Sugar Impact Diet Interview

                                    Hello Metabolic Warriors!

This video is a precursor to the two week Sugar Impact Diet as outlined by Nutritionist JJ Virgin. Interview is by Nutritionist Johnny Bowden who has also been called the Rogue Nutritionist due to his creating public awareness of misinformation. For instance, for many years he has been educating the public that high cholesterol is not what causes heart attacks.  It is inflammation that is caused by what we eat. Sugar, and foods that turn to sugar, are the most significant causes of inflammation. Check out the interview and make up your mind. If you like what you hear then sign up for 2-3 week Sugar Impact Diet.  Participation is free.  The only requirement is that you must be a current Metabolic participant. If you have health challenges or food modifications that you are working with a Dr. or Nutritionist on then please consult with them before beginning this program. For those who are interested, you will receive further information in an email.

Musings of a Metabolic Warrior

Over the three-plus years that we have been leading metabolic training we have heard, and said, some pretty funny things during our trainings.  Sometimes you blurt out exactly what you are thinking and other times we have to guess at what is going on in your heads.  So here is our best guess at what random thoughts are running through your heads while you are sweating.  Remember, we do the workouts with you and we are human too, so many of these thoughts have probably run through our minds as well.

Warm up

What WAS I thinking?  Coulda, shoulda stayed in bed.  Coulda shoulda gone to happy hour instead.  But sure enough, I would have gotten a text, or Katie or Sherry would have asked me where I was so it's just easier to show up.  But I could have made up a really good excuse.  THAT was the warm up?  It felt more like a workout.

Exercise Demo

REALLY?  Are you serious?  Do you stay up all night long thinking about ways to torture us?  Or do you just come up with new exercises in your dreams?  I don't think my body moves that way.  

Round 1

BURPEES!?  Again?  I HATE Burpees.  I shouldn't have had that second cup of coffee or second soft drink.  Do they hate themselves as much as they hate us?  Okay, just do it.  But don't push too hard on the first round or you will die.  How many seconds is this 30 seconds?  I thought I heard the beeper.  Why is everyone else still moving?  Did they forget to start the stupid thing?

Round 2

Okay, I survived round 1 and my pectoral muscles aren't actually going to snap in two when I do a push up, and contrary to what I was thinking when I couldn't sit down on the toilet I can sort of do a squat.  Maybe, just maybe I can do this.  

Round 3

Bring it on!  I think I really can do this now.  I am glad I skipped happy hour.  All those poor fools are still lying in bed when they could be working up a sweat and getting a great start to their morning.  I can reward myself after this!  No wait, this IS the reward.

Round 4

Spoke too soon.  Why does Sherry keep yelling at me?  I AM working as hard as I can.  Just SHUT up!  Katie is speaking Swahili and I can't understand what she is saying which I am sure is a good thing.  Why did I have that burrito for lunch?  It should be halfway digested by now instead of in my throat.  Seriously, my lungs are on fire, my legs are on fire, and I am going to do a face plant on my next push up.  I must be hallucinating.  I am seeing Sherry and Katie flying around on brooms.  On second thought, I am sure that is probably how they get around.  

Round 5

WHO says exercise is good for you?  What round is this?  It must be seven, right?  Uh oh, that burrito is not in my throat.  DON'T poop your pants!  Maybe I should just go to the bathroom and no one will notice if I don't come back into the room.  Or maybe no one would notice if I just slipped out the side door.  DON'T poop your pants.  Happy hour or sleep would have been WAY better than this.  What was I thinking?!  Why do I do this?  DON'T pants your poop.

Round 6

When will it be over?  Everything hurts.  My teeth hurt. Turn up the music!  Did I just pick up someone else's dumbbells?  I took my eyes off Katie for a split second and she must have traded my dumbbells for heavier ones.  Wait, I think I have actually just gone beyond pain and entered a level of numbness.  Is that good or bad?  I can't stand this song!  Who picked this song?  Who can work out to this?  

Round 7

ROUND 7!  I AM going to make it!  Second wind!  I can do it!  Sweat is fat crying!  BYE BYE!  If it doesn't challenge you it doesn't change you.  I think I have done 742 push ups.  I can do just a few more!  Just one more round after this.  

Round 8

Finish line in sight.  Come on, just one more set of burpees.  You can do anything for 30 seconds!  Come on triceps, you can relax after this round.  I'm on fire now.  Strong to the end.  

Done!

I ROCK!  That was amazing.  Thanks for the push to do heavier weights, Katie!  Thanks for the awesome workout, Sherry!  I didn't feel like coming but I am glad I did.  Now I can go home and feel good about starting, or ending, my day well.  

We know that exercise can be a love/hate relationship.  We live it every day.  You make us laugh and smile with your comments.  So keep them coming.  But most of all you make us proud by pushing yourselves to achieve things you once didn't think were possible.  

