SMART and Trendy too?

Our goal has always been to train SMART; maximizing benefits in a minimal amount of time.  To ensure that we are staying at the forefront of the fitness field, we are continually looking at fitness trends and research to determine whether or not we are offering you the best possible training for your time investment. 

We are often asked by participants, "What do you think about the _____ workout or diet?"  The truth is that many of the new workouts or diets that pop up are of the "here today, gone tomorrow" variety because they are simply fads that are not worth the time or money invested in them.  Even worse than being a waste of time and money, many of these can be considered dangerous.  When we do choose to offer a particular type of training, or decide to tweak a training, it is always based on knowing that the training is safe and that the research supports that it provides results. 





The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) is widely recognized for educating and certifying fitness professionals.  With their mission of "advancing and integrating scientific research to provide educational and practical applications of exercise science and sports medicine" they are probably the mostly commonly used resource for establishing exercise guidelines. 

So we were excited to see ACSM's list of the top ten predicted fitness trends for 2014 and discover that we are way ahead of the predicted trends.

The top ten fitness trends predicted for 2014 are:

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

If you are participating in our Warrior Challenges you have been doing HIIT, and our Metabolic Training goes a step beyond HIIT with rest based training which has actually been shown to provide even greater results.

2. Body Weight Training: Body weight training uses minimal equipment and allows people to get "back to the basics" with fitness.

If you have done a Rogue workout with us where we have used body weight only, you know very well that this can be even more challenging than when we use our dumbbells.

3. Educated and Experienced Fitness Professionals.

We have more combined years than we want to admit in the health and fitness field and we strive to pursue continuing education units in areas that will advance our knowledge.

4. Strength Training.  Incorporating strength training is an essential part of a complete physical activity program for all physical activity levels and genders.

Metabolic and TRX Training provide full-body strength workouts.

5. Exercise and Weight Loss. In addition to nutrition, exercise is a key component of a proper weight loss program. 

Metabolic Training is primarily a fat burning exercise program, but when combined with cardio exercise you can achieve significant weight loss as well. 

6. Personal Training.

We cannot emphasize enough that when you sign up for one of our fitness trainings, we become YOUR Personal Trainer. 

7. Fitness Programs for Older Adults. 

If you haven't already done so, take a look around you at your fellow Warriors.  There are no lower or upper age limits.   

8. Functional Fitness. This is a trend toward using strength training to improve balance and ease of daily living.

If you can squat and curl a dumbbell and then press it overhead, you can get out of your car with a bag of groceries. 

9. Group Personal Training. In challenging economic times, many personal trainers are offering more group training options. 

Our trainings are personalized group fitness.
  

10. Yoga. Based on ancient tradition, yoga utilizes a series of specific bodily postures practiced for health and relaxation.

Yo-what?  Okay, 9 out of 10 isn't bad.  And we are not going to say anything bad about yoga but we do believe there are other great ways to maintain flexibility and to relax. 

While being trendy is at the bottom of our list of priorities when putting together a training, it did make us smile when we saw the top ten list.  Maybe yoga should be replaced with wearing teal sweatsuits from Walmart since we can't possibly endorse going back to leg warmers and leotards.

Whenever Whatever

Funny story...my husband is on the hunt for truck parts for his 1960 F150 that he is restoring. You never know where you will end up....try Maricopa AZ. No, farther than that, another 15 miles into an isolated desert. All the homes that were still standing had 6 foot chain link fences around them and big dogs! What kind of place is this? We find our address but there is a gate to the driveway and the guy isn't answering his phone so I say 'hang this', jump out and open up the gates. Jake is no sooner through the gates and four huge dogs come barreling out of nowhere towards me! I totally don't have time to make it to the car so I quick shut the gates and wave Jake on. He is laughing and I am grateful to be alive! After 15 minutes the wheels start turning...I still have a 100 push-ups and squats to do and I have time right now! So look at the picture below and imagine a blond girl dressed in black planking down push-ups in the gravel. It wasn't too bad of a place after that:) Moral of the story?Make the best of your situation, don't be afraid to step outside of conventionalism to get those 1000 push ups and squats done! You might just inspire someone else! By the way I have strong evidence that some of you have been seen doing your 1000's on a cruise ship and others on kids playgrounds and others at the Hilton Spa! Keep up the hard work! See you soon!

1,2,3,4,5.....100...400...1000!

