3' vertical leap anyone

Not sure if any of you follow the UFC or mixed martial arts, but I have been know to watch a few myself. I came across this video the other day on the yahoo homepage and thought it was quite impressive. Take a peek for yourself, then let me know when you want to get started on your three foot vertical leap!

http://video.yahoo.com/watch/5569338?fr=yvmtf

best option is probably to cut and paste the link I am new to this and could not figure out how to add the hyperlink.

What Motivates me?

Sorry for my delayed response on this particular posting. Somehow between working two jobs and taking organic chemistry the promise was forgotten. Enough for excuses however, here it is.

My motivation to a healthy lifestyle started as most do. Desiring to look like the latest men's health model, you know the guy with the airbrushed abs and pec implants! However, while trying to attain these worldly standards I found what motivates me to lead a healthy lifestyle.

Life throws us all sorts of stumbling blocks, some we have no control over and others we do, but I think a lot comes down to how we look at things. If you always view challenges as stumbling blocks instead of seeing their potential as stepping stones to take you higher, you are missing out on a great deal of the best stuff life has to offer. The stuff that is accomplished through trials, blood, sweat and tears. That's where we learn who we are. That's how we know what we are really made of. If you haven't pushed yourself to that limit, how will you ever really know? Here's the question...WHAT ARE YOU MADE OF? If you need help thinking of a challenge that will help you figure this out, feel free to let me know!!

The decision to lead a healthy lifestyle with the foods that we eat and the exercises that we perform are examples of these stepping stones. The more I learn about the human body the more I am impressed by the amazing feats that we can accomplish if we refuse to let stepping stones become stumbling blocks. Feel free to comment...What motivates you?

What does it mean to "get fit"?

I was just reading an article in my ACE Fitness magazine that brought up an interesting question: What does it mean to get or be fit? I wanted to talk about this for a minute because I think its an important question.

Over the course of my life my answer to this question has changed. When I was younger I wanted to have bigger muscles so I spent much of my time in the gym lifting weights. Then I wanted to gain weight because steer wrestling isn't for tiny guys so I lifted weights and even tried to gain weight, which I was successful doing. Then I wanted to slim down for my wedding so I started running, and I was also able to do that as well. Next came the triathlon and then yoga. So, you can see that I have been all over the continuum.

However, only lately have I begun to think about fitness as a mind and WHOLE body state of being. I want to be (and I want my training clients to be) fit 360 degrees. So, what does "get fit" mean? Well according to this article, and I would agree, it contains several components:

1. Aerobic fitness aka cardio
2. Strength
3. Flexibility/Balance
4. Body Composition

This is to say nothing of the nutrition element! Do you find yourself focusing on all cardio at the gym thinking that it will help you lose weight the fastest? How about all weights or even all upper body? If so, think about this...fitness in its truest form allows you to run, jump, lift, touch your toes and fit in to those jeans.

Maybe we are paying a little too much attention to the jeans and most, if not all of us are probably certainly neglecting the flexibility piece. Just food for thought...

New Posts Below!!

Hi everyone! Glad to see that someone is reading my blog ;) I noticed that some of my last few posts have gotten lost somewhere in the middle of the blog. So, I just posted two awesome recipes that you will have to scroll down to see. Since I am a new blogger I guess I just don't know how to fix it yet!

Anyway, check them out and enjoy, they are delicious! More soon.

Happy Monday!

It's SMART to set goals

I'm a big believer in setting goals. I think the best way to see your progress is to set a goal that you can see yourself working toward and eventually accomplishing. If you do this, there is no doubt of your progress. Also, working from couch potato to 5K with a plan in mind is a lot more gratifying than saying I'd like to lose 10 pounds over and over again. Imagine the energy of a race and all of your hard work coming to fruition as you cross the finish line. Let me tell you, its quite exhilarating.

SMART is a goal setting acronym that's often used and is very useful:

SPECIFIC - You need to set a specific goal, for example, my wife is training for a half marathon on September 20th (Bolder Backroads, great race if anyone is interested). She has set a specific goal. I want to get fit isn't specific.

MEASURABLE - You have to know when and if you have reached your goal. So, you might want to say I'd like to lose 10 pounds in 10 weeks (then get specific, how are you going to accomplish that goal).

ACHIEVABLE - Be honest with yourself about your abilities. There are also other things to take in to consideration like your schedule and family time. For example, I would like to complete an Ironman Triathlon, but given my school schedule and family this isn't an option for me right now. It's not outside of my ability but its also not a goal that will work with my life.

REWARD-ORIENTED - This is a Pavlov's dog kind of experiment. When you do something that you have planned to do to make the next step towards your goal treat yourself to something. My wife might get a facial for every mile she increases towards her 13 mile goal, for example. This just gives you a positive reinforcement and another reason to strap on your gym shoes.

