The Top 10 Myths about Cardio and Dieting...And How To Truly Change Your Body Forever!!

Torch That Core!

Throw away the crunches, ab rollers any other devices that claim to reduce your tummy or give you "six pack abs"...you're wasting your time. A great midsection is built by doing exercises that use lots of large muscle groups (legs, back, etc) working together in unison. Take the Overhead Walking Keg exercise as seen below for example. Carrying a heavy keg overhead that is sloshing water too and fro torches all your abs, lower back and BONUS...all your upper back, shoulders, glutes, forearms, grip strength, balance and coordination too. Be forewarned, however; this is not easy, and you'll need to build yourself up slowly to a heavy weight. But do it right, and pretty soon you'll be able to tell people that you built your six pack abs with a keg ; )

Live With Passion,

Roy

          Ken, showing off the back side of a six pack!

WOD
"Juggernaut"
Warmup:
100 Slegehammer on Tire
Overhead Walking Keg for 600 feet
For Time:
50 Tire Flips
2 Mile Run
Cool Down / Awareness:
Minimum 5 minutes of meditation focusing on breathing:
5 second inhale, 5 second hold, 5 second exhale, 5 secon hold...repeat.

PALEO RESOURCE
Probably the most important component of your diet is where your meat comes from and how it is raised. Most commercial meats are raised on the cheapest feed available, kept in cramped unsanitary conditions, and fattened quickly to produce meat as cheaply as possible. Unfortunately the grains and soy fed to these cows, chickens, pigs, and sheep are anything but their natural diets and it affects the meat that they produce. The meat from grain-fed animals has a highly skewed omega-6:omega-3 ratio, sending the body into an inflammatory mode (some commercial meats/eggs have as high as a 15+:1 ratio of omega 6:3…when natural meats should have a more balanced ratio of 4:1 or less). Also the fat composition of these animals is altered (grain fed animals have more saturated fat, unlike grass fed with less saturated and more monounsaturated). Essentially, you are what you eat…and what the animal eats too! Grass-fed meat (or any “wild game” not raised in fed lots on cheap grains) is more expensive, but it’s also tastier and better for your health. If you can’t find it (check your local farmer’s market) or can’t afford grass-fed meat, just trim the visible fat from your store-bought meat and help correct your omega-6:omega-3 balance with some additional fish oil.

Quote Of The Day
Being realistic is the most commonly travelled road to mediocrity

The Warrior Spirit Within

It's that time of year; to look back over the last 12 months and to be honest with ourselves about what worked in our life, what didn't, and what needs to be fixed.

New Years resolutions are great, but if you really want them to have some teeth, then realize that you're going to have to do more than just talk about them, you're also going to need to take strong, consistent action.

Take it up another notch by putting a deadline on your goals as well as attaching a big reward for reaching them and a big punishment for not.

Also, spend some time daily visualizing your goals as already reached and feel the happiness and sense of accomplishment that goes with those thoughts. Having a strong emotional attachment to accomplishing your goals is crucial, as it keeps you focused on what's most important in your life.

Finally, check out Rocky's advice on the warrior spirit within each of us and see if perhaps you can't find yours ; )

Live With Passion,

Roy

WOD

"Barbara"
5 Rounds For Time:
20 Pullups
30 Pushups
40 Situps
50 Squats
* Take 3 minutes rest after each round. Your score is the average time it took to complete each round

Dill and Lime Crab

2 Large Dungeness crabs, cooked, cracked and shelled and chilled (yield ¾ to 1 pound)
Lime juice
Paprika
Dried, ground dill weed
Lime wedges
Parsley
Boil fresh crab, prepare the meat and chill it or buy cooked crab. Drizzle meat with lime juice and sprinkle with paprika and dill. Serve with lime wedges and garnish with parsley.

Quote Of The Day
“Those who think they have no time for healthy eating, will sooner or later have to find time for illness.” – Edward Stanley











 

Get One More Workout In Tomorrow!

The gym will be open tomorrow, Christmas Eve day, from 6am to 9am, with classes scheduled at 6am, 7am and 8am. I'll be working out with the 8am class, so come on in and join me for one more butt-whuppin workout before Santa arrives ; ) Trust me, you'll feel better starting your day off with a great workout, especially if you're planning on indulging later on (just a little, right?!)

Otherwise, we'll be open regular hours again on Saturday.

Merry Christmas!