Bio of a Metabolic Warrior: Heidi

When we moved to Sedona I asked our neighbor for a recommendation for a dentist and what I couldn't have known at that time was that I would be assigned to the perfect dental hygienist for me.  As most of you Warriors know, I LOVE to talk fitness and Heidi is one of the few people I know who LOVES to ask questions about fitness.  At first I wasn't sure why she was asking so many questions but it quickly became apparent that Heidi loves to challenge herself with fitness.  She runs and hikes and best of all, she is a girl who is not afraid of weight training!  And if you have seen her push those heavy dumbbells overhead you might be afraid of her, until she puts them down and smiles at you and starts asking you questions or complimenting you and you are immediately at ease with her.  She has a subtle little way of taking any attention off herself and being encouraging and supportive of her fellow Warriors.  So she may blush a little bit but just for this one week she is going to have to endure being highlighted as one of our amazing Warriors.

Heidi enjoying one of her many activities

Heidi's family shares her love of fitness and being active.  

Here they are out for a run on the Mystic River.

Date of Interview:  10/20/14

Name: Heidi Lawler

1. Current/Past Career/Vocation?   Dental Hygienist

2. Age?  56

3. History of activity/fitness?   Water skiing, weight lifting, kettle bell training, hiking, running (two half marathons), and participating in, and coaching many sports

4. What prompted you to start Metabolic?  Sherry has been a patient of mine for many years, and I have always been in awe of her accomplishments and dedication to fitness.  I told her that I would try her class the day after I cleaned her teeth in April 2013 and was instantly hooked. 

5. How long working with Smart Fitness/Metabolic?   1½ years

6. What expected benefits have you gained from Metabolic?   Better overall fitness level

7. What unexpected benefits have you gained from Metabolic?  My body feels more toned.

I wasn’t sure that evening exercise would work for me because I am a morning person, but it does, and I feel even more energetic!   Years ago, I was told that you couldn’t build muscle after age 40.   I don’t believe a bit of that anymore!  My squats, lunges, and push-ups are much deeper and stronger than they were before!

8. What keeps you going or inspires you with Metabolic/Smart Fitness?   Consistency is what works for me. When I can’t make it to class, you don’t want to be around.  Endorphin addiction is possibly happening, but pushing my personal limits feels great!   The instructors and fellow warriors are inspiring!

9. What hurdles have you had to overcome to succeed in consistently attending Metabolic? (emotional, physical, mental)   I’m emotionally distraught when I don’t make it to metabolic.   A knee injury from running made a few exercises uncomfortable, but with the help of Katie and Sherry, I was able to work through it.   Feeling like I can do something to improve my fitness level helps my mental well being.

10. How do you successfully manage to make fitness a priority 2x’s a week or more?

Keeping on schedule at work and having my clothes and weights prepared to go in the morning is critical to getting to metabolic class on time.

11. How has working with Smart Fitness impacted your life, point of view, changed your outlook on fitness?   It is the most important part of my day.  In my profession, neck and back issues are common.  Working all the muscle groups that we incorporate in metabolic seems to help balance the ones that I overuse in Dental Hygiene.  Katie and Sherry make class fun and challenging and I look forward to attending.

12. What message do you want to share with the reader as a take away from your story?

My husband and I live near Red Rock High School in West Sedona.  He is an avid golfer and dreams of building a new home in the Village of Oak Creek.  I have been hesitant, and do not want to until I retire.  When mentioning how wonderful my class, instructors, and fellow warriors are, he is anticipating an earlier decision!

Pretty in Pink

The ten Warriors who braved the cold and the dark this morning to start their day off with a metabolic workout were rewarded with a bright start to their morning.  Jerry once again showed that he is secure with his manhood by sporting not only his pink shoes, but his new pink shorts and shirt. Those of you who know Jerry, know that he LOVES his blue shorts and shirt so much that we are afraid they are going to literally fall off his body someday.  We know we can take partial credit for his trimmer waistline but clothes can only withstand a finite number of washings before they simply disintegrate.  Thank you for starting our day with a smile.

Sabrina and Jeanne are pretty in pink...  you too Jerry!

Our favorite cheerleader!

Survey Reveals Top Fitness Trends for 2015

If you have been holding your breath to find out what the upcoming top trends in fitness are...hold no more, they are here! According to a big survey done by the American College of Sports Medicine, word for word, the top ten of twenty are....

1. Body Weight Training: Body weight training uses minimal equipment making it more affordable. Not limited to just push-ups and pull-ups, this trend allows people to get “back to the basics” with fitness.

2. High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT): HIIT involves short bursts of activity followed by a short period of rest or recovery. These exercise programs are usually performed in less than 30 minutes.

3.  Educated and Experienced Fitness Professionals. Given the large number of organizations offering health and fitness certifications, it’s important that consumers choose professionals certified through programs that are accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA), such as those offered by ACSM. ACSM is one of the largest and most prestigious fitness-certification organizations in the world.

4. Strength Training. Strength training remains a central emphasis for many health clubs. Incorporating strength training is an essential part of a complete exercise program for all physical activity levels and genders. (The other essential components are aerobic exercise and flexibility.)

5. Personal Training. More and more students are majoring in kinesiology, which indicates that they are preparing themselves for careers in allied health fields such as personal training. Education, training and proper credentialing for personal trainers have become increasingly important to the health and fitness facilities that employ them.

