Procrastinate No More!!!

I believe that everyone has good intentions when it comes to their health, but it's the execution that's the problem. Some people lack motivation. Some are professional procrastinators. Some just don't know what exactly it is that they need to do in order to accomplish whatever their health/fitness goals may be. The reasons one doesn't follow through with their intentions vary from person to person.

"I'll start next week." "Come the 1st of the month I'm working out!" "My New Year's Resolution will be to get into those old jeans!"

I think we're all guilty at some point of putting things off, especially things that aren't easy, such as working out. Sometimes it feels like it's just easier to worry about it later than to take charge now. My question is, why put it off for some trivial date when you can do it today? Just because it's not Monday doesn't mean you can't start working out on a Wednesday. God forbid you start in the middle of the week. I guess that means you'll be getting to your goal sooner. Oh darn.

If you're having a tough time getting started, then participating in a group class, such as Healthy Fit Boot Camp, will not only hold you accountable, but keep you motivated, educate you on the proper way to workout, and will put you on the right track when it comes to accomplishing your health & fitness goals. When you sign-up for my class, not only are you taking that all important first step, but you're making a promise to yourself that you're going to do what it takes to get you to where you want to be.

So stop reading this blog and head over to the website and take that first step...TODAY!!!

Don't forget that I also do 1-on-1 training as well!

Your friend in health,
Rich Rodriguez, CFT

Getting Past That Plateau!

When it comes to working out and losing weight we all hit that wall and reach a plataeu. We stop making progress whether it be in strength gains or weight loss. Our body is built to adapt to the stresses that we place upon it, so it's important to that we "mix it up" and "trick" our body into getting what we want...RESULTS!!! The smallest of changes can make a huge difference.

One way that we can mix it up is by increasing the intensity during our workouts at boot camp. Push yourself to do more repetitions. If we're working squats (and you know we always are) and your legs are burning and you just cannot do another repetition without resting...push yourself to get in 1, 2, 3 reps before taking that break. Those 1-3 extra reps will be presenting your body with a new challenge to overcome. Another thing you can do during boot camp is increase the weight of your dumbbells. If you've been with me for a little while and you're using 3 or 5 lbs dumbbells, then it's time to increase to 5 or 8 lbs. That little extra weight will, once again, present your body with new challenges to overcome. Those new challenges will yield new RESULTS!

Everyone should be doing some form or cardio or exercise outside of boot camp. Exercising 3x a week just isn't enough for results that we want. Exercising and being healthy is a lifestyle, so we need to be doing something at least 5x a week. What that means is that you need to be doing cardio at least 2x a week on your own on our off days. If you're not, then you're starting today! If you are doing cardio on your own, then HIGH FIVE to you, you're on the right track!

Ways to increase the intensity on cardio are to increase the duration of your cardio session, increase speed, incorporate intervals, do cardio on uneven ground (hills or changing incline on treadmill), etc. The main thing is to change it somehow, but at the same time keep your heart rate up! It takes your body approximately 15 minutes of continuous exercise before it starts using body fat for fuel, so try to get your cardio to last at least 20 minutes. Get it in when you can, whether it be first thing in the morning, on your lunch hour, or after you put the kids to sleep. Again, you need to get this in at least 2x a week during our off days, so prioritize it in your life. This is for you and will only get you to where you want to be faster!

The last thing that we can manipulate or change is your diet. Little changes here also go a long ways. If you normally drink 2 sodas a day, cut down to 1. If you go out to eat a lot, find places that serve healthy options. You need to eat 4-5x times a day, every 4-6 hours. This will keep your metabolism from falling into "starvation mode" and ultimately storing more body fat. So if you're not doing this already...start today! Breakfast is important, so try to eat something within the first hour of being awake. Your body has been fasting the whole time you've been asleep, so we need to fuel our body to get it out of that "starvation mode". If you workout within the first hour of being awake, you can eat afterwards. Either way...eat breakfast!

By doing some of the things mentioned above, you should be able to stave off plateauing or push past it. Our body is an amazing thing and adapts to change very quickly, so it's up to us to keep it on it's toes by staying one step ahead. Push yourself during boot camp, do your cardio on your off days, and make slight changes in your diet and you're setting yourself up for success! I'm very proud of all of my boot campers and I want to help everyone reach their goals, but we have to work together!

If you're not already a part of Healthy Fit Boot Camp, then go sign-up........NOW!!!

Your friend in health,

Rich Rodriguez, CFT

Article on Protein

Here is a good article I found about protein and thought I'd share it. It's entitled Protein and Young Athletes, but this doesn't just apply to young athletes. In large part it applies to anyone who is doing strength training and doesn't want to lose any muscle. Enjoy!

