What To Look For When Comparing Fitness Boot Camps

We hope that these steps will help you find that best fitness boot camp program for your health and fitness goals.

Here’s a short but sweet video that demonstrates what exactly it takes to become an Olympic Gold Medalist.  Do you have what it takes? BRING IT!!  Full video available on Hulu – www.hulu.com

Truth in Motion: Determination

What does it take to become a Gold medalist: endurance, power and agility. Truth in Motion: The US Ski Team’s Road to Vancouver. Download a free movie copy on itunes – bit.ly or view on Hulu – www.hulu.com

There’s no question that Apolo Ohno has become the United States most decorated Winter Olympic athlete on the Short Track with 8 career medals.  If you watched Apolo skate in the 2010 Winter Games, you had to be as amazed as I was with his explosive speed and quickness on the track!  You don’t obtain that amount of quickness and explosiveness without high intensity interval training.  Apolo Ohno’s workouts are intense and a big reason why he is the best in the world  when it comes to Olympic Speed Skating.

Apolo Ohno’s Olympic Workout

Eric Johnson of KOMO Seattle follows Apolo Ohno during his typical daily workout for Olympic training. This man works hard for his gold medals!!! *No copyright infringement intended. I do not own this clip.

How They Train: Speed Skating

Pay special attention to Apolo’s stair workout.  One of the best forms of High Intensity Interval Training!

Thanks Apolo, for being the best that we could ask for!

Here ’s a great video that showcases a typical day in the gym with gold Medalist, Lindsey Vonn.  Think you can keep up with her?

Thanks Lindsey for bringing home the GOLD!!!!

I’m just loving the Winter Olympics and watching the success of Team USA.  Are they kicking butt or what!  I got to thinking about what these athletes must do in order to train for their competition and I came across these great workouts by Craig Ballantyne.  These exercises resemble the same movements patterns of the Winter Olympic Athletes  and their particular sport.

Winter Olympics Workout for Fat Loss

I receive a lot of questions on why Interval Training is so effective for fat loss and weight loss.  There has been a lot of research done that shows just how effective interval training is to lose body fat and aid in rapid weight loss.  Not to mention, we have seen amazing results with our clients that participate in our Fitness Boot Camps vs Private Training.  Here’s a nice post that explains why interval training is so effective.

Why Is Interval Training So Effective?

You may recall that in my last post, which was how Hannah Waterman lost three stones in five months that in order to maximize her workouts, she used interval training…

I came across these  great blogs today on discussing  reasons why you should try Interval Training.

7 Reasons to try Interval Training | ExerciseTV

“Interval training is the ultimate fitness mash-up, blending the speeds of both the tortoise and the hare. The benefits of this training are enough to motivate you to pick up your pace. Learn why you should play with your speed.” …

Five Reasons Why you Want to Do Interval Training

Well, one of the secrets lies in the types of training they perform on a daily basis and the types of muscle fibers they use. Below are five ways that interval training works to finally see those defined abs. …

Hopefully this brief article will help you understand why you should consider implementing interval training into your workouts.

Hello everyone.  I just wanted to post a few videos that show different types of High Intensity Workout ideas.  I would challenge you to try and implement some of these into your workout routine to maximize rapid fat loss

Plyometric & High Intensity Interval Training

4 min Fat Burning Cardio Workout w/ Exercise Bike – Try this Quick Fat Burning Cardio Workout using an Exercise Bike with Tabata Intervals.

10 Minute High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) Workout\

This workout consists of 8 rounds of medicine ball burpees, using the Tabata Protocol (20 seconds of work, 10 seconds of rest per round). After completion of this exercise, there is a 60 second rest period. Then, begin the next exercise with countdowns using pushups and explosive jumps. Countdowns are simply intervals workouts that start with 10 reps for each movement have a 10 second rest period between “sets.” Each successive set starts with one less rep. Once you reach 5 reps, eliminate the rest period between sets. If you’re very pressed for time, this workout will deliver. Prepare to sweat and breathe heavy. Once this becomes easy for you, simply add more intervals to the burpee exercise and do explosive pushups for all intervals in the countdowns.

Heart Disease and Woman

www.hearttruth.com

February is American Heart Month and is kicked off by National Wear Red Day on February 1st. Every woman needs to know about heart disease.

The Heart Truth is that heart disease is the #1 killer of American women.  In fact, one in four women dies of heart disease.  But heart disease can also lead to disability and a significantly decreased quality of life.

The Heart Truth is that women don’t take their risk of heart disease seriously—or personally.  Women often fail to make the connection between risk factors, such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol, and their own chance of developing heart disease.

The Heart Truth is that all women can take steps to lower their risk of developing heart disease. If you’re a woman ages 40-60, it’s especially important that you begin right away to lower your risk. That’s the time when a woman’s risk of heart disease starts to rise.  Younger and older women also need to act now.  Heart disease can begin early, even in the teen years.  But it’s also never too late to improve heart health—even for those who have already had a heart attack.

Whatever a woman’s age, she needs to take action to protect her heart health.

What is Heart Disease?

