Be Challenged Be Changed

Are you ready to take your Fitness to the next level? Tired of the same old routine? Not getting the results your looking for? We all train with different goals but we all have one thing in common, we are looking for CHANGE! Are you looking to get faster, stronger, more flexible, increased endurance or weight loss well it is all CHANGE!

Now its time to step out of your comfort zone and start creating CHANGE with improvements to your strength, endurance and flexibility.

Personal Training and/or Outdoor classes are the answers your looking for. The workouts are always changing. Some times we use Body Weight exercises, other times using Kettle Bells, Battle Ropes, Steel Mace, Medicine Balls, Bands, Suspension Training and many other variables.

Whether your training for a particular sport or weight loss or that upcoming 5K or maybe an Obstacle Course Race. I will help you be at your very best!

Personal Training can be one on one or team up with a friend for added accountability. Get a group of your friends together and train for that special upcoming event!

Call me now or send me a text to set up your free initial consultation at 623-302-4944. Or fill out the contact me information on the right side of this page.

BE CHALLENGED! BE CHANGED!!!

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

The DANGERS of Splenda (do NOT use this junk)

Splenda, also known as sucralose, is an artificial, chemical sweetener.

Despite advertisements stating “Made from Sugar, so it Tastes like Sugar”, which attempt to confuse consumers...

Splenda is not natural and contains no elements of natural sugar.

Recently, a study at the University of Duke confirmed this fact. 

Not only is sucralose a heavily-processed, chemical artificial sweetener, but it's also damaging to your gut health, which goes on to affect every other aspect of your health.

Here's a direct quote from that study:

"Splenda suppresses beneficial bacteria and directly affects the expression of the transporter P-gp and cytochrome P-450 isozymes that are known to interfere with the bioavailability of nutrients. Furthermore, these effects occur at Splenda doses that contain sucralose levels that are approved by the FDA for use in the food supply.”

Did you know that over 80% of your immune system finds its home in your gut? 

In fact, there are more than 100 TRILLION living bacteria in your gut that control many aspects of your health, and due to things like the ingestion of artificial sweeteners like Splenda, most folks have created a massive bacterial imbalance in their body.

So the bottom line is DO NOT USE SPLENDA, if you need to make something sweeter use real sugar, honey or something nature made not man made.

Monday, July 29, 2013

Workouts for Last week of July

Well July is almost over and a new month is upon us, so here is whats in store for the 5:45am fitness Camp.

Tuesday- Heavy Arms and Shoulders - Steps Risers, DB and Matts
Wed- Heavy Legs - Steps Risers, DB
Thursday - Heavy Back and Chest - Stability Ball, DB
Friday- HIIT - Full body

Lets get pumped up

3 Deceptive Food Labels (watch out for these)

When it comes to food labels, manufacturers are very good at finding the loopholes in labeling laws and requirements, and subsequently very good at pulling the wool over YOUR eyes.  One such loophole is the manufacturer's ability to claim "zero" grams of fat, or zero grams of trans fat, or zero calories on the label, when in fact the product does indeed contain plenty of fat, trans fat, and/or calories.

Here's the law, and how food manufacturers get around it:

Zero grams of fat or zero grams of trans fat:  As long as the food item has less than .5g of fat or trans fat, respectively, the label does not need to claim their existence on the label.  In fact, the product can even legally market "Zero grams of fat!" or "0g of trans fat per serving!"

More on why this is a HUGE problem, and how food manufacturers deepen this loophole in just a minute.

Zero calories per serving:  As long as the food item has less than 5 calories per serving, it can be rounded down and labeled 0 calories.
   

Deepening the Loophole with Unrealistic Serving Sizes

While .5g of fat or 5 calories may not seem like a big deal, remember that these values are "per serving", and while an entire package, box, can, or bottle of a product may contain hundreds of calories and loads of fat, as long as they can divide that package into small enough servings to meet the calorie and gram requirements to claim zero, it's legal.

Legal AND deceptive as heck.

I don't know about you, but I get angry when we see food manufacturers outright LYING to consumers on their labels and in the nutrition facts.  Some of these products should change the Nutrition Facts header to "Nutrition Lies" and it'd actually be a lot more accurate.

You see, it is my oath and moral duty to provide you with honest nutrition advice and information, and as such, here are my "Top 3 Violators" of this deceptive food labeling practice.

1. Cooking Sprays and Butter Sprays - Cooking sprays are labeled as fat-free but their first ingredient is oil, which is 100% fat.  How in the world can this be?  Well, the serving size is 1/5th of a second.  What?  Last time I used a cooking spray (some of the organic ones are useful) it took about 3 seconds to lightly coat the surface of the pan.  Well, according to the manufacturer, I just used 15 servings.

Bottom line, no one uses the ridiculous and absurd microscopic 1/5th of second spray suggested serving, which isn't nearly enough product to be of practical use.

Cooking sprays aren't fat-free...they are nearly 100% fat.  In my example above, a realistic serving actually contains around 5 grams of fat and 45 calories.  A far cry from the 0 number reported on their nutrition facts.

Same goes for butter sprays, which are 90%+ fat in most cases.  For example, one popular brand of butter spray contains over 800 calories and 90g of fat per bottle, yet it's labeled as a fat-free, calorie-free product!  Yeah, right!

