The Quest for Today and Tomorrow

"Forget past mistakes. Forget failures. Forget everything except what you're going to do now and do it." 

~William Durant

I believe that in order to succeed in fitness, one must stop dwelling on the past or the mistakes they have made. It is heartbreaking to me when I hear a client say, "I didn't do my cardio at all last week and I am so bummed about it, so I have lost that drive to continue working hard. And I just don't think that I will ever achieve my fitness goals." This just breaks my heart because this becomes a sense of failure for that person and they automatically want to give up. We can be our worst enemy! Rather than feeling bad about the choices made~Let It Go and Go For It! Push Yourself Today, Tomorrow, and the Next Day. Push your body to an extreme that is right for you and understand that this is a quest to find what works for you. Today is your Day One. Don't backtrack and allow yourself to get caught up in what you did last week, 1 year ago or 10 years ago.

Take control of your fitness NOW and light it up like a Christmas Tree!

Ten Challenges

"There may be more to learn by climbing the same mountain a hundred times than by climbing a hundred different mountains." -Richard Nelson

Often times I hear people say I just don't seem like I am making any changes in my life...I go two steps forward and then three steps back...and I don't seem to be going anywhere. I like this quote because I believe that many of us climb the same mountain (deal with a push-pull effect) for a variety of reasons. Just like the quote says...there is more to be learned before reaching the top and succeeding. 

But, it is safe to say that each time you climb, you are making tremendous progress and you are getting stronger from each climb, more than you know...it is okay that you continue to climb the same mountain. Just don't give up, keep climbing, keep learning, and keep getting stronger. Don't give up on that mountain that is giving you so much back. It is allowing you to see yourself in good times and in bad times, it is challenging you, it is teaching you, and most importantly, it is shaping you into a strong and dedicated person.

The title of this blog is ten challenges. I would like for you to write down the ten most challenging things in your life. Ten things that may be preventing you from reaching your goals. For example, say that you are struggling with getting your cardio in each week. And you know that this may be one thing that may be preventing you from losing weight or acheiving your goal. It is obvious then that this would be one of your ten challenges.

Now, this is your challenge game and you can make it as challenging and as detailed as possible. For instance, some of you may just write down...DO A 60-MINUTE CARDIO SESSION. Others may write, DO A 60-MIN CARDIO SESSION AND BURN 1200 CALORIES. Again, be as creative and as detailed as possible. Make it fun and worthwhile. 

The only rule I ask of you is to write all your challenges down on paper...put them in a container...AND HAVE SOMEONE WHO CARES ABOUT YOU AND LOVES YOU DRAW YOUR CHALLENGE FOR YOU. If you choose the right person, they will encourage you and hopefully make sure that you fulfill that challenge. You may choose ten different people each time or you may stick with the same person...that is all up to you. Some of you may choose to have someone draw a challenge for you each day, while others may choose to do one challenge each week. That is also up to you. 

Again, be creative and really challenge yourself. It is little challenging games like this that will help you reach your goals faster. As well as teach you the meaning of...what truly lives inside you and what you can overcome!

I BELIEVE IN ALL OF YOU! GO FOR IT!

REFUSE TO STAY DOWN!!!

Part 1 Of Brandy Goddard's Ninja Warrior Training. 

You've Worked Day In & Day Out! Free Your Mind...Drop & Dissolve Any Inner Blockage. Raise Your Potential By Living Every Second Refreshed. Always Have Faith In Your Ability & Strength. BELIEVE & BECOME!!! You've Worked Too Hard For This-REFUSE TO STAY DOWN! You Have A Strong Foundation Ready To BE UNLEASHED. YOU Have A Powerful & Lethal Weapon- That's YOUR WILL. YOUR WILL TO DO/YOUR WILL TO SUCCEED. Remember: DON'T THINK-JUST DO! YOU GOT THIS!

Post-Exercise Protein Intake Speeds Tissue Repair

After a hard workout in the gym or on the track, your body must repair damaged tissues using amino acids from protein. Exercise speeds the use of amino acids as fuels, which puts them in short supply during recovery...the time the body repairs and restores itself.

