On-The-Go Meals and Good Choices

It is when I am on the run and out all day for work that I find myself making the worst possible food choices in the world.  So I have found it in my best interest to 'pre plan' my meals and pack for success.  If I don't, its bad-decision-ville and I always lose.  So here we go, better options for better results.

Breakfast (yes your mom wasn't lying, it's the most important meal of the day)

-1 cup Kashi GoLean
-1 banana
-1 apple
-20 oz water



or


-1 cup grapes
-1/2 whole wheat english muffin with 2 egg whites
-1/4 cup fresh mushrooms (or vegetable of your choice)
-20 oz water

Snacks (2-3 times per day or every 2.5 hours)

*one of these options counts as 1 snack

-Fruit (strawberries, apples, oranges, grapes, pineapple)
-Greek yogurt
-Fat free string cheese
-Raw almonds
-Protein shake/bar

Lunch/Dinner

-5 slices of deli turkey
-1 tbsp yellow or honey mustard
-Fresh lettuce
-1 whole wheat tortilla
-Steamed broccoli
-Chopped onions
-1 slice fat free american cheese
-Chopped tomato
-Chopped bell peppers (the more color the better)
-20 oz water



or


-1 skinless boneless grilled chicken breast
-Grilled asparagus, fresh broccoli or spinach, and corn
-Hand full of blueberries
-20 oz water

5 Mistakes To Avoid This Week

I feel like weekends are always terrible for me when it comes to staying healthy and making the right choices in my diet.  Parties, dates, lazyness, you name it, there's always an excuse for the weekends to throw off your good eating habits. So I just wanted to give you a little encouragement for the upcoming week to get better by helping you avoid 5 major mistakes you can make in your path to getting healthy and better.

1) Don't bring a negative attitude to your week on monday after a tough weekend. 

Monday is a new start.  Negative thoughts are one of the most destructive things you can bring into your life.  Make it a point to map out your week with positive goals and start bright and early monday morning in following through with those goals.  Even to run a marathon, you still have to take that first step.

2) Shop Sunday night for your upcoming week's food and make a list first.

If you wait to shop later during the week or when you are rushed and hungry you are more likely to make purchases you normally would not.  These include fatty foods and junk food because your body is craving things it shouldn't when you are shopping on an empty stomach. Making a list will allow to you rationally see what you need and want for the week.  Then when you shop you won't get sucked in by bad impulse choices.

3) SLOW DOWN your eating.

Eating too fast is one of the biggest reasons we over eat.  Whether you pound food or eat it as slow as possible, your brain will still let you enjoy the taste just the same.  Try chewing each bite at least 15 times rather than the average 4-6 times. This will allow you to get that 'full' feeling earlier while still getting the same enjoyment out of your well prepared food.  Also be sure to always "leave room on your plate" when stocking it up at the counter. House hold plates on average can hold two servings of food.  If you make a conscious decision to leave space on your plate you will not feel pressured to eat more because you will have less in front of you.  This plus slowing down your eating will make a tremendous impact in your diet lifestyle.

4) Write out each workout you will do. 

Everyone enters the gym on fire and ready to get their workout on, then about 15 minutes into it, that motivation is out the window and they are out of there with in the half hour.  Writing out your work out will have more benefits than you think.  The biggest one being that it will keep you accountable to getting it done.  If it's on paper you know exactly what you need to do and will not leave till you do.  Also it will let you get a wide range view of what you will actually be doing in your workout and you can make sure it is hitting all the areas you need it to. (i.e is it getting to your total body or are you leaving out key ingredients?)

5) Don't take more than 2 "off days".

Rest is good, period.  But if we are taking 3-4 "rest days" then we are allowing the principle of reversibility to come into our lives.  That is to say, 'if you don't use it you lose it.'  We need to make sure our bodies are active at least 6 days a week.  Just because you're not lifting physical weights but 3-4 days a week does not mean your body doesn't need other aspects of fitness as well.  This is where you can get in long sessions such as running, swimming, or biking.  Not only is a great recovery and work out, it will lead to better heart health and keeping your metabolism moving, aka burning more calories which is what EVERYONE wants.  So do your body a favor and give it what it needs.

Hope these help!

-Brandon

Weekend Warrior Workout

Okay so here we go, we've made it through the week but then we manage to go FRIDAY SATURDAY AND SUNDAY WITHOUT A WORKOUT and basically we are back to strugglesville on Monday.  Time to fix that. Here is our weekend workout to keep your momentum going into next week.  No more 'case of the mondays.'

