?

The New Year's Little Black Dress

Dad and I in the Great Outdoors

My dad is an outdoorsy-type, with an abundance of grit and manly vim.

He and I enjoy experimenting with wild meats, the only difference between us is that I buy my meat in the grocery store and he hunts it down with a sharp stick.

Here's a simple recipe he sent me for preparing elk loin:

Roasted Elk Loin

• 1 1/2 pounds elk loin (substitute venison or beef tenderloin if you can't find elk)
• 1 t. juniper berries
• 3 T. olive oil
• salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously season the elk meat with salt, pepper, and ground juniper.

Heat a saute pan to just below smoking point with 3 tablespoons of olive oil.

Sear the elk on all sides, then roast in oven to an internal temperature of 120 degrees.

Remove to a cutting board and let rest for 15 minutes before slicing.

Why eat elk meat? Simple, it is low fat, high protein, very delicious, and it hasn't been pumped full of any steroids or other hormones like farm-raised cattle has.

Elk Loin

Danerous Enemies At Carson City's Favorite Gym!

I have now reached an age where I feel that I am pretty

well able to take care of myself against animate enemies.

By “animate enemies” I mean living people, like hooligans,

drunks, or police – people who set out with a definite idea

in their minds of getting me.

This Is What I Get For Hanging Out With The Hamburgler...

If I can’t lick these people in an action scene, I at least

I know what to do when attacked. (Usually my strategy

involves running away at speed…)

It is the inanimate enemies who have me baffled. The

thousand and three chunks of metal that make up the

impedimenta in my daily life at the gym – the barbells

and dumbbells, the power racks and cable stacks, the

tangle of jump ropes and piles of shoes – each and every

one with just as much vicious ill-will toward me personally

as the rudest footpad who roams the streets.

Each and every one bent on humiliating me in front of

clients and friends. Each and every one working together,

as on one terrifying team, to bedevil and confuse me.

I can’t fight these guys. They’ve got me beat.

When I first entered a gym and realized the conspiracy

against me on the part of these inanimate things, I had

a boyish idea that force was the thing to use.

When a barbell had clearly shown it would not be lifted

without barking my shins, I would throw it into a squat

rack so hard all eyes would turn to me, and feel that the

bother of being laughed at was not too much to pay for

the physical pain that the barbell must have suffered.

In fact, as I found myself a new barbell I had an idea it

was pretty well frightened at the example of its predecessor

and would jolly well behave itself or suffer the same loud

and banging fate.

But after years of tripping over barbells and icing my foot

(my method, when a machine refused to cooperate, was to

kick it so hard I broke a toe and then to hop around in a

frenzied imitation of Riverdance), I gradually realized that

I was being a sucker in the battle and that the use of force

wasn’t going to pay off in the long run.

Riverdancing After A Stubbed Toe

I then settled on trying subtlety. If there is one field in fighting in which a human ought to be able to win out over a piece of metal, it is in tricky maneuvering.

Take, for example, when I am trying to unload the weights off of a squat bar.

We will start off with the premise that the equipment knows what I am trying to do and has already made up its mind that I am not going to do it without slamming my fingers or flipping the whole deal on my head. Very well, Mr. Squat Bar, we’ll see! (Later on I don’t call it “Mr. Squat Bar.” I call it “you _____ _____!” But that is after I know it better.)

Suppose you want to take half of the weight off of the bar. The thing to do is to not take one plate off a side and try to keep the thing nice and balanced. If you do, each plate will form an aerial bomber and crash down on your feet, carrying you right to the floor.

The best way is to say, as if talking to yourself, “Well, I guess I’ll put a few more plates on the bar.” Or better yet, let the set-up overhear you say, “Oh, well, I guess I’m done and I’ll leave this here,” and make a move as if to grab your water bottle. Then, quick as a wink, whip around and take off the plates before it realizes what is happening.

It won’t take it long to catch on, but, thinking that you are planning on putting on more plates, as you said, it will quite possibly let you take off half the weight, which is what you wanted in the first place.

But even this system of sotto voce talking and deceit does not always work.

In the first place, you have to have a pretty young barbell, who hasn’t had much experience, for all the older ones will be on to your game and play it back at you for all it is worth.

The only way to be safe about the thing is to take it all very calmly and to try to do your best with deliberate fierceness, lashing the barbell to the rack with jump ropes and wrapping each plate in a towel before removing it. But by that time you have got the set-up in such a condition that it cannot be used – so you lose anyway.

Of course, after years of antagonizing members of the inanimate underworld, you are going to get an active conspiracy against you, with physical violence on their part as its aim.

Working out then becomes, not an aggressive campaign on your part, but one of defense to save yourself from being attacked.

For example, I have a pair of dumbbells which have definitely signed up to put me on the spot and will, I am afraid, ultimately kill me.