Vanderbilt University Medical Center researchers did a sophisticated study showing that feeding protein (10- 15 grams) and carbs after a endurance exercise increased WHOLE BODY protein synthesis after exercise compared to a placebo. All athletes should eat a high-protein energy bar, protein shake, or a high-protein meal within 30-40 minutes of an intense workout.

So remember, it is SO IMPORTANT to include a post-exercise protein source after each and every one of your workout. It will not only speed up your recovery process, but it will build muscle faster. This is something that definitely works...SO DO IT!!! :)

Medical Science Sports, 34:828-837, 2002.

TAKING IT WAY BACK....

Going Back In Time!!! How Time Flies!!! In The Beginning...WAY BACK...FLASHBACK!!!!

PUMP UP Those Legs

A Great Exercise Round To PUMP UP Your Legs

My client is on one of my favorite exercise machines...Vertical Leg Press. She had just completed a round of lower body boxing drills...I then made her stop and get on the leg press machine. She has a soft ball that goes between her legs, which makes her have to stimulate those inner thighs as she is pressing. Her round consists of a ladder drill.

BEGINNING WITH:
2 mini press (starting from the bottom you will come up a little below half way and then go back down to your starting position) + 2 full presses
* 4 mini presses + 4 full presses
* 6 minis + 6 fulls
* 8 minis + 8 fulls
* 10 minis + 10 fulls
She then took a 45 second break went back to her lower body power boxing drills...now remember what goes up must go down...so after her boxing drills she went back to leg press and began at 10/10 and worked all the way down to 2/2.
Be creative when you train....your muscles won't know what's coming and you will definitely see the results you have been working so hard for.
~ Dofitness

THE SPIRIT OF DANCE AND EXERCISE

One Of The Best Things In Life Is To Have FUN!!! Smile More Than You Cry, Give More Than You Take, And Love More Than You Hate! :) 

With Love,

Dofitness

BACK IT UP AND SHOCK THE SYSTEM

This is absolutely one of my favorite exercises that really fatigues your muscles fast. It is an exercise that gives you an Ultimate Muscle Building And Muscle Fatiguing Experience.

Always think of your body as one unit in EVERYTHING YOU DO. This particular exercise makes you engage your core, it keeps your muscles tight through the whole experience, your legs are burning and screaming (and believe me...you feel them BIG TIME), your breathing is very essential (don't hold your breath), and it is an intense challenge which wastes no time in getting your heart rate UP.

So who said that playing around outside with a bright yellow jeep on a beautiful sunny day isn't fun...this is definitely a mighty fine FITNESS GEM!!! :) Always Go Strong...No Matter The Challenge!!!
With Love
-Dofitness

The Ultimate Dofitness Monkey Bar Challenge

Flex Ability

Did you know that stretching your legs could improve your muscle performance. According to reports from a Clinical Journal Of Sports Medicine Study, scientist took flexibility and leg-strength measurements of 30 participants and asked them to stretch each leg for 2 minutes 5 days per week. After 6 weeks, they found that the volunteers' flexibility had increased by 35 percent; quad strength had increased by 3.2 percent; and hamstring strength had increased by 5 percent. Stretching is so important in preventing injuries, but most importantly, it helps make your legs stronger by increasing your muscles' range of motion, making joint movement more efficient. And what does all of this mean...MORE POWER!!! So hit the floor and get tough: Broaden your muscles with at least 15 minutes of Yoga or Pilates twice a week. Oh Yeah...One more thought: In Order To Be The Most Fit-Sounded Person (a complete image of health and fitness), YOU Must Separate Yourself From The Average. You Must Achieve Every Part That Makes You Who You Are ...YOU ARE WHAT YOU DO!!! 