6. Exercise and Weight Loss. In addition to nutrition, exercise is a key component of a proper weight loss program. Health and fitness professionals who provide weight loss programs are increasingly incorporating regular exercise and caloric restriction for better weight control in their clients.

7. Yoga. Based on ancient tradition, yoga utilizes a series of specific bodily postures practiced for health and relaxation. This includes Power Yoga, Yogalates, Bikram, Ashtanga, Vinyasa, Kripalu, Anurara, Kundalini, Sivananda and others.

8. Fitness Programs for Older Adults. As the baby boom generation ages into retirement, some of these people have more discretionary money than their younger counterparts. Therefore, many health and fitness professionals are taking the time to create age-appropriate fitness programs to keep older adults healthy and active.

9. Functional Fitness. This is a trend toward using strength training to improve balance and ease of daily living. Functional fitness and special fitness programs for older adults are closely related.

10. Group Personal Training. In challenging economic times, many personal trainers are offering more group training options. Training two or three people at a time makes economic sense for the trainer and the clients.

 The above article also notes that over previous years Body Weight Training has moved up the list to number one this year. HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) is also high on the list. The market is flooded with Trainers vying for their piece of the pie while the trend is hot as you may have noted in the growing number of infomercials. Only passing years will determine if these really are passing fads or permanent features in fitness.  How about Zumba? Most people have participated in the dance exercises class but Zumba didn't make the Top 20 list last year or this year, so it may be time to acknowledge that while Zumba continues to show up on many fitness clubs schedules it is not the craze it once was. Also in the bye bye pile is Pilates, Indoor Cycling, Stability Ball Training and Balance Training, Mixed Martial Arts Training, On-line Training, Unsupervised Fitness Facilities, water workouts and a few more. Not to say that these programs are not still being used and having success, just that the participation in them has declined while the popularity of the top 10 has stayed strong.

What does this mean for you? If you are one of our Metabolic Warriors it means that you have had available to you 9 of the top 10 Fitness Trends for the past 3 years! And most of you have utilized, and benefited from, the Trainings we offer.  So  throw your hands in the air as we do jump squats and let out a warrior yell for another year of Fitness Success!!! 

-Thank you from Your Personal Trainers

The weight of the world

"I’m on three diets. ..Well, you don’t get enough to eat on just one, do you?"   ~ Unknown

The only way to keep your health is to eat what you don't want, drink what you don't like, and do what you'd rather not. ~ Mark Twain.

If you have been one of our Warriors for any length of time you know that we HATE the word DIET.  We dislike the term so much because rather than using the word as it is most commonly defined in dictionaries which is "food and drink regularly provided and consumed", most people use the word to describe a low calorie, food restricted regimen of eating.  Never mind that as an active individual you need to fuel your body for exercise, every person needs adequate fuel just to breathe and think!

When we ask clients what their goals are when they begin an exercise program, the most frequent responses are to lose weight and/or lose the gut.  Exercise definitely plays a role in weight loss but it is not a one-stop shop.  We would rather have someone tell us they want to be able to do a full body push up.  We can get them there!  Or how about bench press their body weight?  We can get them there!  Or maybe run their first 10k race.  Yep!  We can do that too.  But lose 20 pounds or the belly fat?  Ugh!  Why is it that losing weight is so hard?

Years ago my answer to the weight loss puzzle would have been simple.  Eat less and workout more.  It's all about calories in versus calories out.  Years of research and experience have taught me otherwise.  It is one part of the puzzle but we now know that there are many other pieces that need to fall into place to form the whole weight loss picture.  And after all these years the only thing I am absolutely sure of is that each person's key to achieving their ideal weight is as unique as their fingerprint.  We now know that in addition to how much a person exercises and how much they eat, their hormones, sleep patterns, stress levels, the kinds of food they eat, gut bacteria, and possibly even genetics play a large role in their ability to lose weight.

Further reinforcing the fact that everyone is unique, we have seen participants begin metabolic training and the body fat has melted away right before our eyes.  At the opposite end of the spectrum we have seen participants struggle with losing weight after being with the training for a year or more.  So what gives?  All of the above.  In order to lose weight, and maintain that weight loss, each person has to figure out their own unique map to getting there.  And we know that road can be filled with a lot of wrong turns and dead ends that lead to feelings of frustration.  And another frustrating fact, no matter how hard we work we are not all predisposed to being 5' 8" tall and weighing 125 pounds.  Or, for our male Warriors, 5"10" and 170 pounds of solid muscle.  Many times those ideals or goals that we strive for simply are not attainable for us.

So what is the point of this posting?  If your primary goal with exercise has been weight loss, we want you to look beyond that goal and see all the positive things you are doing for your health that carry much more weight, ahem, than weight loss.