These Dumbbells Are Trying To Kill Me

I have taken those dumbbells from the racks and held them in position to work my arms, without an unkind thought in my mind, and have had them actually fly out of my hands, execute a pretty take-off of perhaps a foot and a half, and then crash into my forehead with as deft a “one-two” as any heavyweight ever pulled on his groggy opponent.

I have tightened the cap very carefully on my water bottle, only to have it loosen itself to a position where it will pop off and soak me when I’m gasping after a set of pushups.

These things don’t just happen, you know. They are proofs of a very clear conspiracy to hurt me physically which exists among gym objects, and against which I have no defense.

All that I can do is coach all day crouched over with one elbow raised to ward off the heavier attacks which are being aimed at me. This gives me that cringing look which has become a personal characteristic.

It is this element of physical danger which has entered my struggle with these things which has got me worried. I will match myself in an unequal fight to open a can of tuna or a tub of protein, if the issue is to be merely whether I get it open or not. But I can’t face the inevitable gashing and bleeding which always follows my failure.

I will tackle attaching a rope to the cable stacks, but I am already licked by the knowledge that, no matter how the fight turns out, the metal carabiners are going to reach out and nip my fingers.

The only thing I can do during my workouts, as wisdom and experience bear down on me, is to sit with my hands in my pockets and do nothing.

I have said that, several years ago, I gave up the use of force when little things thwarted me. I should have given it up, but there is one enemy which I still lash out at in futile bludgeonings.

It is the computer on which I am writing this article.

When writing a workout in Excel I lose myself entirely, and invariably end up fooling with files which long before I have rendered useless.

I am also thrown into raging fits of physical violence when, owing to some technical fault which I do not understand, every file gets all out of order, finally they become lost shells of their natural selves.

On such occasions I start very quietly hitting the keys harder and harder, muttering, “Oh, you won’t, won’t you?” until I am crashing down with both fists on the keyboard and screaming, “Take that – and that!”

In fact, as I write this, I detect a mockery in the number of misspelled words on the page, and as I strike each key, less and less seems to be happening. I will try to be calm.

I must try to remember that it does no good to inflict pain on inanimate things and that the best I can do is break the computer… But really… after all … you asldjfnocn,.mndf you lashdf;onvlmsanfglo take that alsdkfj;lasdnmflm and that! Sdflkjsd;flmn

Carson City Moms Against Motrin?

I'm most definitely NOT a mom, so I can't really weigh in on this uproar against Motrin.



After releasing the ad in the video above, moms all over the internet started using their Blog Power to slam Motrin into the ground.

I don't really like the ad, but I don't see why everyone is so mad. Can someone offer this confused dude some insight?

Americans Declare Physical Education Useless!

Do you remember how lame gym class used to be?

I've had some great PE teachers, but really, they just rolled out a bunch of basketballs and said "Have at it, guys."

Pretty useless.

Well, here is an article that agrees with me!

http://www.theonion.com/content/news/majority_of_americans_never_use

Have a great weekend!

Is Carson City Too Busy To Lose Weight?

Is the grind of your daily life keeping you from having the body you really want?

Big Bird Knows All About Busy Days

"Not enough time" is the number one excuse for not exercising that I hear as a personal trainer here in Carson City.

Apparently, no one here has any time to exercise, no one has any time to eat right, and no one has the opportunity to make any positive changes.

I call BS!

Listen up, if you really want to change your body, you will MAKE the time to do it.

You can’t achieve new goals or make desired changes without allocating time to do so.

A great strategy to make sure that the time you choose remains YOUR time is to exercise first thing in the morning. Seriously, there’s nothing else going on at 5am. The kids aren’t up, work hasn’t started, and no good TV shows are on.

Now, I don’t have kids and I basically live at the gym, so don’t take my word for it. Instead…

In my 5am bootcamp, for example…

· A single mom raising two daughters and working full time. Her kids have to be at school and dressed in the morning, she works all day, and then she carts kids from one end of Carson to the other and back again all evening. Her exercise options are 5am or 9pm. But at 9pm most of us are ready to collapse, not exercise. So 5am it is…

· Does work get in the way? One busy mom talked her boss into bumping her schedule back. She used to have to be to work at 6am, but she had it changed to 6:30 so she could come to bootcamp, shower, and jet to work. Ten hour shift, and then husband and kids. Talk about dedicated! (And she even changed her spare bedroom into a home gym, so she can work out with her daughter on the rare evenings they’re home instead of being at a basketball or volleyball game. Mad props!)

Without Coffee, There Wouldn't Be A Morning Bootcamp

· Another mom owns her own business (so does her husband), and has two young kids. She’s also incredibly active in the community. She works all day, and wants to spend every minute she can with her family, so she comes in before they’re awake to get in her workout. (Remember, it’s not just about looking good, it’s about feeling great and having tons of energy when you’re with the people you love)

· And for those of you paying attention, another mom drives almost a half hour each way every morning, then takes her daughters to school, works all day, picks her girls up and comes BACK to the volleyball club for their practice! That’s more than 2 hours of driving just to and from our gym, not counting all the time spent heading to work and school. If I had even a QUARTER of her dedication, I would accomplish about 7000x more every day!