Live With Passion,
Roy

WOD
"KELLY"
Warmup: Joint mobility drills
Power Work: Max Bench
5 Rounds For Time:
1/4 Mile Run
30 Box Jumps
30 Wall Ball

               "Okay...now what am I supposed to do with it?"
 

This Is What YOU Would Want For Christmas!!

Working out is great, but working out with a friend is even better. Competition, camaraderie and a shared experience can go a long towards making a hard workout enjoyable, in a crazy sort of way ; )

So who would you pick to train with...some buddies at work, your best friend, your neighbor or maybe your sweetheart? Well, whoever it may be, now's your chance to get them involved for a great price. Check out this crazy, once a year promo we've got going on right now:

Twelve Group Sessions with a Personal Trainer ($468 value by itself!)
$25 New Balance Gift Certificate
$25 Cassandra’s Day Spa Gift Certificate
Luxurious One Hour Full Body Massage
Lunch For Two At The 5 Star Rated Centre Club
Only $199  /  Value: Over $600!

We've aready sold a TON of these things over the past 2 weeks, actually running out of gift bags this previous Friday, but time is running out, so if you want to get one (or several) you need to act NOW!

They will only be available till 7pm this Wednesday the 23rd and then the deal is OVER!

See you on the gym floor ; )

Roy


                 Another good reason for choosing your outfit the night before.

WOD
Tabatas On Crack
Pullups
Pushups
Situps
Squats
8 rounds of each, 20 seconds on, 10 seconds off / 32 rounds total / max reps each round
Record total reps for each round, add all reps for total "score" at the end of the workout





 

She's 92...He's 29!

Of the many passions I have, dancing ranks in my top three. It all started when I was 17 years old and attended a teen night at a local disco. It was a hot summer night and I was filled with anticipation, as I had heard so many stories of all the craziness that went on inside a nightclub, yet I was still a few months shy of being legally able to go to one; so this was a sneak peek.

I'll never forget walking into the dark, cool disco with all the colored lights moving in synchronization to the rhythmic, pulsing, driving beat of the music. A drummer since I was 10 years old, the music talked to me on a soul level; made me want to get up move, but at that moment I didn't know how to express that desire...yet.

As I looked around the cavernous club, I was dumfounded to realize that it was me, maybe 10 other guys and FIVE HUNDRED GIRLS...Holy Sh*t!! And what I quickly realized in that moment was that the one and ONLY guy who could actually dance had the attention of ALL the girls ALL night long!

Learning to dance became my new passion, and every Saturday morning I got out a full length mirror and would practice all of the latest dance moves on the then-popular music and dance TV shows, American Bandstand and Soul-Train, then put them to the test at the next dance.

Well, all these years later I'm still going strong, dancing with the only girl that I care about impressing these days (my beautiful wife, Melissa) and tearing up the dance floor every weekend club dancing.

But as fun as that is, the "real" dancing that I am passionate about is swing dancing; east coast, west coast, lindy hop and jive. These are dances that require time, patience, practice, a partner and a lot of desire to be able to learn and perform well.

But the payoff is huge.

Great music + great atmosphere + you and a loved one moving in sync, constantly physically connected and each expressing your own artistic expression of what you're feeling at that moment...it truly is amazing ; )

So why have I decided to talk about dancing today on my hardcore workout blog?
Why not? Dancing is a sport and a great workout, and if you choose to swing dance like I do, you're going to want to be in great shape, because it IS a very physical dance.

Lastly, it gave me the opportunity to showcase this video. It shows how keeping yourself fit and doing things your passionate about can allow your golden years to be truly golden. Please watch the whole thing, as there are a few "suprises" along the way. The woman is 92 and she is dancing with her great grandson who is 29. 

http://artofarts.vox.com/library/video/6a00e398c63855000401240b8460b2860e.html
(please cut and paste this link into your address bar manually...I wasn't able to "link it" for you, sorry)

Live With Passion,

Roy

    "Hands up, lady...keep the Kettlebells where we can them!"

WOD
WHAM BAM
Run a mile For time
rest 5 Minutes
Max reps deadlifts in 5 Minutes
10 Minute Break
30-20-10
Pullups
Squats
Ring Dips

3900 Saturdays

Here's a great story that I just heard, definitely a great lesson in perspective....Enjoy!

The older I get, the more I enjoy Saturday morning. Perhaps it's the quiet solitude that comes with being the first to rise, or maybe it's the unbounded joy of not having to be at work. Either way, the first few hours of a Saturday morning are most enjoyable.