The HIDDEN SECRET Of Yoga

Do you know what the hidden secret of Yoga is? Give up! Me too...lol. Just kidding. Yoga is a tried and true method for maintaining strong, flexible joints and muscles, good posture, and MUSCLE ENDURANCE. That's right, good ol' muscle endurance. Nancy Coulter-Parker of the Yoga Journal (Mar./Apr., 2003) claimed that yoga builds endurance because it trains you to breathe more deeply and efficiently. And if you really think about this for a second...she is absolutely right. It teaches you how to breathe, which in turn will help you to perform better in the gym and/or outside the gym. Slow, controlled breathing as practiced in yoga will not necessarily have an effect on the way the lungs deliver oxygen to the bloodstream during exercise and doesn't effect oxygen consumption...BUT, it does give your body a different technique in breathing. 

The one thing I find interesting in my job is how people have a tendency to hold their breath or they are unable to breathe probably...especially when the exercise is a difficult one. It is important to breathe when you exercise, but I believe it is important to be able to breathe in many forms. It helps your body to adjust and to adapt to each exercise independently and helps in the process of creating your "STRONG" body (your temple). Yoga increases muscle strength and endurance, which can help you from running out of gas during the day. Remember, you don't work as hard when you have fit muscles, so you aren't forced to use your energy reserves during daily tasks. Yoga is a terrific form of exercise for muscle and fitness...so if you have the opportunity to do yoga, definitely give it a try. Never limit yourself! ALWAYS allow yourself and your body to experience all different forms of exercise.  

Thanks for reading. Have a wonderful day. :)

Make Your Body Into One Tough Machine

Hello All You Hard Working People Out There...I hope everyone is working hard on their exercise regimen and prepared for what is in store for each day. Remember, you are the captain of your ship...it all comes from you. It is up to you to work hard and give it 100% . It is up to you to and only you.

Do not be afraid to up the INTENSITY. You must generate a large amount of intensity to stimulate the most positive changes in your physique. For example, when you are doing cardio, it is not the intensity that has an affect on how many calories you burn during a run or bike ride of a specific distance. It does HOWEVER, AFFECT HOW MANY CALORIES YOU BURN AFTERWARD.

Many times I have people ask about keeping their intensity level in the fat loss zone when they are doing cardio. Sure for some, that may work or they may be content with that level of training. BUT I AM a big believer in all-out intensity. You must understand that the purpose of intensity is to build a strong foundation within yourself. It also has an enormous effect on how much you will burn after you train, which will also help you to live a long and strong life. You want to make your body into one tough machine...able to handle anything, and most importantly burn calories and body fat even when you are sitting down or even sleeping.

The more intense the exercise, the more and longer your post workout metabolic rate is elevated and the more calories you burn. In a study published in Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, triathletes who cycled at 75% of their maximum rate of oxygen consumption (VO2max) for 20 minutes, burned more calories after their workout, compared to after cycling at 50% VO2max for 30 or 60 minutes.

Another study, published in Journal of the American College of Nutrition, compared metabolic rates following two equal calorie-burning workouts: a short duration, high-intensity workout (51 minutes at 75 percent VO2max) and a long-duration, low-intensity workout (78 minutes at 50 percent VO2max). The high intensity workout resulted in a higher post-workout metabolic rate.

So again, I can not stress it enough...THE IMPORTANCE OF INTENSITY. You will be amazed of what your body can do and how it handles the pain and suffering that comes along with high-intensity workouts. In the end, you will feel better, you will lose weight, and you will be able to go the distance with an enormous drive. GO GET IT! BE STRONG, BE FEARLESS, BE INTENSE!

Fight Forever Onward

"Today could be your day that all your dreams come true. The only thing that can stop you is YOURSELF. Never give up and always believe in what lives inside of you."
Love As Always,
Dofitness

Be Kind To Fruit

The very least you can do in your life is to figure out what you hope for. And the most you can do is live inside that hope. Not admire it from a distance but live right in it, under its roof." -Barbara Kingsolver

When I was growing up, my mom (a 3rd grade school teacher) made sure that my sister and I were both getting proper nutrition in our daily regimen. She believed in making healthy choices and rewarding us with foods we loved when appropriate. In the morning, she believed in breakfast no matter what (because it gave us energy and it helped with our focus in the classroom)...each breakfast was well-balanced and included some sort of fruit. She packed our lunches and again they were all well-balanced, which also included fruit and a cookie for dessert. Our afterschool snack was always some sort of fruit instead of cookies, candy, or donuts. Or when I would come in from riding my bike, I would say, "Mom, I'm hungry." And she would always answer, "Mija, get a piece of fruit to hold you over until dinner."