That is four women who are using the special time of early morning to transform their bodies. (They are also some of the sweetest and most enjoyable people I have ever met. Thank you SO MUCH everyone, for making my mornings so much fun!)

What I want to make clear is that you can make the time, IF you really want to.

(Oh, and as an aside, every one of these four gals is way, WAYYY busier than I could possibly list in a short little paragraph. If they can do it, why not you?)

Four Kids, Husband, Full-Time Job. Her workout? Before They're Awake.

8 Weeks To Master The Pull-Up!

(While I was writing this post, my buddy Dave sent me a text message. It said, "If you have little kids don't ever be shocked at what you find in the third row car seats and how old it may be.")

Once you're able to get one good chin up, follow this program:

• Week 1 4x1 (four sets of 1 rep)
• Week 2 1x2, 3x1
• Week 3 2x2, 2x1
• Week 4 3x2, 1x1
• Week 5 4x2
• Week 6 1x3, 3x2
• Week 7 2x3, 2x2
• Week 8 3x3, 1x2
  

Perform each workout twice a week.

After finishing this progression, you should be able to bust out five reps! That's a GREAT improvement in only 2 months!

Pull-ups are one of my very favorite exercises, they work your back like a champ and get your body burning some SERIOUS calories!



(You know, I'd be stoked if we could get everyone in Carson City repping out pull-ups!)

I Get Mail...

I found this in my inbox after lunch today....

Reasons to attend boot camp:

I gave up jogging for my health when my thighs kept rubbing together and setting fire to my knicker's.

The older you get, the tougher it is to lose weight because by then, your body and your fat are really good friends.

One of life's mysteries is how a 2-pound box of chocolates can make a woman gain 5 lbs.

Amazing! You hang something in your closet for a while and it shrinks 2 sizes!

Could You?

Could you tighten up your diet and lose an extra pound of fat every week?

Could you add an extra day of weight training? And really push the intensity?

Could you add in an interval training program?

Could you add in an extra session of cardio every week?

Could you improve your supplement program?

Of course you could!!

But will you?

Exercise

Exercise is a toughie for most people.

They'd rather die than exercise.

So they do.

Neglect

"Neglect starts out as an infection then becomes a disease."
-Jim Rohn

As soon as you skip a workout, it becomes that much easier to skip the next one.

And the next.

And the next.

And pretty soon, day by day, you lose all of the positive changes you've made in your life.

Don't let neglect take hold and turn into a disease.

Fundamental Movement: Squat

Fundamental Movement: Bend

Fundamental Movement: Lunge

Fundamental Movement: Twist

Pull

Pulling exercises don't really need an explanation, do they?

I break down upper body pulling exercises into:

- Horizontal Pulls (Rows)
- Vertical Pulls (Pullups)
- Arm Pulls (Curls)

Body Row With Feet On Bench

Fundamental Movement: Push

Pushing exercises are those where you, well, push.

Push ups, shoulder presses, bench press, dips, and so on are all pushing exercises.

Feet Elevated Pushup

Fundamental Movement: Gait

Gait movements are locomotive exercises such as walking, running, skipping, crawling, etc.

One of my favorite ways to train gait is to use a sled.

You can pull a sled forwards, backwards, sideways, light and fast, or slow and heavy. Or even my personal favorite, which is heavy and fast.

Forward Sled Dragging

How You Move

There are 7 fundamental human movements.

These are:

1) Squat
2) Bend
3) Lunge
4) Push
5) Pull
6) Twist
7) Gait

A comprehensive training program will address each of these movements.

Following the order above, a weight-training athlete might have these exercises in her program:

1) Barbell Front Squat
2) Hex Bar Rack Pull with Chains
3) Dumbbell Bulgarian Squat
4) Incline Cable Press
5) Body Row
6) Reverse Woodchopper
7) Forward Sled Pulling

Now, it’s important to remember that there is much more to developing an exercise program than exercise selection. There are sets, reps, progressions, loading, and all sorts of other things to keep in mind.

When it comes to upper body pushing and pulling, we’ve got vertical and horizontal movements, and the arms.

So, if we’re focusing on improving upper body strength, we might have an overhead barbell press (vertical push) and a flat bench dumbbell press (horizontal push). This takes care of pushing in both the frontal and sagittal planes.

In a program that is aimed at maintaining upper body strength, we might have only the incline press, which combines the horizontal and vertical pushing. This way we can address both the frontal and sagittal plane pushing movements without excessive volume or time away from our main focus.

An example of horizontal pulling is the bodyweight row. Vertical pulling is displayed in the classic pull-up exercise.

A hybrid vertical and horizontal pull would be the bent forward rope row.