A few weeks ago, I was shuffling toward the garage with a steaming cup of coffee in one hand and the morning paper in the other. What began as a typical Saturday morning turned into one of those lessons that life seems to hand you from time to time. Let me tell you about it:

I turned the dial up into the phone portion of the band on my ham radio in order to listen to a Saturday morning swap net. Along the way, I came across an older sounding chap, with a tremendous signal and a golden voice. You know the kind; he sounded like he should be in the broadcasting business. He was telling whomever he was talking with something about "a thousand marbles." I was intrigued and stopped to listen to what he had to say.

"Well, Tom, it sure sounds like you're busy with your job. I'm sure they pay you well but it's a shame you have to be away from home and your family so much. Hard to believe a young fellow should have to work sixty or seventy hours a week to make ends meet. It's too bad you missed your daughter's dance recital," he continued; "Let me tell you something that has helped me keep my own priorities." And that's when he began to explain his theory of a "thousand marbles."

"You see, I sat down one day and did a little arithmetic. The average person lives about seventy-five years. I know, some live more and some live less, but on average, folks live about seventy-five years.

Now then, I multiplied 75 times 52 and I came up with 3,900, which is the number of Saturdays that the average person has in their entire lifetime. Now, stick with me, Tom, I'm getting to the important part.

It took me until I was fifty-five years old to think about all this in any detail," he went on, "and by that time I had lived through over twenty-eight hundred Saturdays. I got to thinking that if I lived to be seventy-five, I only had about a thousand of them left to enjoy. So I went to a toy store and bought every single marble they had. I ended up having to visit three toy stores to round up 1,000 marbles. I took them home and put them inside a large, clear plastic container right here in the shack next to my gear.

Every Saturday since then, I have taken one marble out and thrown it away. I found that by watching the marbles diminish, I focused more on the really important things in life.

There's nothing like watching your time here on this earth run out to help get your priorities straight.

Now let me tell you one last thing before I sign off with you and take my lovely wife out for breakfast. This morning, I took the very last marble out of the container. I figure that if I make it until next Saturday then I have been given a little extra time. And the one thing we can all use is a little more time.

It was nice to meet you Tom. I hope you spend more time with your family, and I hope to meet you again here on the band. This is a 75 year old man, K9NZQ, clear and going QRT, good morning!"

You could have heard a pin drop on the band when this fellow signed off. I guess he gave us all a lot to think about. I had planned to work on the antenna that morning, and then I was going to meet up with a few hams to work on the next club newsletter.

Instead, I went upstairs and woke my wife up with a kiss. "C'mon honey, I'm taking you and the kids to breakfast."

"What brought this on?" she asked with a smile.

"Oh, nothing special, it's just been a long time since we spent a Saturday together with the kids. And hey, can we stop at a toy store while we're out? I need to buy some marbles."

Live With Passion,

Roy


                  We could train with normal equipment, but this is so much more FUN!!


WOD
"FRISBEE LIPS"
For Time:
100 Deadlifts M-185lbs / W-135lbs
While performing the deads, do 5 pullups at the top of each minute. Continue until you finish 100 deads.

PALEO RECIPE
Chez Lorraine's Baked Salmon
4 salmon steaks (about 1 ¾ pounds)
4 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon dill weed
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives
Lime wedges

Place individual salmon steaks on pieces of aluminum foil large enough to wrap each steak. Pour a tablespoon of lemon juice over each steak, sprinkle with dill and seal each steak in an aluminum pouch. Put the aluminum sealed steaks in a Pyrex dish and bake at 350 F for 30 minutes or until the fish flakes easily with a fork. Serve salmon with sprinkled chives and lime wedges.

Quote Of The Day
“To live each day as though one’s last, never flustered, never apathetic, never attitudinizing – here is perfection of character.” – Marcus Aurelius

Our Greatest Fear

You can have results or you can have a story, but not both. When working towards a goal you've got to keep your eye on the prize. So often, people are on track for greatness, only to derail themselves in the 12th hour. 

Why do they do it? Fear of success...fear of failure...bad hair day....who knows and who cares.

The trick is to be able to stay the course...even when things get rough, that's when you know you're in it to win it.

For me personally, I like to use the "tough love" approach on myself and my clients. Rather than coddling people, I prefer to challenge them...dare them to be great. I know everyone responds differently, and for some people, a swift kick in the arse may just send them over the edge, rather than motivating them...you definitely have to be ready for the unvarnished truth for the tough love thing to work.

However...

