BEYOND THE INTENSITY

Life Is An Echo...What You Send Out Comes Back. Winners Don't Different Things, They Do Things Different. They Send Out An Intense Echo That Returns To Them The Rewards They Have Worked So Hard For.

PUMP IT UP...Body Weight Workout

RULES: NEVER REST BETWEEN EXERCISES/ALWAYS GO HARD/TURN UP THE VOLUME :)

Round One:

1) Warm-Up For Ten Minutes: Run In Place, Jump On Toes In

Place, Jumping Jacks, Mountain Climbers, Side To Side Jump, Etc

2)    Body Weight Squats (no rest/continuous motion)- 100x

* Make sure to sit back on your heels (as if you are pushing your butt back to the wall or as if you are sitting back in a chair)/Do not let your knees shift over your toes/Watch your breathing (Do not hold your breath)

3)    Push-ups- 25x

4)    Body Weight Alternating Lunge Steps In Place- 50x

*Stepping Forward/Make sure it is continuous without stopping

5)    Push-ups- 25x

6)    Body Weight Alternating Lunge Steps In Place- 50x

*Stepping Backward/Make sure it is continuous without stopping

*Make sure it is continuous without stopping

7)    Push-ups- 25x + Sit-ups- 25x + Abdominal Bicycle - 50x 

*Do This Three Exercise Combination For A Total Of Two Sets

8)    Traveling Long Jumps- 30x- 2 sets 

* Do 30 Long Jumps Forward/30 Long Jumps Backward)

*Jump Long Landing In Squat And Traveling Forward Until You Get To 30 Jumps/Take About 30 seconds To Recover/Then Long Jump Backward Landing In Squat (Make sure you jump from the low squat position).

9) Rest 1 Minute And Then Move On To Round Two

Round Two:

1)    Body Weight Walking Lunges- 1 lap around a track or 200 Lunge Steps

2)    One Crunch + One Sit-up (2=1)- 30 times

3)    Core Plank- 1 minute

*Get On Your Toes And Forearms And Hold Yourself In A Plank Position. If Your Knees Touch The Floor Start Over...You Must Complete A One Minute Hold Before You Move On To #4.

4)    Run In Place With High Knees For 1 minute/After You Have Completed One Minute- Do 20 Finger Facing Push-ups 

*Do This Combination For A Total Of Four Sets. PUSH YOURSELF!

5)    Core Plank Shifts- 1 minute

*Get On Your Toes And Forearms And Hold Yourself In A Plank Position...Start Shifting Yourself Forward And Backward As If You Are Doing Toe Raises. Make Sure Your Body Is Completely Contracted And Engaged.

6)    Sitting Up/Lean Back Then Pull knees-to-chest- 30x

*Do not let your feet touch the floor)

7)    On Floor- Reverse Crunches (roll knees-into-chest)- 30x

*Keep your heels close to your butt/lead from your belly button not your legs

8)    Wall- Sit- 30 sec + 15 Squat Jumps/Wall-Sit- 40 sec + 20 Squat Jumps/Wall Sit- 50sec + 25 Squat Jumps/Wall Sit- 60 sec + 30 Squat Jumps 

*Watch your form/make sure your back is pressed up against the wall/do not let your knees come over your toes/make sure you are sitting in an L on your wall sit (your legs are forming an L); Squat low and jump from the bottom and land in the bottom on squat jumps; ABSOLUTELY NO REST! Your rest time is when you are sitting on the wall. :)

Round Three:
Do 35 minutes of Cardio of your choice! Start out at a moderate pace then pick up your intensity. Try not to stop.

Great Job! ALWAYS TRAIN HARD and never give up on your goals.

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!

Set YOUR Tone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hi Everyone! Hope everyone is having a good year so far...crazy how fast time goes by.  So that is why it is so important that you get after it and work hard in everything you do.  Don't waste any more time....Go Get It! This Is For You...  


Here is a workout that will challenge you and I think you will like. Make sure that you go at your pace and work up from there....so the next time you do this workout you will be stronger and it will become easier.  Make sure you watch your form on all exercises...full range of motion people! Do Not Sell Yourself Short! And don't forget to breathe. One of the biggest things people do is hold their breath during high intense workouts, which in turn will make them fatigue faster and they won't be able to workout to their potential...leading to disappointment! Vicious Cycle People! If you do not know how to do an exercise, please don't hesitate to use your comment button at the end of the blog entry with questions and concerns...I am more than happy to help you. 

Or your next option would be to substitute that specific exercise with one of your own.  Be Creative! Makes training more fun and adds variety to your training.  Always Challenge Yourself! Go Hard But Go At Your Pace...don't worry about the person next to you.  Worry about YOU and only YOU!  