10 Minutes of Foam Rolling to start out

-Try to hit the lower half of you body and some major muscles up top as well.  Don't forget to get your back.  By starting with this we are really prepping your body for good stuff in the next 45 minutes!

Dynamic Warm Up

-25 Jumping Jacks

-20 Mountain Climbers

-15 walking overhead lunge with rotation

-10 Reverse Lunge With Overhead Reach (don't use the added weight)

-8 Burpees

-10 Yards of 'open the gate'

-10 Yards of 'close the gate'

-15 Leg Swings Per Leg, First forward/backward then Laterally Across Your Body

-Frankensteins (10 yards)

-Carioca

-Backwards strides

-Forward Sprints (2)

Circuit- Repeat twice. 15 second rest in between exercises. 3 minutes rest in between circuits.

-15 Goblet Squats

-25 Biased Push Ups

-15 Body Weight Rows

-20 Walking Dumbbell Lunges

-20 Alternating Dumbbell Press on Stab. Ball

-12 Dumbbell Bentover Rows

-Plank Hold, 1 Minute

-15 Close Grip Push Ups

-30 Knee to opposite elbows (15 Per Leg)

Now we get a good 10-15 minute cool down and stretch!  Be sure to keep hydrating and eat something as soon as you leave your workout!  After work like this your body needs fuel!

FOAM ROLLING 101

I've had a lot of questions about how to foam roll and some basic techniques for it so here ya go! Pretty easy to follow video with the pictures included.  Please take this information with you and use it for your pre-gen and re-gen before and after workouts! It will literally make such a big difference in the quality of your work out and your preparation for the next one!  HAPPY ROLLING!

Quad

IT Band

Glute

Groin/Inner Quad

Calves

13 Ways To Make Your Life Better

We all love to talk about change.  Because let's face it, change is usually a good thing, and we all want it.  Whether it's in the mirror or in the gym or on the field, we want to get better.  The one main problem with this is that we all too often have NO IDEA HOW TO GO ABOUT CHANGING our lives around.  I'm not saying these 13 principles are the answer, but I can promise if you implore them in your life they will start to help YOU MAKE  CHANGES.  So, here we go.

1) Write a mission statement every sunday night for your upcoming week, monday through sunday.  

-Include in it what you want to get accomplished, what your work outs will be, when they will be, where they will be, what you will eat, what 'to-do' lists you want to check off, and even things like planning how much (or even better how little) TV you want to watch, what you want to read, what chores you need to get done around the house, etc. When you do this, this leads to the most important part of change, ACCOUNTABILITY.  This mission statement (or decree, or goals list, or timeline) will help create accountability to something every day you wake up and set your path for that day.  As the saying goes, "if you stand for nothing, you fall for everything." If you have no goals, you reach no goals, you have no direction.  That is not a fun place to be.

2) Make it a point to eat 5-6 times a day. 

-Eating the right portions is a great start.  Eating OFTEN enough gets you the results.  Your body runs on fuel just like a car.  If your body has no fuel in it, it conserves the little bit it does have for later, because it's not expecting another pit stop any time soon.  That is when your metabolism slows down.  You should never go more than 3 hours MAX without eating.  Start with a big healthy breakfast at about 400-600 calories and start working your way down from there. Every meal should have about 200-400 calories, your dinner maybe a bit more, around 500, and then your bed time snack around 200.  Watch your metabolism skyrocket and your body fat burn!

3) TURN OFF YOUR TV!

-Watching TV is one of the worst things you can do for your body.  It puts our bodies in a metabolic resting state equal to sleep, aka burning no calories.  If you want to watch TV make it a point to get up during every commercial break and do some push ups and crunches or some sort of sprint up and down the stairs. If you have a show you love every night try to schedule something active you can do while watching it like standing up and folding laundry, cooking, ironing your clothes for the next day, and if you're real up to it, find a treadmill that has it and watch it on there while you jog.  2 birds with one stone?  


-But really, try just turning your TV off for 2 days and see how your productivity levels increase!  This also goes for computer usage as well!

4) Cut out liquid calories.

-Your body relies on water for everything and pretty much every bodily function.  Keep it hydrated.  Your goal should be to drink half your bodyweight ounces of water every day.  Also before meals, studies show that if you chug 16oz of water right before sitting down to eat, you will eat 15% less than you would otherwise.  

5) Pack a lunch.  