The serving size?  One spray.  Let's get real here...no one is using one spray, or five sprays, or 10 sprays.  In fact, twenty-five sprays equals just one teaspoon, when the servings size for regular butter is 1 tablespoon.  When you balance out the serving size to be the same as a serving of butter, you're looking at 75 sprays to get the same amount.

2.  Artificial sweeteners - Not only are artificial sweeteners bad news for you health, but they're also a top violator of "calorie free" deceptive labeling practices.  Many brands of artificial sweeteners use maltodextrin and/or dextrose (which is pure sugar) as fillers in each packet, and each packet can legally contain up to a full gram of sugar and 5 calories and still be labeled as calorie free.

I've seen people put 3 - 5 packets of this stuff in their coffee or on their cereal...hardly calorie free and even worse, maltodextrin and dextrose are two of the biggest insulin-spiking carbs around -- the entire reason people choose artificial sweeteners over sugar in the first place!


3.  Any food that contains "partially hydrogenated" oils in the ingredient list, period.  Bottom line, you should have a zero-tolerance attitude toward trans fats.  They are the most health-derailing nutrient known to man, and you should be truly consuming ZERO grams per day.

If a product claims "Zero grams of trans fat per serving", especially if they specify "per serving", they are almost always playing the serving size game and you're very likely to see partially hydrogenated oils on the list of ingredients when you flip the package over.  If so, avoid it like the plague.

Monday, July 22, 2013

5:45am Fitness Camp Schedule Week of July 22

OK here we go again
Tuesday - TABATA , Back and Biceps and Core
Wednesday - Heavy Legs
Thursday - Surprise
Friday - TABATA, Chest and Triceps and Core

Lets hit hard, sweat and get stronger

The Best Foods For Every Part of Your Body

   Today's busy, high-stress lifestyles often lead to a diet of convenience—one that's lacking in vitamins and minerals, and overloaded with sugar, fat, and calories. The result: a body that never realizes its full potential. But you can fight back with food; start today and you'll hit your peak from head to toe

Skin

   Carrots are loaded with vitamin A, which helps balance the pH of your skin's surface, making it just acidic enough to fend off harmful bacteria. Plus National Cancer Institute researchers found that people with the highest intakes of carotenoids—pigments that occur naturally in carrots—were six times less likely to develop skin cancer than those with the lower intakes.

Hair

   Low iron levels can lead to baldness, according to a Cleveland Clinic review. Researchers looked at 11 studies on the relationship between iron intake and hair loss, and concluded that treating iron deficiency may help regrow hair. Feed your mane iron-packed foods such as lean red meat, turkey, egg yolks, dried beans, dried fruit, whole grains.

Eyes

   The National Institute of Health found that people who consume the most lutein—a carotenoid found in plant foods—are 43 percent less likely to develop macular degeneration. Lutein helps filter blue light, preventing it from damaging retinal tissues. Eat two servings of greens each day. Consider one serving to be ½ cup of cooked spinach, broccoli, or brussels sprouts.

Heart

   Cornell University researchers found that eating one Red Delicious apple a day can block LDL oxidation, resulting in an 8 percent drop in levels. Bonus: Apples (and their skins) contain soluble fiber, the kind that scrubs artery walls clean. Cut one up and mix it into your oatmeal, another top source.

Muscle

   To maximize muscle growth, you need the right raw materials. Beef is the perfect muscle food because it's packed with protein, zinc, and creatine. Down a hefty portion of each with this taco-salad recipe fromMen's Health cover model Gregg Avedon:
 
   Brown ½ pound of extra-lean ground beef over medium heat. As it cooks, sprinkle it with black pepper, 2 teaspoons of chili powder, and a couple dashes of Tabasco. Place the cooked beef, one diced tomato, and 2 tablespoons of low-fat cheese over a bed of lettuce, and top with salsa.

Bones

   Bones are a lot like reclusive coworkers; until one snaps, you aren't likely to give them much thought. Drink two 8-ounce glasses of vitamin D-fortified low-fat milk every day. This provides your body with 600 milligrams (mg) of calcium and 5 micrograms (mcg) of vitamin D, the perfect combination of nutrients to build break-resistant bones. Plus, in a 20-year study, U.K. researchers determined that men who drink more than 6 ounces of milk a day have half the risk of stroke of men who drink less.

Belly

   By snacking on the right foods—those that are low in sugar but rich in protein—you'll keep your metabolic furnace stoked, and be less likely to binge between meals. Have one slice of hard or semihard cheese—for instance, Cheddar, Swiss, or provolone—two or three times a day. Cheese has 7 grams of protein per slice and contains no sugar. That means it doesn't raise blood-sugar levels, so your body stays in fat-burning mode. Want an alternative? Opt for a cup of low-fat plain yogurt or a stick of beef jerky.

Manhood

   When it comes to keeping your sex sessions going long and strong, a certain amino acid known as L-Arginine may be man's best friend. "L-Arginine works like Viagra by increasing nitric oxide to help relax blood vessels and allow more blood flow to the penis," says Marrena Lindberg, author of The Orgasmic Diet. Some studies suggest that getting three grams a day could make for better erections. Many foods high in good-for-you omega 3s are also high in L-Arginine, such as free-range game, seafood, walnuts, and sesame seeds. Plus, omega 3s help your body better absorb L-Arginine, according to a study in Nutrition & Metabolism. There are no RDA guidelines for how much L-Arginine you should have, but Lindberg recommends getting your daily fix by eating omega-3 packed protein such as free-range beef and chicken, or fatty fish like salmon.