By participating in a program that includes resistance training you have changed your body composition.  So perhaps you have not seen the weight loss you were hoping for, but we guarantee you that you have changed your body composition, trading many pounds of body fat for muscle.  That is why those shorts that fit you fine when you started training are now falling down.  And that extra lean tissue, or muscle, will serve you well.  You are at less risk for osteoporosis, and you have a stronger body that is more resistant to injury.  Strength training has also been shown to help normalize blood sugar levels.  Your cardiovascular system is stronger and you have reduced your risk of heart disease and stroke.  Many doctors and fitness specialists now recognize that declines that were once attributed to aging are actually the result of inactivity.  If you keep up your fitness program, the declines you see will be slow and gradual.  If you stop, the declines are rapid and lead to escalating health problems.

So if one of your goals is to lose some weight, we are not telling you to give up on it.  Just know that it comes down to more than calories in versus calories out and that you are an experiment of one.  You will need to look at factors beyond food and exercise.  And if you have the dirty diet word floating around in your head, replace it with the idea of making healthy food choices that fuel your activity. Also know that what has worked for your friend may not work for you, and a low calorie or fad diet is nothing more than a short term solution because as soon as you stop it the weight will come back on.  Long term success with weight loss or any other change requires permanent change that can be maintained for a lifetime.

So although sometimes it seems that we have the weight of the world on our shoulders, and our butts, or thighs, or guts, step back and look at how far you have come instead of comparing yourself to that unrealistic ideal.  One of our Warriors (name to be withheld) has had weight loss as one of their goals.  And this Warrior has lost weight, but has realized greater results in other areas such as body composition change, and more muscle definition and strength.  On a recent vacation this Warrior left this little bubble that we exist in here in Sedona and ventured out into the real world.  This Warrior's reality check was something like, "WOW!  I feel pretty awesome when I see how I actually compare to my peers!".  Use the progress you have made as motivation to maintain a healthy lifestyle and keep chipping away at those other goals, be it weight loss or something else.

“If diets actually worked, we wouldn’t have to go on so many of them.”   ~ Alexis Conason

A solution that works in the short term, but not in the long term, is not a solution at all.  ~  Dr. Jade Teta

Bio of a Metabolic Warrior: Merenna

Montana Merenna is my first memory of Merenna!  Back in 2001 my husband and I moved into the same neighborhood as Merenna and her husband and quickly got acquainted. They were some of the first people we met here and they made a lasting impression because we found out that they were from the same tiny town in Montana that we were from!!! So that immediately made them special in our eyes.  But beside that, Merenna is easily recognizable with her beautiful smile, trade mark blonde hair, quick wit and glow of health. This vibrant woman in no way personifies or resembles her age. She exudes youthfulness from the inside to the outside. Read on to learn more.

Date of Interview: 10-16-2014

What is your age? 72...there, now you know:)

What is or was your career? Owner of Rader & Morrow Health Concepts, a nutrition business we have had since 1967. Owner of Marigolds here in the Village and various real estate ventures which keep accumulating.

What is your history of activity/fitness? Exercise has always been very important to me and my family. At a very young age I started in dance and because of that, exercise has always been a part of my life. When our boys were young, we always inspired them to be active in sports. We played tennis. I was on a softball team with several New York Yankee wives (that was fun) when we lived on the East Coast. We are original members of the Hilton Spa, long before it was ever called that. Because of my interest in nutrition and exercise, Smart Fitness was a natural progression.

What prompted you to start Metabolic Training? At the time Sherry and Katie started this training I was bored with my training schedule. I would see them come to the spa and do their training in the exercise room each week. I thought to myself that it looked like something I would like to participate in. When I found out the classes were 30 minutes long my interest was really peaked and after my first week or two in their training, I was hooked!

How long have you been working with SMART Fitness/Metabolic? Three years in January.

What expected benefits have you gained from Metabolic? I wanted to be physically stronger when I joined Metabolic. Hiking mountain trails with my sons at 5-8,000 feet plus is not an easy thing to do for someone who is not in top physical condition.  They give me no slack and don't wait for me to take a rest. I wanted to be able to keep up with them on the family outings-I can do that now. They love being able to give me the 'high five'!

What unexpected benefits have you gained from Metabolic? The greatest benefit I have received from the class other than the obvious of being more physically fit is the positive reinforcement I get from my family. They are so happy that I continue with the classes and love being able to come to class with me they are in town. SMART Fitness has actually gotten our son, Tim, to enroll in classes in Scottsdale and it has gotten our daughter-in-law, Pauli, to aspire to greater training. She now does a similar class at 5:30 a.m., goes to work and cares for our two little grandsons. I am impressed.

What keeps you going or inspires you with Metabolic/SMART Fitness?  I am always inspired to come to class-I really love to see if I can personally meet the weekly challenge; I love to see my fitness friends each week. I think we inspire each other to do better. I like that. Everyone is positive and happy, I like to be with happy people.

What hurdles have you had to overcome to succeed in consistently attending Metabolic? I pretty much knew I was going to consistently attend SMART Fitness trainings after the first few classes. I knew I had aches and pains when I left but I could also feel the benefits of the class. I was bored with my trainings at the Spa and knew I needed to do more. Sherry and Katie push me to my limits, I like that. That is something I find hard to do for myself. Coming to class for me is challenging but fun; I find it a bigger hurdle for me to get over mentally when I have to miss a class.