-Eating out is expensive. Eating lunch out 4 times a week is roughly gonna cost you in the neighborhood of about $35.  If you do that 52 weeks a year, you are spending $1,825 alone on just lunches!  The worse part is, when you're hungry and go out to eat, you are more likely to make bad food decisions because your brain literally cannot think straight when its hungry and thats when you settle for that buffalo fried chicken sandwich with fries rather than a grilled chicken caesar with dressing on the side.  Saving money and eating health BOTH REDUCE STRESS. It shouldn't be a hard choice friends.   

6) Take 10Min-1Hour every morning to be still (not with your eyes closed laying under your covers.)

-One of the guys I really look up to in the fitness industry is Todd Durkin, http://www.todddurkin.com/ , and he recommends taking time to 'meditate' every morning before you get your day started.  Call it whatever you want, I prefer 'quiet time', but make sure that becomes a priority in your day.. Here you can tune out every other distraction and focus on important things.  Read, pray, sit quiet, stare at a point, do whatever you need to do.  The purpose of this time is to focus your body and as TD says, "Get your mind right." With the right mind you're prepared to take on anything.

7) Invest in a foam roller. 

-Self myofascial release is one of the best ways to pre-gen and re-gen your body for workouts and to recover from them.  Most of us experience pain especially in the lower back and hips not because we have injuries to those parts of the body but because our bodies are wound tight and we never take time to massage out our connective tissue (fascia). Make it a point to spend 10 minutes a day foam rolling, or using trigger point gear (tptherapy.com).

8) Adjust your rear view mirror.

-When we get in the car, we are more than likely putting our bodies into one of the worse anatomical positions possible because of laziness and poor posture, aka the gangsta lean.  We spend a lot of time in our cars so to help with posture to avoid more fascia problems, adjust your rear view mirror so that in order to see out of it correctly you have to be sitting tall and straight.  This will avoid that slouch and drastically improve posture head to toe.  

9) Go on a date.

-Spending time with other people is one of the best ways to avoid depression and developing unhealthy habits.  Being in good company will encourage you to be better.   This leads me to "point B" of number 9 and that is to surround yourself with good people.  "BAD COMPANY CORRUPTS GOOD CHARACTER."  Spend time with the people that will encourage towards your health goals and build you up in the things that you believe. 

10) Journal.

-Journaling is a great stress relief.  This isn't a diary.  This is a journal.  This is not for writing about how that cute guy at the gym kept looking at you today.  This is for you.  This is to help keep you accountable to your fitness goals.  I like to journal during my quiet time because I feel that I get distracted pretty easily.  I write about where I want to go, the direction I want to head.  This is not a negative journal. These are all positive direction thoughts and I would suggest you do the same.  Negative thoughts are like a disease.  THEY WILL corrupt you and take you down with them.  Eliminate them, start by doing so on paper and training your mind into positive thought processes. 

11) Read good books.

-Some of the best encouragement comes from books.  Fill your head with positive things to read about.  Find books by experts in the field you are trying to get better in.  For example, I like to read Todd Durkin's books and publications because he is doing some of the most advanced things in the field and trains some of the most elite athletes in the world. 

12) Be aware of what you're listening to.

-Music had an incredible amount of power over us whether we want to admit it or not.  It affects our mood, the things we think, the way we talk and how we act.  Please please please choose music that will encourage you and spur you on to being better.  I don't care what music that is, just commit to making good music choices that will continue to lead you on the path you want to be heading down, not music that will hold you back by pulling you in a different direction. 

13) SLEEP SLEEP SLEEP SLEEEEEEP!

-I can't really even begin to explain the importance of sleep in your life.  Your body requires it and it requires the RIGHT AMOUNT.   In your goals for the week, one of them should be to get to bed by a certain, reasonable time every night.  Mine is 11 at the latest, 9 if I have early morning sessions and I'm out the door by 5:30 am.  You need your 8 hours.  That was not something your parents lied to you about.  Make sleep a priority in your life.  Proper sleep will lead to energy throughout the day and decrease the need for naps.  Your workouts will be more efficient and your body will definitely reap what it sows. 

I REALLY HOPE THESE HELP, FEEL FREE TO LEAVE FEEDBACK! 

Unlock Your Body-Trigger Point Technology

I had an incredible privilege last october to meet and train with some of the best of the best in the fitness industry.  One of the partners in this Under Armour Combine360 Training Event was a company called Trigger Point Technologies (TPT).  What they do is provide a way for athletes to 'unlock their bodies' by using trigger point training via self myofascial release techniques.  Along with SMR and many other healing techniques they have created ways for athletes to reduce and eliminate pain in their bodies.  For those of us, whether its triathlon training or getting into better shape after not exercising for 20 years, who have constant body pain every morning and evening, this is a great way to alleviate that pain and allow you to train smarter and safer.