I believe that ultimately, if you're not ready for the message, you're probably not truly ready to make a permanent change in your life anyway. As Dr. Phil says, "You can't change what you won't acknowledge". So for me, the tough love approach just lets me separate the people who are ready for change from the people who aren't a lot faster.

Maybe this quote sums it up best:

"Our greatest fear is not that we are inadequate,
but that we are powerful beyond measure.

It is our light, not our darkness, that frightens us.

We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant,
gorgeous, handsome, talented and fabulous?

Actually, who are you not to be?

You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world.
There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people
won't feel insecure around you.

We were born to make manifest the glory of God within us.
It is not just in some; it is in everyone.

And, as we let our own light shine, we consciously give
other people permission to do the same.

As we are liberated from our fear,
our presence automatically liberates others".
 

    Matt, bringing his heart and soul to each and every workout

Post your thoughts on this; I'd love to know what you think ; )

Live With Passion,

Roy

WOD
Chesters Revenge
Max Effort Push Press 3-3-3-1-1-1 / maxed at 155 for 1
Rest…
For Time:
50  Squat Thrusts 65lb/45lb
40 Double Unders
30  DB Swings 55lb / 35lb
20 Overhead Barbesll Reverse Alternating Lunges (10 each leg) use same weight as you did for the Thrusters
10 Burpees

Paleo Recipe
 N'Orleans Broiled Catfish Fillets
1 teaspoon paprika
4 catfish fillets
½ teaspoon dried thyme
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon oregano
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
¼ cup lemon juice
Mix spices together in a shallow dish. Put lemon juice in a bowl. Dip fillets in the lemon juice and then coat lightly with seasoning mixture. Preheat broiler. Spray rack of unheated pan with nonstick spray. Put fish on rack and broil 4 inches from heat until fish flakes easily with fork (4 to 6 minutes). Turn once while broiling.

sweat

I can always tell the people that are going to do really well on my program, because they are the people that like to sweat, expect to sweat and understand the value of a good sweat; how it goes hand-in-hand with a great workout. 

Barring any health issues, people who are adverse to sweat are typically adverse to hard work, and so the great body that they've always wanted has more than likely eluded them. A good sweat during a workout is like a badge of courage that says "Hey, I'm here to train and I take this seriously". Sweating is healthy for you too, helping to rid the body of toxins, increasing circulation, burning more fat and also making for a nice, clear complexion.

When you've got an epic workout going and the sweat is flying, staying hydrated is key, so here are a few quick rules to follow whether you're hittin' it hard in the gym or playing your favorite sport outside:

• Drink before you get thirsty
• Drink 1-2 cups of fluid 30 minutes before exercise
• Drink ½ - 1 cup of fluid for every 15 minutes of exercise
• Replenish fluids lost (2 ½ cups for every pound lost during exercise)
• Keep drinking even after your thirst is quenched

Bonus Info:  If you drink 8 glasses (64oz) of ICE COLD water a day, you're body will expend an additional 200 calories to help maintain your core temperature. So, theoretically, if you consume a gallon of water ICE COLD each day you will burn an additional 2800 calories a week (200 calories a day x 7 days in a week). Since a pound of fat contains 3500 calories, that amounts to almost an additional 4 pounds of fat lost in a month! The only time I would recommend NOT drinking your water ice cold is immediately following your workout, as you need to get your body re-hydrated as soon as possible, and cold water takes longer to move out of your tummy.

Live With Passion,

Roy


                                        Hal, post workout, ringing his shirt out before a big first date

 WOD
"Platoon"
21-18-15-12-9 For Time:
DIps
SDHP M-95 / W-65
Squats M-95 / W-65
KB Swings M-32kg / W-16kg
Do 50 Jump Rope after every set of every exercise

Paleo Recipe
Barbequed Spicy Honey Chicken
3 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
2 scallions, finely chopped
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh tarragon
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh sage
1 teaspoon fennel seeds, toasted and crushed
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
4 boneless, skinless, chicken breast halves (about 1 pound)

In a large bowl combine honey, lemon and orange juices, herbs, scallions, pepper and fennel seeds. Put the chicken in the bowl and marinate for 1-2 hours. Fire up the barbeque and grill the chicken, turning constantly while basting with the marinade until the breasts are cooked.

Qoute Of The Day
Other gyms use machines…we build them!

Are You Fit Enough To...Pole Dance?!

Agree to disagree. Though some may find this profession to be a little controversial, after you watch this video, you will at least have a whole new level of respect for the athleticism and physical capabilities of these ladies.