Believe me, the reward is not so great without the struggle.' -Wilma Rudolph

These words reached out and grabbed me as I watched a biographical movie about Wilma Rudolph.
She was the first American woman to win 3 gold medals at the 1960 Olympics in track and field events. What really made this story remarkable is that she was born premature (4.5lbs) and at age four struck with infantile paralysis due to the polio virus. For five years she wore a leg brace and at the age of nine had to wear restrictive shoes for another two years. By age 12 she had survived not only polio but also scarlet fever. Not sounding like much of a champion is she? Age 12 she began a basketball career and began to make a name for herself as an accomplished player. She was later spotted by a coach when she was in the 10th grade. He noted that she was a natural athlete. That was 1952. In 1956 she went to the Olymics with the women's American Relay Team and earned a bronze medal and in 1960 brought home the gold. So she could aptly pen the words above.  She was also quoted other times as making comments about not truly understanding the rewards unless you have understood what it is to lose. And sharing that we do not win by ourselves.


The take away is that we all have our personal struggles so why not make a choice to focus on always moving forward, always reaching to the next goal. Realize that strong determination comes from a  place deep inside of us so work to develop it. Lastly but most importantly, none of us get where we are by ourselves so be thankful to those that have helped you along the way.

So conquer the pushups and squats! Hoping that by now you have reached the halfway point!
Keep pushing!
-Your Personal Trainers

Wilma Rudolph wins the 100m at the 1960 summer Olympics. Look at that determination!

Want to live a longer healthier life?

Turn on the TV or radio, or log on to the Internet and we are bombarded with advertisements for products that promise to make us look and feel younger, and live longer, healthier lives.  In spite of all these claims, no one seems to have found the fountain of youth.  However, it turns out that some simple everyday choices or habits can have a strong influence on how long and well we live.

Are you a tea drinker?  Both green and black tea contain a concentrated dose of catechins, substances that help blood vessels relax and protect your heart.  As is true with most food and beverage choices, fresh is best.  Bottled or canned, ready-to-drink teas don't offer the same health benefits. Once water is added to tea leaves, their catechins degrade within a few days.  So brew your tea fresh and stick to lemon or honey with it as some studies indicate that adding milk may eliminate tea's protective effects on the cardiovascular system.

After you have that cup of tea in the morning, MOVE IT!  "Fit" people—defined as those who walk for about 30 minutes a day—live longer than those who walk less.  The Honolulu Heart Study, a study that followed 8000 men over a 12-year period, found that walking just two miles a day cut the risk of death almost in half. The walkers' risk of death was especially lower from cancer. Those who walked infrequently were about 2 1/2 times more likely to die of cancer than were the two-mile-a-day men.

When you get back from that walk, skip the soda, even if it's diet.  Scientists in Boston found that drinking one or more regular or diet colas every day doubles your risk of metabolic syndrome—a cluster of conditions, including high blood pressure, elevated insulin levels, and excess fat around the waist, that increase your chance of heart disease and diabetes.  The scientists speculate that it could be one of the additives in the soda that increases the risk of metabolic syndrome, or in agreement with other findings, it could be that by regularly exposing themselves to the natural or artificial sweeteners in the sodas, drinkers are conditioning themselves to prefer and crave sweeter foods, which may lead to weight gain and subsequent diseases.

Add some purple punch to your lunch, or any other meal or snack.  Concord grapes and blueberries get their color from polyphenols—compounds that reduce heart disease risk and may also protect against Alzheimer's disease.  Preliminary animal studies suggest that adding dark grapes to your diet may improve brain function.  "What's good for your coronary arteries is also good for your brain's blood vessels," says Robert Krikorian, PhD, director of the Cognitive Disorders Center at the University of Cincinnati.

Finish off your day with a Metabolic workout.  Lower-body strength translates into good balance, flexibility, and endurance. As you get older, those attributes are key to reducing your risk of falls and injuries—particularly hip fractures, which often quickly lead to declining health. Up to 20% of hip-fracture patients die within 1 year because of complications from the trauma. "Having weak thigh muscles is the number one predictor of frailty in old age," says Robert Butler, MD, president of the International Longevity Center—USA in New York City.