What in the world is fascia???
Source: wisegeek

Fascia is strong connective tissue which performs a number of functions, including enveloping and isolating the muscles of the body, providing structural support and protection. It is a product of mesenchyme, a type of connective tissue which develops in embryos before differentiating into numerous other structures in the body. Mesechyme also forms the foundation for bone, cartilage, and important components of the circulatory and lymphatic systems. Fascia is a very important part of the body, and it has three layers, starting with the superficial fascia directly under the skin and ending with subserous fascia, deep inside the body.  

Fascia is thin, but very fibrous and strong. Anyone who has skinned chicken breasts or trimmed meat has encountered fascia, the whitish colored thin sheets of tissue between the skin and muscle of the meat. Fascia forms directly under the skin and serves as a strong layer of connective tissue between the skin and muscles underneath it. 

The top layer of fascia is superficial fascia, which may be mixed with varying amounts of fat, depending on where it is on the body. The skull and hands have a particularly noticeable layer of superficial fascia which connects the skin to the tissues and bone underneath it. By wriggling your scalp, you can see that superficial fascia is strong but flexible, keeping the skin firmly anchored while allowing its owner to move freely.

Underneath the superficial fascia lies deep fascia, a much more densely packed and strong layer of fascia. Deep fascia covers the muscles in connective tissue aggregations which help to keep the muscles divided and protected. On occasion, this fascia can create tight knots or connective adhesions which act as trigger points which can cause pain. A variety of treatments including myofascial release and stretching are used to treat this condition, which can be debilitating and extremely painful. If a patient is diagnosed with a condition like myofascial pain syndrome, it may be useful to know that the term myofascial means “fascia related to the muscles,” and that these conditions do not necessarily involve the superficial and subserous fascia.

What are trigger points?


Trigger points are basically small painful knots in your skeletal muscle which in turn affect your muscle fibers. This is the source most most muscle pain, hence the term 'knots'.  By using Trigger Point Therapy one can help reduce and eliminate muscle pain leading to more comfort and increased athletic performance.  




Trigger Point Charts: 

You can visit the Trigger Point website here.  

Here are some highlights of Trigger Point.

2011 Goals

One of my favorite sayings is, "when you fail to plan, you plan to fail."  Goals are such a crucial part of not only fitness, but life.  Without goals we have nothing to shoot for, nothing to track our progress, and most importantly nothing to hold us accountable.  So by laying out my goals on here, I am already creating momentum this year to start doing big things!  Enjoy.

2011 Goals

1) Win 3 Golf Tournaments This Season

2) Do 50,000 Push Ups

3) Run 1,000 Miles

4) Get A Hole In One

5) Complete 10,000 Chin/Pull Ups

6) Road Trip Over 1,000 Miles In One Shot

7) Get My Golf Handicap Below 1

8) Run A Half Marathon

9) Run the Baltimore Marathon

10) Finish My Physical Therapy Pre-reqs With A GPA Of 3.5 or Better

11) Go To 2 Theme Parks 

12) Play 3 Rounds Of Golf In One Day

13) Get 9 Birdies In One Round

14) Break 71

15) Break 68

16) MOVE OUT

17) Get To 6% Body Fat

18) Have A Nationally Recognized Blog

19) Read 20 Books

20) Finish Top 3 In Solstice Survival ( tournament info )

21) $1,300 In Earnings From Golf Winnings

22) Win Golf League Regular Season and Play Off's

23) Share My Faith On The Golf Course

24) Apply To At Least 8 PT Schools and Get In

25) Take A Homeless Person Out To A Meal

26) Not Eat Out For A Week

27) Go Without TV For 100 Days Out Of 365

28) Go To The US OPEN At Congressional

29) See A PGA Non-Major Event

30) Try To Qualify For A Big Tournament I Have No Business Playing In

31) Win a City AM This Year

32) Read My Bible EVERYDAY

33) Save $20,000 

34) Give AT LEAST 10% Of Any Income Away To Benefit The Kingdom

35) Treat A Friend To Breakfast, Lunch, Or Dinner Once A Week

36) Go To An NFL Game

37) Go To An MLS Game

38) Send An Encouraging Message To Someone Different Every Day 

39) Other Than School Bills, Never Have Debt

40) Take A Whole Family Out To Dinner

41) Have 15 Or More Clients On A Regular Basis (More than once a week)

42) Memorize One Verse A week

43) Write A Song (a good one)

44) Not Get A Ticket (speeding or parking)

45) Never Miss A Class Or A Session No Matter What

46) Give A "Homeless Gift Bag" Once A Month

47) Buy An iMac

48) Attain My C.S.C.S.