The next few posts will be an example of each of the seven fundamental human movements, so make sure to check back for the next seven days!

Want more, do more, BE more,

~Lucas Wold

Protein

Here is an email I recently wrote to a friend of mine, in response to her question "How much protein does your body really need?"


Very interesting word choice, to use "need."

The question of "how much protein does your body need" is very different from "How much protein should I consume to optimize body composition and athletic performance."

You're a researcher. You know that the word "need" is in no way associated with optimization. Researchers look to the minimum necessary to prevent death.

So when someone asks me how much protein they need, they're actually asking me "What's the minimum amount of protein I can get away with to prevent wasting away and eventual death?"

Now, 90% of people I consult with are eating less protein than I'd recommend. So I can stimulate results by simply increasing protein intake while making a few concomitant (Is that the word I want?) changes to fats and carbs.

Here's the short list of why we need more protein to optimize body composition and performance:

1. Increased auxiliary nutrients
2. Increased nitrogen state
3. Increased protein turnover - (I'm writing a manual on how the greater your body's turnover, the better your body composition)
4. Greatly improved weight loss profile - (This could be a list by itself, everything under this heading)
5. Reduced cardiovascular risk - (You can also reduce heart disease risk by replacing carbohydrate calories with fat calories)
6. Increased IGF-1 - (You spare muscle when restricting calories)
7. Increased TEF - (It takes more calories to digest protein)
8. Increased glucagon - (greater fat loss during dieting)

I'd prefer not to have any dairy products in my weight loss clients' diets, with the exception of whey protein. Milk greatly increases the inflammation in the body, which is one of the biggest health problems in America. (Wheat sucks too)

In my actual classes, I make an exception for whey protein supplements, because if you tried to get all of your protein from meat alone, you'd probably have a gut like a hippo and a butcher bill that looks like a ransom note.

(Figure competitors trimming down for competition or models for a shoot, they get almost all whole food protein. They are eating so little that I want their diets to be as satisfying as possible. If your entire breakfast consists of one piece of turkey bacon, a dice-sized piece of havarti, and a half cup of spinach, you want to savor every nibble.)

I'm working on a plan that will allow lighter clients (mostly women) to eat only four times a day, like I do for figure competitors. If your diet calls for 1300 kcals/day, and you're supposed to eat 7 times, each "meal" is less than 200kcals. boo to that!

But if you can break it into four chunks, that's something like 325kcals each, which is doable.

Ah well, enough from me.

Buck Buck To The Bang,

~Luke

Dieters Warned: Halloween Can Be Hazardous to Your Health

Carson City, NV – October 17, 2008 – Local fitness expert Lucas Wold has information every dieter needs to know: Halloween is when the holiday weight gain really starts. While December is usually the month blamed for holiday weight gain, Wold warns those wanting to lose weight that thanks to Halloween the pounds actually start to get packed on in late October.

“The amount of candy that people consume is alarming”, Wold was quoted as saying. “One of the main problems is the smaller ‘snack sizes’ that the candy manufacturers have made available. Eating several ‘mini’ chocolate bars is something people see as ‘ok’ because of their smaller size.”

But this fitness expert reminds dieters that just because something is smaller doesn’t mean it’s ok to consume as many as they want. “For men and women trying to lose weight it’s imperative that they follow a plan and goals. They can’t just have bags and bags of Halloween candy laying around for ‘Trick or Treaters’ and not expect to have their fair share – if they don’t have a plan.”

Wold recommends these 4 tips for keeping the pounds off while still allowing for a Halloween treat:

1) Allow yourself just one piece of candy in the morning and then one at night. Skip any desserts that you would normally eat after dinner.

2) Only buy enough candy so that you expect to run out before the evening is over. It’s crucial to weight loss success to not have “trigger” foods lying around – the temptation is often too great.

3) Increase your exercise activity by thirty minutes on every day that you eat your two pieces of candy. This will counteract the increase in calories that you are consuming.

4) If people indulge a bit too much it’s important to forgive themselves and move on. Dwelling on the past will not help their success.

Lucas Wold is the owner of High Sierra Bootcamps and has been a fitness professional for over 7 years. Wold is available for interviews or to discuss other story ideas related to weight loss and fitness. He can be reached at 509-945-3856 or via email at LDWold@Gmail.com. For even more information please visit www.CarsonCityFitnessSystems.com

Good Idea

My dad sent this to me today:

"If a man is going down the wrong road, he doesn't need motivation to speed him up. What he needs is education to turn him around."

Great stuff!

Friendship

This is a very cool video...




Have a great weekend!

Want more, do more, BE more,

~Luke

Evening Bootcamp!

Woo-hoo! We're starting an evening bootcamp session!

Here're the details:

Who: Both men and women who are looking to get in kick-butt shape, lose some fat, and get a great new spin on working out.