How do you successfully manage to make fitness a priority two times a week or more? Fitness has always been a part of my life; it is something I schedule into my day, just like having lunch. It is good for me and I simply make it part of the day. It is that important. I find that Metabolic Training with SMART Fitness fits into my schedule easily. I love the 30 minute time frame it takes to optimize my needed fitness program into my schedule. My boys consistently remind me, "Mom, use it or lose it! It is up to you!"

How has working with SMART Fitness impacted your life, point of view, changed your outlook on fitness? SMART Fitness has had such a positive impact on my life. I feel stronger, I am stronger! I don't feel challenged when my boys say "lets go for a hike, Mom" I know I can pretty much keep up with them now! That makes me smile.

What message do you want the reader to take away from your story? You are as old you mind tells you. If you keep a positive attitude about life, "I can do it attitude" and never give up, you will reap great rewards. SMART Fitness is a wonderful tool to keep you motivated and on track with your fitness goals no matter what your age may be. It is all about the mind and spirit. I hope to continue with SMART Fitness for many years to come. I may eventually have to do less but I will never give up. I will continue with SMART Fitness as long as I can.

Thank you Merenna for your inspiring story. Keep on conquering those Colorado Mountains with your boys and pumping out full body push ups like a GI!

Arizona Fit Kids 5k 2014

Once again we had some of our Warriors participating in the annual Fit Kids 5k in Cottonwood.  This is a great event that encourages kids and families to get out and do something active and fun together.  As the emcee looked around at the crowd gathering before the race he noted that "he didn't see any adults present".  Thank you, from us "older kids".

Stacey had her game face on and was ready to run!

This was Kate's first Fit Kids 5k and she said she ran "way faster" than running by herself.  

I challenged Calvin to show me his "fast feet" to the finish line and the race was on!

I verified the research that says that as you get "older" you can't transport quite as much oxygen to those working muscles.  But if you keep pushing your limits, it's not that much less :-)

TEN MILLION STEPS & STILL COUNTING (or how I learned to love my pedometer)

Since Janelle bounces between the morning and evening Metabolic Trainings based on her schedule, you all know her.  In case you have a hard time remembering names, Janelle is the woman you may have seen walking all over the Village at all times of day.  Janelle is the woman who runs around like the energizer bunny during cardio intervals in our trainings so that her pedometer will record her steps.  But most of all Janelle is the Warrior who makes us smile because one year ago she set out to achieve a monumental goal and not only did she succeed, but she transformed herself along the way.  Here is Janelle's story in her own words.

My pedometer and I met on 11/4/13. We started out slowly building our relationship for the first few months and then guess what? It gave me 1 Million Steps and a great badge to prove it. I was hooked. I wanted that 10 Million Step badge in the worst way. Together we figured out a plan to achieve that goal before one year - 1 Million steps a months should do it.
By July, we decided we needed to build a buffer of 200K steps in order to balance out the September out of town trip where 30K+ steps per day just could not happen, especially on the 3 days of airline flights. By September, we designed an Excel spreadsheet and were now tracking daily steps to ensure success (anal...most definitely). We prefer the words like commitment and dedication.

Still in good shape and ahead of schedule in October, we could smell that badge or maybe it was something else! We had blisters, calluses and quad burn as constant companions. Spent lots of moolah on Epsom Salts & bubble bath. Not to mention how many shoes we were wearing out.

While money might have been the initial motivator ($100 per quarter when minimums are met - and I've got them all), the 18 lbs that are lying out there on the streets of VOC somewhere was a benefit as well.

So just how did we accomplish this? 15K steps in the am (sometimes as early as 4 am - your headlamp is your friend, even if you only hold it in your hand); 3K steps taking the back way to Weber's for more supplies; 5K steps to/from work each day; 10K more after work. Double that on my days off. Kinda crazy, huh? And I still had time for Metabolic / TRX classes!

To end this tirade, let me just say that 10M was achieved on 11/1/14 with 3 days to spare. Two critical things kept me going on this journey, my workout buddy & friend, Lori and heavy carbo loading with my other friend, Mr. Tequila. Sherry asked me what the next goal was going to be but we were too overwhelmed to think about that. So from 11/1 to 11/7 we crashed, floundering & barely making 15K steps per day. With the help of some crazy ladies in Jerome on 11/8 we have decided upon a new goal....the Brian Mickelsen 1/2 marathon in April. Kinda crazy, but it just might be what's next for me and my pedometer. I'm still working on Lori.

Bio of a Metabolic Warrior: Jackie

Anyone who has been a Warrior for even a short amount of time probably knows Jackie, and knows that Jackie is all about extra credit or bonus points.  I have "known" Jackie since I moved to Sedona in 2005.  Looking back I have to concede that I would have given her many bonus points for her fitness, even prior to becoming a Metabolic Warrior.  I first came to know Jackie through a local gym where she consistently showed up morning after morning, week after week, year after year.  Score some bonus points Jackie!  I am not sure how long it was before Jackie asked a few questions about some exercises she would see me doing in the gym.  She clearly was looking to try some new things and challenge herself.  Score some more bonus points Jackie!  Then Jackie got to witness Katie and I doing metabolic training in our own workouts for about a year before we formally offered it.  Jackie asked more questions and then eventually tried the training.  Score major bonus points Jackie!  We are still working on finding something that Jackie can cash in those bonus points for, but until then here is Jackie's story.