And last but not least, pick challenging weight BUT weight that you can lift.  I have a hard time seeing people lift heavier weight than they should be lifting because in their minds it's about how important the number on the dumbbell is...BUT WITH AWFUL FORM! Remember, you want to pick a weight that is challenging, but one that will allow you to perform your exercises with perfect form and full range of motion.  My motto is : IT IS NOT HOW MUCH YOU LIFT...IT IS HOW YOU LIFT!!!!!!!!


Round One: Three Sets 
1. M.B. Sit-ups (keep ball at your chest/if you are a beginner use a basketball or soccer ball/this position doesn't allow you to use momentum from your arms/plus it adds a little resistance on the up and down motion of your sit-up)- 20x
2. Mini Crunches- 100x (Crunch up and pulse up as high as you can without your lower back coming off ground/do not let the back of your shoulders touch the floor/continuous crunch/Pulsing)
3. Alternating Corkscrews- 20x (Legs straight up in the air/similar to a hip raise but with a twist at the end of that motion/raise your butt of the ground and turn at the end of your raise)
4. Push-Ups- 20x
*Try Not to Rest Between Exercises (1-4)/Complete the set and then repeat until you have completed three sets total/Try to Rest at the end of the round- 1min


Round Two: Challenge Round/GO AT YOUR PACE/ TIME IT: Go down the list of exercises and complete the round as fast as you can BUT with perfect form and full range of motion...DO NOT CHEAT YOURSELF. I only care about the time if you have honestly completed exercise with good form and full range of motion)/Document your time and then the following week try to beat your time! You will be amazed by the end of the month (saying that you attempt the round once a week), you will have improved your time dramatically.

1. DB Squats- 100x (Use Challenging Weight if you are Moderate/Advanced Level/Beginners Use Body Weight Only/Put a bench/step behind you and tap your butt to bench...this will help you keep your form on your squats/gives you a target to aim for when squatting/will help you sit back instead of allowing your knees to shift over your toes.  ALWAYS SIT BACK ON YOUR SQUATS!!!
2. DB Standing Shoulder Press- 20x (Press dbs over head)
3. Jump Rope- 100x + Push-Ups- 20x (Advanced- If you mess up...start over/Moderate Level- Push Yourself and try to do all your push-ups on your toes/Beginner Level- do the best you can...if 100x is too much for you/take your time or reset that number working your way up to 100x/if you can't do 20 push-ups; take your time or reset the number)
4. DB Walking Lunges- 100x (Use challenging weight/sit back on your lunges/ beginner level- use body weight & remember you are developing your foundation so don't injure yourself trying to push when your muscles are not conditioned to go at this intensity...baby steps...Know in your mind that you are working up to being the strongest you can be.
5. DB Alternating Punches (Forward)- 50x (Flow with your punches/turning your hands at the end of your punch/bending your knees to support and stabilize/go moderate-to-fast/light weight)
6. DB Alternating Punches (Upward)- 50x (same as above)
7. Jump Rope- 150x + Push-Ups- 20x (same instructions as #3)
8. Squat Push-Press- 50x (Place bench behind you/have dbs at your shoulders/squat down as you come up Press DBS overhead/as you bring your press back down to your shoulders, stabilize yourself by coming down in a squat/think one unit....squat up; dbs go up/as dbs come down & squat down)
9. DB Bent-Over Flye- 20x (Bend your legs, this will help support your back/bend over as if you are diving in to the floor/arms are straight down to the floor & slightly bend them and raise arms up as if you are flying; spread arms open- squeezing shoulder blades together)
10. DB Standing/Alternating Bicep Curls- 40x
11. Jump Rope- 200x + Push-Ups- 20x (same instructions as #3 & #8)


Round Three: Push!
*Cardio of Your Choice- 20 minutes/moderate level but still hard...PUSH! (You may choose to do two-three different cardio machines/you may decide to go longer than 20 minutes....GO FOR IT! This is for you! Soooo Embrace It and DO IT! 


Proud Of You.....Keep Up The Good Work! Thanks for tuning in!
Love Always,
Dofitness

IN THAT MOMENT

One of my favorite scenes in the movie, "Over The Top." For me this scene goes so much deeper (I can feel his emotions and his WILL TO WIN...ESPECIALLY FROM WITHIN). I look beyond just seeing Sylvester Stallone competing against a man that drinks a can of oil to "rev up." Lol. Or seeing him go up against someone much bigger than him to make it to the championship event. It is seeing someone completely transform for that moment (tapping into his true inner self deep within)...and witnessing all the hard work, practices, emotions, blood, tears, training all for that one moment. Literally witnessing all his emotions put out on the table. The mind and body working together to complete the task at hand. 