49) Get In Exercise Of Some Kind 5-6 Days A Week

50) Stop Trying To Accomplish All Of These Things On My Own!

The TRX

The TRX Suspension Training System is one of my favorite tools that I use for training and for my clients. This is an amazingly versatile piece of equipment and not to mention can travel with ease and be used literally anywhere!  It's a very simple design: 2 handles with foot locks, two straps, and an anchor point that can be attached to many different apparatus'.

Many of the programs I write and the exercises I recommend to clients incorporate the TRX as a main stay in the protocol.  If you're looking for a great way to use your entire body, engage your core and stabilizers, and have one tool for countless movements, investing in the TRX is your best option!  You can get the entire ProPack (TRX, dvd, exercise explanation booklet, and carry bag) for under $200. Sounds like a small investment for such a big difference it will make for you!


I can't do it justice so I went to the TRX's website, http://www.fitnessanywhere.com/ , then copy&pasted their info for you guys.  This is from their educational site, enjoy!

What is TRX® Suspension® Training?

Born in the U.S. Navy SEALS and developed by Fitness Anywhere®, Suspension Training® is a revolutionary method of leveraged bodyweight exercise. Easily set up the portable TRX® Suspension Trainer™ and you’re in control. Safely perform hundreds of exercises that build power, strength, flexibility, balance, mobility, and prevent injuries, all at the intensity you choose.

Never miss a workout again

Weighing less than 2lbs. the TRX® delivers greater performance and functionality than large exercise machines costing thousands of dollars. The TRX® sets up in seconds so you can get and stay fit at home, the gym or on the road–wherever you want. Thousands of people of all fitness levels now train on the TRX®–from professional athletes who need peak performance to everyday people who just want to feel and look their best, the TRX® delivers. 

A complete total body training system.

The TRX® is more than just the most versatile piece of exercise equipment available, it’s a complete training system. To ensure your success, every TRX® package includes complete usage instructions, training tips and a comprehensive full body workout that can be adapted as your fitness improves. To take your training on the TRX® to the next level, Fitness Anywhere® also offers a wide variety of 

Build A Better Breakfast!

A couple weeks ago I found a breakfast I was really happy with.  Not only because it spiced up one of my most boring meals of the day but because it gave me lost lasting energy for the day.  Here it is.

SonRise Omelet

-1 egg and 2 egg whites
-3 cups spinach
-1/4 cup of sliced mushrooms
-1/2 green bell pepper (chopped)
-1 serving fat free shredded cheese (about 2 pinches)
-Splash of Frank's Red Hot Sauce
-1/2 tablespoon of EV Olive Oil
-1/4 Chopped Onion
-3 slices deli turkey

How to prepare: First mix spinach, onion, peppers, and mushrooms with the EVOO and stir still cooked thorough then add the eggs pre scrambled into the pan and let it cover the veggies. Add in your turkey. Then start to mix around until the eggs cook though. This should only take a few minutes. Once the eggs are almost done add in your cheese to melt on to it.  The cheese should not cover it, its just for some flavor. Go LIGHT ON THE CHEESE.  When its on your plate add some hot sauce for a good kick.

This breakfast is great because it is full of good solid protein which will keep you energized through out your day and leave you feeling fuller till your mid morning snack to avoid over eating later!

Feel free to add in a slice of whole wheat toast to get those good carbs if you are planning on getting in that work out after the work day is over!

New Year, New You

I love New Years because it is such a great opportunity to start fresh.  There is something about seeing 1/1/11 on the calendar that makes the term 're-start' make sense.  This new year don't make resolutions. Make goals. It is vital to have some sort of solid game plan you can follow in order to see results in your life.  All too often to I see people and clients go into a program or a gym without any kind of tangible direction or goals and they give up with in the month.  This is not the year of resolutions. This is the start of your life.  You have such an incredible opportunity to start living the life you want now, not later. Change happens NOW.  Albert Einstein said, "nothing happens until something starts moving."  It's your time to start moving and start changing and start getting better!


So excited for what I hope this blog will be and I'm praying that it will encourage you!