More bonus points for a great speed skater Jackie!

1. Career? Writer

2. Age? 52

3. History of activity/fitness?

As a kid I was always outside playing sports with the neighborhood boys. The only girl around played with her dolls and never went outside, but I played basketball, football, rode my bike, skateboard and motorbike. I was a tomboy. In high school I played all sports until I injured my knee. However, all my adult life I tried to stay active, going to the gym, windsurfing, biking, etc.

4. What prompted you to start Metabolic?

I had known Sherry and Katie from the gym – they are early birds like me and I saw them experimenting with the concept of metabolic at the gym. They’d get on the elliptical machine for just a few minutes, going real fast and hard, then do some dumbbell exercises, go back to cardio, etc. When they started the class I figured it would be a good way to challenge myself.

5. How long working with Smart Fitness/Metabolic?

I honestly don’t remember, but a couple of years I would guess.

6. What expected benefits have you gained from Metabolic?

I’m not sure it was expected, but I’m a lot stronger, I can see muscle definition in my arms and I’ve lost weight.

7. What unexpected benefits have you gained from Metabolic?

I can now do a push up….grudgingly.  Actually, I’m not sure that is a benefit…

8. What keeps you going or inspires you with Metabolic/Smart Fitness?

What I enjoy the most are the participants. I had done some fitness classes when I was California, but the people were so competitive with one another that it wasn’t that much fun. It was very intense and I swear, no one smiled. Here, it is a joy, there is a lot of joking and a great camaraderie with everyone. It isn’t so serious that you can’t laugh, but it is still a very tough and challenging workout.

9. What hurdles have you had to overcome to succeed in consistently attending Metabolic? (emotional, physical, mental)

For years I’ve had a serious problem with low blood sugar and the first time I went to the class, it was early in the morning and I had eaten a half a banana before class. And I really suffered. It was scary with my blood sugar dropping way too much and I thought perhaps it just wasn’t for me. Then I attended the afternoon session and I was fine, so that gave the encouragement that I could participate. 

I also consistently attend since I know that if I miss a class, Sherry will make me make up for it with more push ups. That keeps me on the straight and narrow. J

10. How do you successfully manage to make fitness a priority 2x’s a week or more?

Since I thoroughly enjoy it, I make a priority. Actually, it’s such a priority now that my family and friends all know not to ask me to do something social on Monday or Wednesday nights, and they know that if that is the only time to get together, that I’m going to be late meeting up with them.

11. How has working with Smart Fitness impacted your life, point of view, changed your outlook on fitness?

UGH. Let me think….The dogs suffer on Monday and Wednesday summer nights when they want to go for a long walk at dusk and I tell them it has to be a short walk. I just want to chill. So it has adversely impacted them, but the trade off is that I’m more fit. I guess another benefit is that they’ve come to realize that they don’t get everything they want.

12. What message do you want to share with the reader as a take away from your story?

I’ve tried to get friends to join, or at least try it, but they tend to think the group is super fit and they wouldn’t fit in. So I would say to anyone that is reluctant to join because they think it might be too hard, that everyone goes at their own pace and there is no pressure from the trainers. I mean they definitely push us and that’s for our good and we are challenged every week, but there is no condemnation if we don’t quite keep up or we need an alternate exercise so we don’t adversely impact a tender joint. I think that’s what helps make it so enjoyable.

A Thank you Letter...

Hello Metabolic Warriors and all others who find themselves at this blog. Remember the magnetic alphabet letters? Perhaps they are a long forgotten memory of childhood and a time of innocence. Personally, I don't remember these as being on our fridge.  Maybe that is because when I was a kid we had to keep our food in the creek to keep it cold...kidding. My friends had the beautiful chaotic jumble of letters on their fridges that I so admired. It was kind of fun to spell out a message or word for the next person that came along.  Bright, eye-catching and magnetic, so cool! Why on earth am I blogging about magnetic letters on a fitness blog? Your Fitness Trainers are leaving you a message...