What: A 50-60 minute full-body session designed by an Exercise Scientist to take advantage of the best research and experience has to offer.

Where: Silver State Athletic Center, 5680 Morgan Mill Rd in Carson City.

When: September and October evenings from 6-7pm.

How: Call 509-945-3856 to reserve your spot, or email LDWold (at) Gmail.com. The fees are the same as our morning bootcamp ($119/month), and if you reserve your spot by Friday August 29th at 3pm, I'll waive the $19 new member registration.

For more information, check out our Frequently Asked Questions at: http://highsierrabootcamps.com/faq.html

12 Traits Of Champions

The 12 Traits of Champions:

(1) Champions are positive thinkers; they believe in themselves.

Undoubtedly the most important quality that all champions share is an unwavering belief that they will succeed. Champions always look for the good in every situation. No matter what obstacles they encounter, they always continue to think positive. Without confidence, faith in your abilities, and positive mental attitude, you’ve defeated yourself before you ever step onstage.

(2) Champions visualize their successes.

Champions understand the importance of positive mental imagery or visualization. Champion bodybuilders visualize exactly how they want their bodies to look, they see themselves standing onstage accepting the first place trophy, and they mentally rehearse every workout in vivid detail. They do this over and over in their minds hundreds or even thousands of times before it becomes physical reality.

(3) Champions surround themselves with positive people and avoid negative influences.

Champions keep themselves in a "positive shell" and do not associate with negative people, places, or things. Arnold Schwarzenegger put it this way: "I have nothing to do with negative relationships. I stay away from negative influences. I have no time for negative thinkers and pessimists. Such people will suck you dry until you have become as pessimistic as they are. Then you’ll have not just one but two losers."

(4) Champions are goal setters.

Champions realize that if they don’t know where they’re going, that is exactly where they’ll end up; nowhere! Champions consistently set long and short-term goals. From day to day workout goals to long term career objectives, champions have written out specific, measurable goals with a deadline.

(5) Champions have a burning desire to succeed.

Champions not only have goals, but they ardently desire them. Robert Collier, summed up the idea of desire beautifully in his 1926 self-help classic Secret of the Ages." He said, "Very few people know how to desire with sufficient intensity. They do not know what it is to feel and manifest that intense, eager, longing, craving, insistent, demanding, ravenous desire which is akin to the persistent, insistent, ardent, overwhelming desire of the drowning man for a breath of air, or a desert-lost man for a drink of water, or the famished man for bread and meat." Champions have burning desire. They want it and they want it badly.

(6) Champions are disciplined and consistent.

Champions live and breathe the bodybuilding lifestyle all year round. They are committed and disciplined in training and dietary practices. They know that in bodybuilding there is no off-season and success does not come overnight. Champions never miss a scheduled workout and never miss a meal. Champion bodybuilders are probably the most dedicated athletes in any sport.

(7) Champions are persistent

Champions never, ever quit. Thomas Edison was the epitome of persistence: He conducted 10,000 experiments before finally finding a filament that would burn in the electric light bulb. Champion bodybuilders approach their vocation with the same diligence of an Edison. They know that if they persist long enough, eventually they must succeed.

(8) Champions learn from their failures

Champions don't view losses as failures, they see them as learning experiences. When asked how it felt to fail 10,000 times, Thomas Edison replied, " I didn’t fail, I learned 9,999 ways that wouldn’t work." Champions know that they haven’t failed until they quit; but once they quit, then they have failed. A champion finds a lesson in every apparent loss and finds ways to grow from it.

(9) Champions have incredible powers of focus and concentration

Champions set goals and then maintain a laser-like focus on them. They have the ability to always keep the long term objective in their sights while focusing 100% on what they are doing at the moment. If you watch a champion train you will notice that they are completely oblivious to their surroundings. 100% of their focus and concentration is on what they are doing. They almost appear to have slipped into a hypnosis-like trance. This peak physiological and psychological state has often been referred to as being in "the zone" or being in "flow." Champions can access this state instantly at will. When it comes time to train they turn everything else off and zero in on what they are doing.

(10) Champions have a deep love and boundless enthusiasm for the sport.

To a loser, training and dieting is work and drudgery. To a champion, training and dieting are a love, a joy, and a passion. Champions are enthusiastic about what they do; they can’t wait to train each day. Motivational speaker Tom Hopkins once said, "Work is anything you’re doing when you’d rather be doing something else." Champions are doing what they love, so to them it’s not work at all, its fun!

(11) Champions strive for constant and never ending improvement

Champions are never satisfied with the status quo; they never rest on their laurels. Champions aim for small improvements every day in every way. Champions are open-minded and are always looking for a better way to do things. Although champions are always striving for more, they also realize that success is a journey, so they enjoy each moment and savor every step along the way.