TIME-FRAMED - You need to give yourself a deadline to provide a sense of urgency. If you give yourself a year to lose 10 pounds you will probably be doing the same thing for the same 10 pounds next year. Be realistic but don't be too generous.

I would add to this acronym ACCOUNTABILITY. If you are accountable to someone (preferably not your husband or wife) you are more likely to meet your goals. Sometimes we just need some encouragement.

To that end, please respond with some of the goals you have for yourself in the coming months.

Better than Clif?

Our friend Sara shared this excellent protein bar recipe with us. We have tried several others that we like too but this is the best one. You can try a few variations on this as well.

2 cups honey

2 cups peanut butter (almond also works)

2 1/4 cups protein powder (vanilla or chocolate, I like chocolate)

4 cups raw oats

1/2 cup raisins (optional)

1/2 cup bran

1/4 cup wheat germ

2-3 tbsp. vanilla

Combine honey, peanut butter and raisins (if using) in microwave for 1-2 minutes until melted. Combine and stir all dry ingredients in large bowl then add wet ingredients. Spray 9X13 pan with non-stick spray. Empty bowl in to pan and press evenly, cut and chill.

WORD OF CAUTION: THESE ARE DELICIOUS! I'm not kidding, in fact, my favorite way to have one of these is with a cup of coffee in the morning HOWEVER they are 200 calories apiece and have 26 grams of carbs so you can't just eat them all day long (even though you will want to :) Great for pre or post workout snack or breakfast especially if you aren't a big breakfast eater but know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day.

Banana Oatmeal Pancakes

Most mornings we don't have time to make breakfast. Don't think I'm saying you shouldn't eat breakfast because I'm not, but most days we have a shake that we made the night before for breakfast. Shakes are easy and packed with everything you need to get your metabolism going first thing in the morning. I will be sure to share some of our shake recipes here as well but for now....banana oatmeal pancakes!

On the weekends we always try and save time to make a delicious breakfast we can enjoy together. This recipe is one of our favorites, even our 2 year old will eat them, and he's not much of an eater :) These are delicious! An easy and healthy way to start your day!

What you need:

• 3/4 cup quick-cooking oats


• 3/4 cup whole wheat flour


• 1 tsp. baking powder


• 1/2 tsp. baking soda


• 1 medium banana, mashed


• 1 egg


• 3/4 cup skim milk


• 2 tbsp. olive oil

Combine dry ingredients. Combine banana and egg, then add milk and oil. Add to dry ingredients. Cook on griddle. Makes about 10 pancakes.

Try these with just a bit of syrup. They have plenty of flavor and texture so you can save yourself a few calories and forgo the butter or have butter and leave off the syrup. Hey, don't knock it until you've tried it!

Fantastic Summer Burger Recipe

Hi all! As promised, a recipe perfect for the 4th of July festivities! Not only is this a tasty burger but it packs a whopping 27 grams of protein per burger and a mere 263 calories.

What you need:

• 1 egg
• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 1/2 cup oats
• 1/3 cup diced onion (the smaller the better)
• 1/2 cup chopped spinach (fresh or frozen and again the smaller the better)
• 2 Tbsp reduced fat mexican blend cheese
• salt and pepper to taste
• 4 Whole-grain buns

In a large bowl, whisk the egg. Add everything else and mix (your hands work the best here). Divide and shape in to four patties. Grill.

Be sure to load this up with veggies: lettuce, tomato, avocado (healthy fat), ketchup (free condiment), mustard etc. Enjoy this super yummy meal.

BTW - These burgers freeze really well so you can make a double batch, freeze half and have a ready made dinner on another night.

Need a few reasons to get in shape?

Hi everyone! Welcome to my blog. I hope that you will find lots of interesting stuff here. I will post workouts, workout tips, recipes, before and after pictures of my training clients and tons of fitness related stuff. I hope you find something useful here, and if you do, that you will spread the word!

In case you need some motivation, here are just a few reasons to get moving...

• You want to banish the blues


• You want to quit smoking


• You want to keep up with your hyperactive kids


• You want to put all photos in your photo album - not just the ones where your double chin isn't showing ;)


• You want to run a 5k fun run with your friends and actually have fun doing it


• You want to feel young again


• You want to boost your mood


• You want to look great for your class reunion


• You want to take out your stress on something other than your family


• You want to check 'run a marathon' off of your 'to do' list
  

Sometime I hope to tell you about what motivates me. I am so passionate about health and fitness that I want to share some of my enthusiasm with you. A healthy, energetic, fit body starts with one step. If you haven't already taken that step I hope I can help you do it. Feel free to post any questions and comments you might have and hopefully I can be of assistance.

Until next time...Cheers! To your good health!