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October 2014 marks three years of Metabolic Small Group Fitness for the two of us. We have an amazing core group of people who have been with us for a year, two years and three years. Each and every person is special to us. We recently spent a little time with our 3-year Warriors. Do you want to know what the secret to their success is? They learned about Metabolic a little sooner! That is right, there is no big secret. They are average Joes and Janes spanning age decades of the 30s, 40s and 50s, dealing with the same life challenges and life changes that you are. The cool thing we notice with all of our 1-3 year Warriors? They have figuratively been tried by fire, stood the test of time and they keep putting one foot in front of the other. They realize that fitness has to be a planned priority. They realized that to be the best person they can be for their families and all the endeavors they enjoy they have to first take care of themselves. They realized that it is less expensive to take care of their body and mind now than to pay huge medical bills later for neglected health habits. They realized that their quality of daily outlook, function, and energy come from taking care of their bodies. They realized that this is how you age gracefully. This isn't a program for those who only want to lose a few pounds or those who want to buy back a 20 year old body, or want a quick fix to poor eating and sedentary choices. Choosing to be a fitter person is hard work.  It is a mindset that is developed over time and through the experience of successes. Confidence is built and stronger determination ensues. The coolest thing about this program is that it has attracted people of all ages, teens to 80s, all backgrounds of life, all shapes and sizes, both genders, all fitness abilities, and a wide range of personalities.  And they all come, year after year, all looking nondescript as to what their life journey has been to share the moment...are you ready? Lets start with a warm-up....Thank you, again!  All of you have made it possible for us to make our passion for helping people through fitness a dream come true. Each day you come to any of our trainings, even if you manage to sneak in and back out without a word from us, just know we saw you and you made us smile. See you at Metabolic, TRX, Warrior Challenge and Warrior RIP!

Sit or Squat?

Now that we have your attention with some bathroom humor, this blog isn't really about toilet habits or preferences.  Although, we have been accused of interfering with our Warriors' ability to painlessly visit the bathroom.

Love 'em or hate 'em, you have come to know that squats are one of our favorite exercises.  Why do we love the squat, and endless variations thereof, so much?  Because it is one of the single best exercises you can do!

World renowned physical therapist, Phil Wharton, states that "we were designed to squat for rest".  He notes that while working in Japan and Kenya he observed many people at rest by squatting.  In his back book he states that "We sit to rest, but sitting can tire our backs even more, compressing vertebrae, fatiguing muscles, and straining connective tissues."  On the other hand, he states, "Squatting relaxes your posture and elongates your spine like little else".  

In addition to relaxing our backs and promoting spinal health, squatting has many additional benefits including:

• Muscle growth.  Squatting employs the muscles in the thighs which are some of the largest in the body.  When muscles are worked they release testosterone that acts not only on those muscles, but promotes whole-body development.
• Balance.  Doing squats also "strengthens", or improves functioning of the nervous system which can improve our balance.
• Joint Support.  Strength training not only improves muscular strength, but it also strengthens bone and connective tissue.  These gains help to support the joints.
• Core Strength. Squats are actually a great core strengthening exercise.  The muscles in our abdomen and back must engage as we squat.  The added benefit is that a stronger midsection improves our posture, balance, and reduces our risk of injury.

So we can squat to rest, squat to stretch, squat to strengthen, and believe it or not there is a study to support that we might reduce our risk of developing Crohn's disease, colon cancer, and hemorrhoids if we were to squat for other, er... activities.  

Grand Canyon Rim to Rim

October seems to be our month for big adventures.  Last year it was our Flagstaff to Sedona run and this year we tackled the Rim to Rim.  Sherry had completed one prior rim to rim 6 years ago in blazing hot temperatures which meant side trips off the main trail were not going to happen and Katie knew this might be a one-time bucket list adventure so our primary goal with the hike was to enjoy the beauty of the Canyon and see everything we could possibly cram into a one day crossing.  

So none of our girl adventures would be complete without at least one "Katieism", and Katie did not disappoint.  We started our trip by driving to the south rim and then taking the shuttle to the north rim.  We had to search for a parking spot and finally found one some distance from the shuttle pick-up point.  I told Katie to write down where we parked and leave it in the truck to which she replied "okay".  Hmmm.  So she carefully writes it down, tears if off and starts to place it on the seat of the truck when she finally figured out that wasn't going to do us much good.  So, off to a normal start :-)

Who wouldn't love that face?!

Meet Katie!  And the two became fast friends.  We looked all around and only saw "No smoking" signs until we walked further down and saw a "Do not pet the mules" sign.  

It is so easy to smile and look clean and fresh when the adventure is still awaiting you.  

We estimated that the effort ahead of us was going to be worth at least two cheat days, maybe three.  So we decided to get a head start and indulge in some pre-hike fueling at the south rim.

Arrived at the North Rim just in time to run out to see the sunset and survey the challenge that we would be taking on in the morning.

Pictures never quite live up to what the naked eye takes in.  Truly amazing!

The day started with a 4:00 am alarm and after putting our big girl panties on we were ready to head out the door at 4:52 and face the Canyon.  Oh, funny story from the night before.  So we have finally checked in, gone to the deli to pick up sandwiches and M &Ms (remember, cheat day) to take to our room and by now it is completely dark and our hotel room is as far away from the main lodge as possible.  We are moving as fast as we can in the dark with our packs and dinner and directions when a man approaches us from the opposite direction and asks if we are in room 429.  When we say yes, he says it is going to be a bit uncomfortable with the 3 of us in one bed.  Sure is!  Seems the hotel overbooked the room and called him to tell him two ladies would be showing up at his door.  That is not the kind of hotel we thought we were booking.  Anyways, got it all straightened out after another "warm-up" hike in the dark.