(12) Champions are hard workers; they are willing to go the extra mile

Positive thinking, goal setting, visualization, desire, persistence, and enthusiasm are vital, but without action and hard work, these traits are all worthless. Edison said, "Success is 98% perspiration and 2% inspiration." Champions are hard workers. Champions take consistent action and they are willing to do the things that the losers are not. Champions make themselves go to the gym when they don’t feel like going. Champions stay on the bike another 15 minutes, even when they are exhausted. Champions do 5 extra reps after the losers have stopped. Champions are steadfast with their diets when the failures break down and cheat. Champions have the willingness to train through the pain barrier while the failures quit when it starts to hurt. In short, champions go the extra mile.

Talking About Success

I was flipping idly through my journal this morning, and I found these great quotes:

"You were born to win, but to be a winner you must plan to win, prepare to win, and expect to win."
- Zig Ziglar

And these from the great Jim Rohn:

"Some people don't do well simply because they don't feel well."

"Some people take better care of their pets than they do themselves. Their animals can run like the wind and they can barely make it up a flight of stairs."

"Take good care of your body. It's the only place you have to live."

Medicine Ball Pushups

We use a lot of exercise variations in our workouts.

Here's a pushup we've used a time or two:

Groovy Opportunity!

This Friday night, August 22nd, there will be a GREAT auction outside of the Brewery Arts Center in Carson City (511 W King St).

Proceeds will go to the Kids In Transition program, which buys clothing and school supplies for homeless kids in Carson City's school district.

Here's the schedule for Friday night:

6pm: Food and Drink Specials
7pm: AUCTION
8pm: Live music from Hot For Teacher

Now, one of the prizes is a HUGE package from High Sierra Bootcamps!

Here's what's included:

1 Month Gold Bootcamp Membership (Women Only) $129
Metabolism Makeover Handbook $299 (class)
Luke’s Extra Awesome Cookbook $29.95
Nutrition Crash Course $29.95
High Sierra Bootcamps Warmup $29.95
Physical Systems Screen $150

Bonus Report: How To Change Your Life

I don't know what it'll all go for, but it would make a great gift for a friend! (Or yourself!)

Great Opportunity!

This Friday night, August 22nd, there will be a GREAT auction outside of the Brewery Arts Center in Carson City (511 W King St).

Proceeds will go to the Kids In Transition program, which buys clothing and school supplies for homeless kids in Carson City's school district.

Here's the schedule for Friday night:

6pm: Food and Drink Specials
7pm: AUCTION
8pm: Live music from Hot For Teacher

Now, one of the prizes is a HUGE package from High Sierra Bootcamps!

Here's what's included:

1 Month Gold Bootcamp Membership (Women Only) $129
Metabolism Makeover Handbook $299 (class)
Luke’s Extra Awesome Cookbook $29.95
Nutrition Crash Course $29.95
High Sierra Bootcamps Warmup $29.95
Physical Systems Screen $150

Bonus Report: How To Change Your Life

I don't know what it'll all go for, but it would make a great gift for a friend! (Or yourself!)

Plank Exercise

Position:

• Weight on toes and elbows
• Abdominals tight
• Look between hands
• Straight spine
  

Hold for desired amount of time.

The elbow plank trains lower back and core stability. Many athletes have a tough time at first, which shows how weak they are in these areas.

Programs and Effort

A good program performed poorly is worthless.

A poor program performed with a lot of effort is worth a lot.

But when you get a good program and a ton of effort, the results can be amazing.



Most of the programs I see people using really suck. I mean, they're just plain awful.

And most people fake their effort, grunting and acting like their workout is a really big deal.

Or else they think effort means endless sets and endless reps and endless exercises.


Look, find a knowledgeable coach. Get a good program.

And then go to work. Have your coach watch you.

Lost Art Of Coaching Speed

It seems coaching speed and agility is a lost art form.

Seriously.

Much like the rest of the whole 'strength and conditioning'
industry, we have become far too content with little more than
hard work.

We make our young athletes work hard.

We make them sweat.

We make them tired and sore.

And we think we've done a good job.

How incredibly wrong we all are.

Speed and Agility, just like every other portion of the
training pie, is an art form.

It's a skill that can and must be taught.

Repeat sprinting.

Random cone drills.

Over-speed devices.

Towing implements.

All fine stuff in certain doses and at particular points of
development, but with no definitive system of teaching or
progression, it just amounts to 'stuff'.

Imagine if we did that in the school system?

Had no defined curriculum for kids to follow.

No progressions or building blocks of learning.

Students (and teachers) would be lost.

They would learn virtually nothing at all.

They could never ascend in their knowledge or eventually
master anyone particular subject or area of study.

And we all know that's true.

We would look at the school system as a mockery if there was
no progressive learning process in place.

And yet, here we are.

Making young athletes sweat.

Making them work hard.

Making them sore.

Without any real system or developmental scope in place.

And people wonder why I consider most of our industry a mockery.

Speed and Agility training SHOULD part of a progressive system that builds championship
young athletes.

What's your system?