Like one of the greatest arm wrestler, Allen Fisher, once said, “When you’re in a competition, you don’t hear the people screaming. I shut off everything, and I’m just there in the moment. I’m listening for ‘Ready, g-.’ I don’t even hear the whole word ‘go.’ I train for ‘g-.’ You have to train your mental state all the time. It’s like how muscles have memory, and they know what you do. So you have to do things over and over until they become second nature. Well, your mind is the same thing. You have to train your mind to know your move, to not go into second thoughts, and to think like a champion. Mentally, you’ve got to be beyond everything. You’ve got to stay totally focused.”

Step It Up

"How does one become a butterfly?" she asked pensively. "You must want to fly so much that you are willing to give up being a caterpillar." -Trina Paulus

There are no shortcuts!!!!!!! If you want to get amazing results fast, you have to know what it takes to burn maximum calories, shed maximum fat, and build muscle. You must be ready to put on your running shoes and your weightlifting gloves and go the distance. Your intensity must be high and you have to SWEAT!

Bottom Line: You must increase the intensity of all your workouts! Try to work out at 85 to 100 percent of your maximum heart rate. Understand that the harder you work out, the easier it has to be for your body to process the fuel it needs to keep going. When you train intensely, the sugar stores are the more efficient source of fuel. Keep in mind, that this does not mean that you are not burning fat. When you train at a high level of intensity, YOU ARE BURNING MORE CALORIES OVERALL. Also, the most important point I want to share with you is that when you train at a higher heart rate/INTENSITY, you not only burn more calories during the workout, BUT you boost your metabolism for up to 24 hours afterward.

The Benefits Of A Tough Workout

Many of you have probably heard the many benefits of weight training, such as it helps you build muscle that in turn burns fat, it increases your metabolism, gives you energy, etc. One of the benefits of weight training is that it can slow down the effects of aging. "When you challenge your strength, balance, and coordination simultaneously, you force the nervous and muscular systems to better communicate and the brain to form new neural connections that will improve your motor function and body awareness, " says Fitness Trainer Michael Gonzalez-Wallace.

I think it is very important that your mind and body work together in all  of your workouts. I make sure to tell my clients to always train their mind, to think and focus on how they're lifting, to be in tune with the muscles when they are being worked. Many times I give them different series and combinations of exercises, hoping that they see the patterns and the purpose of each round. I challenge them not only physically but mentally...trying to bring out their mental toughness when exercises and combinations are difficult. Professor John Martin of Columbia University states, "the more difficult the movement, the more activity in the brain, and the more you will benefit from it.

As a matter of fact today I challenged one of my clients mentally..making him focus on the movement and engaging more than one muscle group. At first, he seemed pretty excited about the exercise (I am sure thinking that it was going to be very easy) but ended up being very challenging for him. He had to focus on the exercise and his movement in order to get through each repetition. If you want to give it a try, here was his exercise:

Sit on a Swiss Ball

Grab two resistance bands (red/iron woody bands)that are attached to a low pole or bars

Make sure there is no slack in the bands/keeping arms and elbows up in order to perform a bicep curl

Engage your abdominals and square yourself up to the bands

Lift one leg off the ground (keep it either bent/straight)

Balance and Focus

Begin curling the bands to your shoulders/making sure you keep elbows up at all times/parallel to the floor

Do 20 repetitions with one leg up/then switch legs and do another set of 20 repetitions

*Your challenge is to have perfect form/try to get full range of motion with elbows up/if your leg drops or you roll to one side of the ball-reposition yourself and start your set over.

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT! AND THE MORE YOU PRACTICE THE BETTER YOU GET!

HAPPY TRAINING! 

Refuse To Stay Down

Strive To Be Better...Always do the best you can in everything you do. Never allow yourself to give up or quit something. Always push yourself to different levels. Once you reach one milestone...begin your journey to the next level.

If You Want Something, Go and Get It...Don't ever let anyone tell you that you can not do something. If you have a vision, a goal, or a dream...embrace that and do what it takes to make your dreams, goals, and visions come true.

Never Cut Corners...Everything in life is a challenge. Think of those challenges as positive things that will make you better in the long run. Never cheat yourself and never stop working hard. When you go the distance...you become a stronger person and you will appreciate that you didn't take the easy road.

Raise The Bar...Be an inspiration to everyone around you. Always take yourself to the next level..Push! Push! Push! Set the example and inspire people to get better!

Transformed From The Inside Out

Fitness is a lifelong pilgrimage & you must commit yourself to the journey. Those who do will find lasting results. Athletes fall into two groups: the believers & the nonbelievers. The nonbelievers just want to win the race, but never seem to enjoy training for it.The sad thing is that nonbelievers seldom last in the world of fitness. The glory of winning is short-lived. You must have staying power-a believer- you must have a passion for the process. They enjoy winning, but they cherish the lifestyle even more.

**The irony: To achieve overall beauty you must look beyond it. If we keep our eyes focused on a particular short-term goal we may achieve it, BUT the victory will be temporary. YOU MUST BE TRANSFORMED FROM THE INSIDE OUT.