Finally, take all those endorphins you've produced from exercising and the extra energy you have from clean nutrition choices and focus it on a positive outlook on life.  People described as flourishers in a study in American Psychologist have a positive outlook on life, a sense of purpose and community, and are healthier than those who don't feel good about themselves.  "We should strive to flourish, to find meaning in our lives," says Corey Keyes, PhD, a professor of sociology at Emory University. "In Sardinia and Okinawa, where people live the longest, hard work is important, but not more so than spending time with family, nurturing spirituality, and doing for others."

Tucson Marathon Recap

We have often spoken of the benefit of having a running or workout buddy. It is harder to stay in bed and skip the workout when you know that you are going to have to answer to your workout partner and don't have an excuse that is going to stand up to the look you are going to get for being a no-show.

So for a year that began with no real running goals other than to stay consistent, it sure turned out to be full of running adventures thanks to my running buddy.  Just try saying no to Katie.  I am not so sure if she really is that persuasive or if she is just so full of words, that it is easier to give in than to object.  Anyways, our latest (and LAST) running adventure for the year was the Tucson marathon.  I told her that I am absolutely, positively, in recovery mode now so if she has any other great running ideas one of you Warriors is going to have to step up to the plate.
  



Need a line on porta potty rental in Oracle, Arizona? We've got you covered! Good pre-race planning involves driving the course beforehand so you know what to expect and can mentally prepare.  Driving to the starting line and seeing only two porta potties for 1000 runners with pre-race jitters is enough to change your mind about running so seeing lots of  these the day before the race put huge smiles on our faces.

The race began just outside of Oracle at an elevation of about 4800 feet.  There wasn't much of anything up there but cows and they didn't seem too interested in joining the run.  That's okay...  but if they aren't paying the race entry fee, they can't use the porta potties.

The recovery after the run from Flagstaff to Sedona seemed to be going really well until someone had the idea of running the Tucson Marathon and we did a couple more 20 milers.  Then the feet decided to talk back.  So I brought my Epsom salts and was all ready to soak my feet in the tub in the hotel room until I discovered there was no tub. 

I am not going to score any Metabolic Warrior bonus points for posting this picture but that's okay.  She posted a picture of me with my feet in the bathroom sink and we all know that you can't cash those bonus points in for anything but push ups anyways.  So I am not sure if that is her game face, or her "get out of my face" look.  Either way, I wouldn't mess with her.

Two cups of tea and an hour later make a world of difference.  Ready to take it on!

Remember we mentioned that the race started just outside of Oracle at about 4800 feet?  That means COLD and dark at 6:00 am when the buses drop you off.  The challenge is to stay warm when the temperature is in the 30s and the wind is gusting.  That is where "throw-away clothes" come in.  The idea is to wear something until right before the start of the race and then you take it off and throw it to the side of the road.  Most races donate the throw-aways to charities or homeless shelters. So we went to Walmart.com and bought us each a lovely teal pantsuit.  We were standing in line at the porta potties when another runner came up to us laughing and asked us if we got our sweats at Walmart.  She had a matching outfit in black.  We thought the teal was much more flattering!

Game on!  She ditched those teal togs and ran her heart out.  Once we got moving it was perfect running weather...  temps in the 40s and overcast.  Just a little wind and a few snowflakes and raindrops.  Tucson is a net downhill course, but don't let that fool you.  There are uphill sections and running many miles downhill shreds your quadriceps.

Marathon number 21 for me. Remember the foot soak?  I was having problems with plantar fasciitis for the last 3 weeks before the race and had been taping my feet.  I taped them again for the marathon and knew at about an hour in that I was in for some trouble.  I could tell my feet were blistering and by mile 18 I wanted to quit.  What kept me going?  Many things, but one was the inspiration that I get from seeing each of you Warriors push through challenges that may not be marathons but in their own way are just as significant. 

Success!  Katie's "pie-in-the-sky" goal was a sub 4:00 and she exceeded that with a 3:56!  Little did she know that puts her close to a BQ (Boston Qualifier).  Now I have been chastised for putting that carrot out in front of her.  She likes carrots :-)

My goal at age 52 was to come as close to matching my age-graded time as possible from when I was younger.  My 3:25 comes out to an age-graded 2:49 which is only a couple of minutes off my PR so I was more than satisfied with my run.  But it came with a big price tag...  if you are squeamish don't scroll down to the next picture...

Ouch!  Surprised that someone didn't call 911 at the hotel because I couldn't help screaming in the shower.  But it was worth it.  BUT NO MORE RUNNING ADVENTURES (til next year...  way later next year).