Get In Shape BEFORE You Run!

I talk about this constantly, but it seems like it’s still not enough…

Every runner I know is either injured currently, recovering from an injury, or really stiff and sore (about to be injured).

I’ve talked to a few runners this week.

All injured.

All overuse injuries.

All of them had at least one, and more commonly several, significant finding such as weak core musculature, poor hip range of motion, poor hip strength, lack of ankle mobility, and usually were too fat to be running.

When your foot hits the ground 1600 times per mile at 3 or more time bodyweight, any of the above problems will wear your body out quickly.

I like to walk in the evenings. Just to enjoy the cooler night air and get in some extra activity.

But I have this overwhelming desire to correct every jogger’s running form. Of the two dozen or so I pass regularly, NONE should be running.

NONE.

Do people really think this is helping them?

Let me be blunt:

Unless you’re an endurance runner (marathons, triathletes, etc.) and have been properly evaluated by a real fitness professional, don’t run.

Really, don’t run.

Find another fitness activity that is probably more effective in the first place (a morning bootcamp comes to mind…).

If you just HAVE to run, get in shape first.

Ice

You can never go wrong with ice.

After a workout, ice.

Sore? Ice.

Injured? Ice.

Feeling good but don't have anything to do? Ice.

Sometimes athletes and parents are unsure whether they should use heat or ice.

Well, heat will usually make things worse.

Don't heat sprains or other injuries.

If you're unsure, ice.

Ice won't make anything worse, and it almost always makes it better.

Can you tell I'm a big fan of ice?

Clif Bar 2 Mile Challenge Flyer

The Clif Bar 2 Mile Challenge is only a few days away now!

Please help spread the word at work and school.

You can download the flyer here and post it up where everyone can see it.

9 Strategies To Rescue Your Goals

Here is a handout from the Metabolism Makeover Program:

9 Strategies To Rescue Your Goals

1. You can't achieve new goals or make desired changes without allocating time to do so
2. Priorities should govern schedule, schedule shouldn't govern priorities
3. Resolutions aren't resolutions without resolve
4. Resolutions require resources
5. Do something every day
6. Motivate yourself. Remember why you made this goal.
7. Build up to change
8. It's not too late to re-group!
9. Make better use of your time

If you need help setting goals in the first place, there is a new session of the Metabolism Makeover Program starting in September. Our very first exercise is setting clear goals.

Have a great day!

Want more, do more, BE more,

~Luke

5 Best Fat Burning Interval Workouts

5 Best Fat Burning Interval Workouts
By: Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
www.TurbulenceTraining.com

Long, slow cardio is not the fastest way to burn fat. Research shows that
short interval training workouts burn belly fat faster.

I was one of the first trainers to question long, slow cardio for fat loss
back in the late 1990's and I believe that traditional cardio is over-rated.

Interval training, or interval "cardio" if you want to call it that, is
much, much better for fat loss. It burns belly fat in half the workout time.

I figured this out just before the year 2000. Back in 1998-99, I was but a
lowly grad student, studying the effects of androstenedione (the supplement
taken by the mighty baseball player, Mark McGwire during his record-breaking
home run quest in '98).

In my study (which was published in the Canadian Journal of Applied
Physiology for any science nerds like myself out there), we had guys use the
supplement and go through a couple of weight training sessions. By February
of '99 I was stuck in the lab, analyzing the blood samples using some fancy
radio-active isotopes.

And when I say stuck in the lab, I mean STUCK. I'd get there at 7am, and
record my last data point at 11pm. Sixteen hours of mad science. And if I
wasn't there, I was downstairs in the medical library, studying papers on
testosterone and training.

Now coming from a very athletic background, this sedentary lifestyle didn't
sit well with me. But there I was, studing for a degree in Exercise
Physiology and left with no time for exercise. Or so I thought.

Fortunately, I actually had a 50 minute window once per day of "down-time"
while the lab's gamma-counter analyzed blood samples.

That left me 50 minutes to get to the gym (5 minutes across campus) and get
a workout in the remaining 40 or so minutes. I knew that if I applied my
studies to the workout, I could get maximum results in minimum time.

As a former athlete, I knew that I had to find a way to stay fit and to
avoid the fat gain that comes with working long hours in a sedentary
environment. And I also had to stay true to the high-school bodybuilder I
once was, so there was no way I was willing to sacrifice my muscle to one of
those long-cardio, low protein fat-loss plans that were popular at the time.

Instead, I had to draw on my academic studies and my experiences working
with athletes as the school's Strength & Conditioning Coach. I knew that
sprint intervals were associated with more fat loss than slow cardio, and I
knew that you could also increase aerobic fitness by doing sprints (but you
can't increase sprint performance by doing aerobic training).

So clearly, intervals were (and ARE!) superior to long slow cardio for fat
loss. I had seen first hand the incredible results of sprint intervals in
the summer and fall, as the athletes made huge fitness improvements and shed
winter fat in a short time using my interval programs. I knew that intervals
had to be the next step in the evolution of cardio.