Protein and Young Athletes

By Joe Wells, Founder and CEO of Max Muscle

"Protein seems to be a hot topic these days. It does warrant the interest it generates as protein is a vital component in building lean muscle mass. I know you can accomplish great things naturally and protein is a vital factor in accomplishing that.

In this day and age everyone is looking for the quick fix, the magic pill. So what is that magic formula? It's not magic at all. In fact it is very basic and most sports nutrition experts will agree, protein is the key factor in getting results from intense training. When we ingest protein, we elevate the nitrogen balance in our bloodstream. Elevated nitrogen puts your body in an optimal state for building and repairing muscle tissue. In fact with a low/no level of nitrogen in your blood, you will begin to deteriorate lean muscle mass. That's not good!

So I am sure you are asking yourself, exactly how do I elevate my nitrogen balance by eating protein? It comes down to how much protein you eat and when. When you eat protein your nitrogen balance elevates for about 3 to 4 hours. Then it falls off and waits for you to eat more protein. If you only eat protein one time per day, your nitrogen balance will be negative for most of the day. We want it to be positive, so we need to eat protein every four hours or so. A good rule is to eat about .8 grams of protein per pound of body weight. If you weigh 150 pounds, then shoot for 120g of protein per day. Divide that into four or five protein meals a day.

Here is an example of my daily protein intake to maintain positive nitrogen balance. I weigh 240 pounds, and I shoot for 30g to 40g of protein per meal. My range of protein per day is 150 to 200g and that works great for me.

My typical day consists of five servings of protein, anywhere from 30g to 40g per serving. It's OK to fall off the program from time to time. You may miss a meal or only get 20g instead of your goal of 30g. Just keep it as consistent as you can and get back on track ASAP. What you don't want to do is miss protein all day, then eat one protein meal for dinner. It is very difficult and expensive to get all your protein from chicken, fish or meat. Protein supplements have less salt, cholesterol, fat and are very easy and convenient to use.

Get out your calculator and follow this simple equation. Let's say you weigh 150 pounds. Here is the calculation: .8 x 150 (your weight) = 120 grams per day. Now divide that into four or five meals per day spaced four to five hours apart and you are on your way to a higher nitrogen balance, leading to RESULTS!"

Abs, Abs, Abs!!!

Everyone I train wants six-pack abs. Thanks to all of those countless, ridiculous, and misleading late night infomercials, most of us think silly ab devices or magic fat pills are the way to go! Well guess what, THEY'RE NOT!!! Those things are put together by people who are trying to hit you where it hurts, your gut! They figure there are enough "suckers" out there that will fall for these "too-good-to-be-true" products and photoshopped "before and after" pictures, that it's easy money. For the most part, they're right. Way too many people buy into these false claims, thinking that "Ab Lounging" for 5 minutes a day is going to get you those cherished abs.

I don't care if you do 1000 crunches every night before you go to bed, it still won't be enough. You cannot, I repeat, CANNOT tell your body where to lose weight. It has been proven that spot reduction does not exist. Will doing 1000 crunches strengthen your abs? Sure, but as long as there is body fat covering them up, no one will see them. It's going to take a little more than the "Ab Roller" before for you can start washing your clothes on your midsection.

It's going to take an effective exercise program and a healthy diet. If you can put those 2 things together, it is then that you'll be moving in the right direction. With an effective exercise program and a healthy diet, you're able to start building lean body mass (muscle) and dropping excess body fat. To get optimal results, you need to make sure that you're doing both. Just because you eat clean everyday doesn't mean you're free of excess body fat. You need strength training to build the muscle that will utilize your body fat for fuel. And just because you workout everyday doesn't mean that you get to eat KFC every night! That totally wastes a good workout and will be very counterproductive to your goals.

Healthy Fit Boot Camp is the 1st step. Our classes are geared towards increasing your lean body mass and decreasing your body fat by keeping you moving with strength training, cardio, and agility drills. Focusing on your body as a whole will render results everywhere, not just your midsection. More than just appearance, I'm also talking about a stronger heart, lungs, bones, muscles, and just an overall healthier version of you!

Apparently, this has turned into a shameless plug, but I intend to use this blog as a way of communicating the things that I have learned during my time as a trainer. Please stay tuned as I will be adding posts about the all important 2nd step... A HEALTHY DIET.

In the mean time, please feel free to sign up for the next boot camp. You need the link again? Here you go ----> Healthy Fit Boot Camp. :)

Your pal,

Rich Rodriguez, CFT

P.S. - If you do have specific goals that need a little more attention, please feel free to contact me regarding 1-on-1 training.