I believe that the fruit she had us eat gave us the energy we needed throughout our day, it helped us focus in the classroom, and because fruit has sugar...it tricked our bodies into thinking it was getting the sugar it craved for like a piece of candy or a cookie. I remember after eating my piece of fruit, I didn't have that sugar craving that I had prior to eating the fruit. Moms and especially if they are school teachers always know what is right. She somehow knew that fruit wouldn't give us that crash you experience with candy, cookies, and donuts. Or that hyperness you get when eating too much sugar from twinkies, candy, or cokes.

Now don't get me wrong, I have the sugar tooth in the family and I would always express my feelings of having fruit all the time while my friends were eating ding-dongs. I remember telling my mother it just isn't fair. It didn't matter though because she stuck to her guns and very rarely gave in to me. She knew what she was doing all along, which was building a strong healthy foundation for me and my sister. And that foundation has continued to be strong for both of us as adults. At the time I thought she was being unfair but now I know that she was giving me a special gift. She was having me eat the proper foods that were going to promote a strong, healthy body . She was training the body to be familiar with these foods and to know what to do with these foods, so we would grow up to be healthy.

Many people struggle with their weight as adults because of certain eating habits they had as children BUT I also believe that you can have a healthy foundation later in life. It is never to late to start making the right choices. I am always asked what fruits should I eat or what fruit would be good for me to eat before I workout. Below I have included the right fruits to choose before a workout (preworkout), in the morning, and after a workout (postworkout). I think you will find it very helpful and it will help you make the better choices if you haven't already.

PREWORKOUT
These fruits provide higher fructose than glucose for sustained fuel that won't block fat burning. Eat one or two servings.
1. Pear (1 medium)> Total Sugars-16/Fructose-11/Glucose-5
2. Watermelon (1 wedge)> Total Sugars- 18/Fructose-12/Glucose-6
3. Apple (1 medium)> Total Sugars- 14/Fructose-9/Glucose-5
4. Cantaloupe (1/2 melon)> Total Sugars- 22/Fructose- 12/Glucose-10
5. Grapes (1 cup)> Total Sugars-24/Fructose-13/Glucose-11
6. Strawberries (2 cups)> Total Sugars-14/Fructose-8/Glucose-6
7. Raspberries (2 cups)> Total Sugars-10/Fructose-6/Glucose-4

IN THE MORNING
These fruits provide equal or nearly equal fructose and glucose to restocke liver and muscle glycogen to help halt muscle breakdown. Eat two or three servings.
1. Pineapple (1 cup diced)> Total Sugars-13/Fructose-7/Glucose-6
2. Honeydew melon (1 wedge)> Total Sugars-13/Fructose-7/Glucose-6
3. Orange (1 medium)> Total Sugars-12/Fructose-6/Glucose-6
4. Banana (1 medium)> Total Sugars-18/Fructose-9/Glucose-9
5. Blueberries (1 cup)> Total Sugars-14/Fructose-7/Glucose-7
6. Nectarine (1 medium)> Total Sugars-10/Fructose-5/Glucose-5
7. Kiwi Fruit (2 medium)> Total Sugars-12/Fructose-6/Glucose-6

POSTWORKOUT
These fruits provide more glucose than fructose for restocking muscle glycogen and enhancing muscle growth. The last five fruits from the morning fruit category are also decent choices postworkout, for their ability to fill glycogen stores. Eat one or two servings along with white bread, baked potatoes, or a carb drink.
1. Cherries (1 cup)> Total Sugars-14/Fructose-6/Glucose-8
2. Peach (1 medium)> Total Sugars-8/Fructose-3/Glucose-5

The Russian Cannonball

"The kettlebell is the ultimate tool for extreme all-round fitness. It has been proven that no other single tool does it better."

What is a super effective tool that will help you build strength, endurance, flexibility, and core strength all at once? What is a form of training that will not only improve the appearance of your physique, but it will give you strength and mental toughness that you didn't even know was possible? THE EXTREME KETTLEBELL!