Into the darkness and Canyon we go!

Just like a little sister, we weren't 30 minutes into the hike before Katie asked, "Where's the first bathroom?"  Um...  "we are in the wilderness so anywhere is fine" didn't cut it for her.  As you can see, she is aglow with happiness after making our first pit stop.

Through Supai tunnel...

... and into growing daylight.

First of many bridges.  Guess who got to test it first?

So many picture perfect places to stop, and we couldn't bypass this one.

Many of you know that Katie is the queen of dry heaving, but apparently not all bathrooms are equally maintained and this one was bad enough to make even me want to lose my just ingested, apple and power bar breakfast. 

As soon as the trail leveled off enough that we didn't think we would do a fatal header over the edge we decided to go for a run.  Our packs were a little heavy for trail running but we are always up for a challenge!

When we got to the trail turnoff leading to Ribbon Falls we heard people debating whether or not they should take the detour.  One woman remarked that you could see it from the trail so why bother.  She missed the most spectacular sight on the entire rim to rim trek.  As usual the picture just doesn't show the true beauty of the falls.  The domed rock appeared to be mostly hollow and the moss that looks primarily brown in the photo was a shimmering vibrant green.  

We could have spent an entire day here but we knew we had most of our hike ahead of us so we had to settle for a short layover.  

We took the shuttle driver's advice and took the "short cut" though the bushes and across the creek to get back to the North Kaibab trail.  As for crossing the creek, Katie tells me to go first.  So I am carefully using my hiking poles and trying to find stepping stones that aren't too slippery when I sense something else moving off to my side.  I look over and Katie is standing in the middle of the creek.  When I asked her what she was doing she said that seemed easier.  Thanks, Katie.  Once we were back on the main trail we were off and running once again.  For someone who whined for the first three years of her running life, Katie sure likes to run like the wind going downhill.  I needed a tailwind just to try to keep her in sight.  

We didn't ask questions but we did take pictures.

"Troubled person" on a bridge over muddy waters.  The river looked more like chocolate fondue.

Once you cross the river it is mostly uphill.  

Lots and lots and lots of sand.  

Always yield to the mules.  They left plenty of little care packages along the trail.

Yet another beautiful resting point.

Down the hills, over the rocks, through the sand and creeks, and up the canyon we go.  Both the shoes and the tender feet on the inside took quite a beating.  

What seems like 3 days ago instead of just the wee dark hours of the morning, somewhere on the other side of that canyon, we descended into the darkness and the depths of the canyon to finally emerge on the other side with sore feet and stomachs that are rebelling at the idea of anymore electrolytes or energy bars.

Still able to force a smile in spite of the effort and fatigue.

Thinking of a rim to rim hike?  October is the month to go as there is a generous amount of shade compared to my previous crossing in May when the sun was higher and the temps at Phantom Ranch reached 111 degrees.

Just like the "Don't pet the mules" sign, we didn't see the "Don't attempt to hike to the river and back in one day" sign until we were almost to the top at the south rim.  

Success!  27.5 miles (but who's counting?)

A night's rest (not so good when every centimeter of your body aches when you move and the sheets hurt your toes) does wonders for your outlook.  Another funny hotel story.  So we are WAY TOO TIRED to go out to eat but we NEED FOOD.  Katie tells me to go ahead and shower and she will call to get a pizza delivered.  First problem: I come out of the shower in my pajamas ready to sit in bed and eat pizza and Katie tells me they don't deliver so I am going to have to go get the pizza.  I put some extra clothes on over my pajamas and go get the pizza.  Second problem: As I drive up to the hotel I see Katie walking down the sidewalk in her pajamas to go get ice.  I get out of the truck and she says, "You will never guess what just happened!".  Of course I guessed.  The hotel overbooked our room and someone came to the door trying to get in while I was gone.  So we go back to our room with the pizza and ice and you will never guess what happened.  Neither of our keys would work!.  So I go to the front desk to get our keys re-keyed.  Simon is not very helpful and is hung up on wanting to know who checked me into the room.  I don't often lose my temper but poor Simon got to hear my rant that "I am exhausted from hiking all day, my friend is standing out in the cold in her pajamas, our pizza is getting cold, I don't know who checked me in but this mess is your fault so just GIVE ME MY KEY!!!!!"

This one's for you Jackie!  Told you we had plenty of time to think of new exercises on the hike.  Tree push ups coming your way sometime soon!

Video of beautiful and peaceful Ribbon Falls

Was it hard?  Yes.  Was it worth it?  Yes!  A rim to rim hike in one day is not recommended as it is at least a 21 mile hike if you take the South Kaibab Trail as opposed to the Bright Angel Trail.  It is a steep and strenuous climb out of the canyon and it comes at the end of the hike as opposed to the beginning.  But there are many ways to enjoy the inner beauty of the Canyon with shorter day hikes or by camping overnight.  Viewing the Canyon from the rim is certainly "grand", but there is so much more to see if you are willing to put your hiking shoes on and exert some effort.  I can hardly wait to see what next October's adventure will be.  Seriously.  I think.