These women are athletes, no doubt about it. And their skills encompass elements of fitness that many overlook; those being: timing, balance, coordination, accuracy and grace. Not to mention the obvious...they're strong as heck!

And hey, it's not just for girls either. Check out the second video of the loveable Kevin James (King of Queens) as he shows his wife how it's done...hilarious.

Have a great weekend, guys, and make sure you crush it in the gym today ; )

Live With Passion,

Roy

WOD
"RETALIATION"
5 Rounds For Time :
15 SDHP  M-115 / W-75
Monkey Swings Dwn-n-back
Bench Press  M-135 / W-85
30 Air Squats
1/4 Mile Run

Paleo Recipe:
Otie's Apple Breakfast
1 large apple (any type), chopped into bite sized pieces
1 medium carrot, grated
Handful of raisins
Cinnamon
Mix the apple, carrot and raisins in a bowl, sprinkle cinnamon over the top.

Quote Of The Day
No defeat is final until you stop trying.
It ain't over till the fat lady sings

 

The Strangest Secret

Change Your Body, Change Your Life. It's been our motto for years, and all it takes to make that happen is a strong, positive mindset coupled with consistent, intelligent action. Sounds easy enough, though many will go a lifetime without realizing that potential.

Perehaps the answer lies in, "The Strangest Secret", an audio program by Earl Nightengale that was made in 1964.

That record was the first non-music record ever made and the first record to ever sell more than a million copies. It's also safe to say that the information contained within it paved the way for all the Success and lifestyle coaches of today.

I heard this information years ago and it completely changed my life, so it is not without great curiousity that I wonder if it will affect any of you the same way. Please feel free to post comments on this and let me know what you think; I'd appreciate it ; )

Live With Passion,

Roy

Enjoy, then...this excerpt from "The Strangest Secret" by Earl Nightingale.

George Bernard Shaw said, "People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are. I don't believe in circumstances. The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and if they can't find them, they make them."

Well, it's pretty apparent, isn't it? And every person who discovered this believed (for a while) that he was the first one to work it out. We become what we think about.

Conversely, the person who has no goal, who doesn't know where he's going, and whose thoughts must therefore be thoughts of confusion, anxiety and worry - his life becomes one of frustration, fear, anxiety and worry. And if he thinks about nothing... he becomes nothing.

How does it work? Why do we become what we think about? Well, I'll tell you how it works, as far as we know. To do this, I want to tell you about a situation that parallels the human mind.

Suppose a farmer has some land, and it's good, fertile land. The land gives the farmer a choice; he may plant in that land whatever he chooses. The land doesn't care. It's up to the farmer to make the decision.

We're comparing the human mind with the land because the mind, like the land, doesn't care what you plant in it. It will return what you plant, but it doesn't care what you plant.

Now, let's say that the farmer has two seeds in his hand- one is a seed of corn, the other is nightshade, a deadly poison. He digs two little holes in the earth and he plants both seeds-one corn, the other nightshade. He covers up the holes, waters and takes care of the land...and what will happen? Invariably, the land will return what was planted.

As it's written in the Bible, "As ye sow, so shall ye reap."

Remember the land doesn't care. It will return poison in just as wonderful abundance as it will corn. So up come the two plants - one corn, one poison.

The human mind is far more fertile, far more incredible and mysterious than the land, but it works the same way. It doesn't care what we plant...success...or failure. A concrete, worthwhile goal...or confusion, misunderstanding, fear, anxiety and so on. But what we plant must return to us.

You see, the human mind is the last great unexplored continent on earth. It contains riches beyond our wildest dreams. It will return anything we want to plant.

Bears have known the value of Bear-crawling for years; we're just now catching on.

WOD
"SLICK"
100 Pullups
200 Pushups
300 Air Squats
500 SIngle Unders

PALEO RECIPE
Chicken Breasts with Red Pepper Sauce
2 medium tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
¼ teaspoon dried thyme
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
¼ teaspoon fresh ground pepper
4 skinless, boneless breast halves, pounded to ¼ inch thickness
2 tablespoons canola oil
½ cup white wine
Combine vegetables and spices in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes. Transfer to a food processor or blender, and puree until smooth. Pour into a small saucepan and keep warm over very low heat. In a large fry pan, heat oil. Add chicken breasts; cook three minutes a side until chicken turns white. Add wine; reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Spoon red pepper sauce on plate and arrange chicken on top.

Quote Of The Day
“To live each day as though one’s last, never flustered, never apathetic, never attitudinizing – here is perfection of character.” – Marcus Aurelius