The kettlebell is a russian cast iron that looks like a cannonball with a handle and provides you with a very effective way to build muscle and supports the body to work as one unit.

*Accelerates- the development of All-Purpose Strength

*Boosts- your physical resilience

*Builds- your stay power

*Ensures- the correct blend of strength and flexibility

*Hacks- your fat off

*Gives your independence- makes you as strong as you want anywhere, anytime

I believe that it is important that you understand the benefits of this training and how it works. I frequently get the question, how is a kettlebell different from a dumbbell? First, kettlebells are much harder to handle, and in this case, harder is much better. KB handles are much thicker then DBS, which will give you a vice grip in no time. It is an outstanding grip, wrist, and forearm developer. Also, if you notice that the weight of a DB is equally distributed, while the weight of a KB is not. The off centered weight of a KB will force you to use more stabilizer muscles and work the targeted muscles through a longer range of motion. The thick and smooth handle combined with the ballistic nature of many exercises loads the grip like rock climbing. It is also an amazing type of training because it gives you infinite freedom of lifting...offering wiry strength, explosive agility, and never-quitting stamina.

Next, kettlebell training offers an increase in shoulder flexibility and stability. Its offset center of gravity maximizes shoulder strength, flexibility, and health. It not only helps to improve shoulder strength but it has been known to help people with back problems...making the back more resilient. It conditions your back from every conceivable angle, statically and dynamically. And as a result, many chiropractors are using kettlebells with their patients for rehab.

Another interesting fact about kettlebell training is that it gives you the benefit of getting stronger without getting bigger. Many women have taken up this type of training all around the country because it helps them tone and lose fat without over developing muscles. Another interesting point is that it is a definitive tool for developing hip thrust (the power generator in all athletics)...remember that a jump, a kick, and a punch all come from your hip.

So if you get the opportunity, do not rule out this type of training. I think that you will be pleased with the variety and effectiveness that it brings to the table. Overall, your results will be endless. Kettlebell training is considered to be "one of the most effective means of strength development" representing " a new era in the development of human strength-potential."

Mahler, M. Kettlebell Training Article. Bodybuilding.com.

How Are You Going To Attack Today?

A Purpose Is Fulfilled In Each Moment...And It Is That Purpose That Remains Constant For Life. There Are No Limits On How Much Your Purpose And Your Dreams Can Expand. Be Strong And Stay Strong!!!

Love Always,
Dofitness

Computer Viewing Only (Longer Version)

I am a firm believer that hard work is the best remedy for all of life's trials. Along with hard work, you must THINK POSITIVELY...because thoughts are like a steering wheel that moves our life in the right direction. So BELIEVE deep down in your heart that you are destined to do great things.

HOW ARE YOU GOING TO ATTACK TODAY?

Every day you train is another step closer to making your change. Pushing yourself to the limits; smashing through walls, bringing the noise to every workout and developing the most dangerous and unstoppable weapon you can...YOU!

Mobile and Computer Viewing (Shorter Version)

Dofitness Fun Moments

Another Training Day In The Dofitness World. Hard Work, Spirit, And Fun...These Things Make Up Fun Moments At Dofitness Training Studio. Everyone Have A Wonderful Weekend.

-Love Always,
Dofitness

It's All About The Intensity And The Credit Card Swipe

Nice Job Cat...According To Cat...This Workout, Especially The Bike Drill Is Also Known As The Fifty Shades Of Gray Bike! Go For It! Get Those Beyonce Legs... :) I Am Here For You!!!

You Better Recognize

Meredith Dowse Killing It In The Gym. The Finish Line Won't Get Closer, You Must Work Harder To Get There! Nice Job Dowse!!!

THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS- DOFITNESS SPOTLIGHTS PART 1

Highlighting Some Of The Dofitness Exercises Performed At Dofitness Studio. Always Try To Challenge Yourself. Accomplish Everything...Including The Things That Challenge You. Never Give Up And Always Trust In Your Vision For Yourself And Your Life...NO MATTER WHAT. 


Happy Training,
-Dofitness