The biggest benefit of intervals? A lot of results in a short amount of
time. I knew that I only had 40 minutes to train, and therefore I could only
spend 15-20 minutes doing intervals.

I also understand that interval training sounds intimidating to a lot of
people, so I need to clear up how an interval training workout goes.

After all, I believe everyone can do interval training for fat burning. Even
beginners. For beginners who usually exercise for 30 minutes at 3.5 mph on
the treadmill, their interval workout would be to go for 1 minute at 3.8mph
and then recover for 2 minutes at 3.0 mph. That's it. Repeat 6 times. If you
are more advanced, you would use more intense exercise.

Interval training doesn't have to be sprinting for your life. It just needs
to start off harder than normal and progress from there.

Most folks hate cardio, so they are happy to use interval training as an
effective replacement to lose stomach fat. Here is my list of preferred ways
to do your intervals, ranked in order from best to worst, based on my
experiences.

1. Sprinting outdoors (Hill sprinting might be the absolute best method)
2. Kettlebell exercises
3. Bodyweight interval circuits
4. Treadmill running
5. Stationary cycle (upright cycling preferred over recumbant bike)

With those 5 Turbulence Training interval training methods, you'll burn fat
fast and never have to do cardio again!


About the Author

Craig Ballantyne is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men's Health, Men's Fitness, Maximum Fitness, Muscle and Fitness Hers, and Oxygen magazines. His trademarked Turbulence Training fat loss workouts have been featured multiple times in Men’s Fitness and Maximum Fitness magazines, and have helped thousands of men and women around the world lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in less than 45 minutes three times per week. For more information on the Turbulence Training workouts that will help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment, visit TurbulenceTraining.com

Magic Conditioning Bullet

I've written plenty of articles about training with a sled.

A sled is one of the best tools you can use to get you (or your athletes) into shape fast.

Here's a little video showing an great drill using two sleds (and a lot of guts...)





If you're looking for your own sled, I recommend Elite Fitness Systems (www.elitefts.com) for top-of-the-line equipment and great customer service.

Want more, do more, BE more,

~Luke

Lose 20 Pounds - Episode 8

Why should you lose 20 pounds?

In our society, people respect weight loss.

Even if you do nothing cool or interesting or memorable for the rest of your life, you'll have done that.

This ends our series of "Why should you lose 20 pounds?"

If you have any reasons to add, either send me an email or post them below.

I'll publish your reasons (anonymously, if you wish) in a future post!

Lose 20 Pounds - Episode 7

Why should you lose 20 pounds?

Every time you pick up a 20-pound dumbbell, you'll remember.

(Tune in tomorrow for more reasons you should lose 20 pounds...)

Lose 20 Pounds - Episode 6

Why should you lose 20 pounds?

Research shows that since you'll have less weight propelling you into the windshield, you'll also have less risk of dying when your car hits a semi.

(Tune in tomorrow for more reasons you should lose 20 pounds...)

Lose 20 Pounds - Episode 5

Why should you lose 20 pounds?

It's the difference between being thought of as jolly or witty



(Tune in tomorrow for more reasons you should lose 20 pounds...)

Lose 20 Pounds - Episode 4

Why should you lose 20 pounds?

It's not scaling Everest, writing the great American novel, or solving the energy crisis.

You can do it in your spare time.

(Tune in tomorrow for more reasons you should lose 20 pounds...)

Lose 20 Pounds - Episode 3

Why should you lose 20 pounds?

Because you whine that you need to.

Have you ever been wrong about anything?

(Tune in tomorrow for more reasons you should lose 20 pounds...)

Lose 20 Pounds - Episode 2

Why should you lose 20 pounds?

Twenty pounds of warm human fat can refill every bottle in an empty case of pop.

With enough left over to fill your blender.

Eeew.

(Tune in tomorrow for more reasons you should lose 20 pounds...)

Lose 20 Pounds - Episode 2

Why should you lose 20 pounds?

Twenty pounds of warm human fat can refill every bottle in an empty case of pop.

With enough left over to fill your blender.

Eeew.

(Tune in tomorrow for more reasons you should lose 20 pounds...)

Lose 20 Pounds -Episode 1

Why should you lose 20 pounds?

Wait till you ride a WaveRunner, quad, or snowmobile when you're 20 pounds lighter.

Vroom, baby.

(Tune in tomorrow for more reasons you should lose 20 pounds...)

Friday Video

In the words of Coach Dos: "No shortcuts... If you want to be good, you've got to practice!"



Happy Friday and I'll see everyone Monday!

~Luke

Swiss Ball Crunch For Abs

This morning I threw a change-up into the bootcamp mix with a physioball (Swiss Ball) based warm-up.



Here's one of the moves:

Swiss Ball Crunch

Start

Finish