Coronary heart disease is the main form of heart disease. It is a disorder of the blood vessels of the heart that can lead to heart attack. A heart attack happens when an artery becomes blocked, preventing oxygen and nutrients from getting to the heart.  Often referred to simply as heart disease, it is one of several cardiovascular diseases, which are diseases of the heart and blood vessel system.  Other cardiovascular diseases include stroke, high blood pressure, angina (chest pain), and rheumatic heart disease.

One reason some women aren’t too concerned about heart disease is that they think it can be “cured” with surgery.  This is a myth.  Heart disease is a lifelong condition—once you get it, you’ll always have it. True, procedures such as bypass surgery and angioplasty can help blood and oxygen flow to the heart more easily.  But the arteries remain damaged, which means you are more likely to have a heart attack. What’s more, the condition of your blood vessels will steadily worsen unless you make changes in your daily habits. Many women die of complications from heart disease, or become permanently disabled.  That’s why it is so vital to take action to prevent and control this disease.
What Are the Risk Factors for Heart Disease?

Risk factors are conditions or habits that make a person more likely to develop a disease.  They can also increase the chances that an existing disease will get worse.  Important risk factors for heart disease that you can do something about are:

• High blood pressure
• High blood cholesterol
• Diabetes
• Smoking
• Being overweight
• Being physically inactive
• Having a family history of early heart disease
• Age (55 or older for women)

Some risk factors, such as age and family history of early heart disease, can’t be changed.  For women, age becomes a risk factor at 55.  After menopause, women are more apt to get heart disease, in part because their body’s production of estrogen drops.  Women who have gone through early menopause, either naturally or because they have had a hysterectomy, are twice as likely to develop heart disease as women of the same age who have not yet gone through menopause.  Another reason for the increasing risk is that middle age is a time when women tend to develop risk factors for heart disease.  Family history of early heart disease is another risk factor that can’t be changed. If your father or brother had a heart attack before age 55, or if your mother or sister had one before age 65, you are more likely to get heart disease yourself. While certain risk factors cannot be changed, it is important to realize that you do have control over many others.  Regardless of your age, background, or health status, you can lower your risk of heart disease—and it doesn’t have to be complicated.  Protecting your heart can be as simple as taking a brisk walk, whipping up a good vegetable soup, or getting the support you need to maintain a healthy weight.
Some women believe that doing just one healthy thing will take care of all of their heart disease risk. For example, they may think that if they walk or swim regularly, they can still smoke and stay fairly healthy. Wrong!  To protect your heart, it is vital to make changes that address each risk factor you have. You can make the changes gradually, one at a time.  But making them is very important.  Other women may wonder: If I have just one risk factor for heart disease—say, I’m overweight or I have high blood cholesterol—aren’t I more or less “safe”?  Absolutely not. Each risk factor greatly increases a woman’s chance of developing heart disease.  But having more than one risk factor is especially serious, because risk factors tend to “gang up” and worsen each other’s effects.  So, the message is clear:  Every woman needs to take her heart disease risk seriously—and take action now to reduce that risk.
Tips for Heart Health

• Don’t smoke, and if you do, quit.  Women who smoke are two to six times more likely to suffer a heart attack than non-smoking women. Smoking also boosts the risk of stroke and cancer.

• Aim for a healthy weight.  It’s important for a long, vigorous life.  Overweight and obesity cause many preventable deaths.

• Get moving.  Make a commitment to be more physically active.  Aim for 30 minutes of moderate-intensity activity on most, preferably all, days of the week.

• Eat for heart health.  Choose a diet low in saturated fat, trans fat, and cholesterol, and moderate in total fat.

• Know your numbers.  Ask your doctor to check your blood pressure, cholesterol (total, HDL, LDL, triglycerides), and blood glucose.  Work with your doctor to improve any numbers that are not normal.

To learn more or for resources including Fact Sheets, Tools, Links, and Clinical Guidelines visit these links:

http://www.womenshealth.gov/hearttruth/factsheets.cfm
http://www.goredforwomen.org

The average participant in the program loses 10-12 pounds and 8 to
10 inches over the course of 6 weeks, and adopts new habits of better
eating and increased physical activity. As a result, employers reap the
benefits of a happier team, improved collegiality, better energy and
focus at work and reduced health risks!

• Get fit with your own personal trainer: includes three sessions with your coach!
• Lose weight with a Complete Food Guide
• Pick out something new everyday with our easy to make recipes.
• Five optional group workouts to boost team spirit!
• Individualized fitness programs and accountability with food and exercise journaling.

The Corporate Fit Challenge is a fun way to get started on a healthy
fitness program and build camaraderie with your co-workers. We offer
personal training sessions, nutrition plans, on site or off site group
workouts (optional) and more.

We can accommodate all fitness levels in your office – from
self-identified couch potatoes to fitness enthusiasts! We conduct
on-site or off-site personal training sessions.

motivFIT is excited to share this program with
you and hope that with your help, we can organize a Corporate Fit
Challenge with a few simple steps in your work place. The cost of this
program is very affordable and the effects are priceless.

Corporate Fit Challenge is a nationally recognized wellness program.
The program can help people of all fitness levels from self professed
“couch potatoes” to fitness enthusiasts.

This program can be implemented easily and affordably!

Please visit us at www.motivFIT.com to schedule a consultation or for pricing information.