Have a Great Day!

We all have a not so great day's from time to time.

So today I want to share with you a little tip that I stumbled across a few weeks ago that can turn your day around in an instant.

I like to go into my e-mail distribution system and check and see who has opened and even better yet who has read the e-mails I send out.

I guess that is my little snippets of voyeurism.

Anyway the other day I saw that an old friend from college who doesn't usually read had opened her e-mail.

So I took a moment to send a short e-mail and say HI since it had been month's maybe even years since our last correspondence.

Then it happened.

She sent back an e-mail containing 5 little words that absolutely made my day.

Wanna know what they were?

'I am so proud of you'

Having someone say that with sincerity behind it absolutely made my day.
it.

Pretty cool, eh?

5 simple words and you can brighten a person's day.

I am sure that some of you have are thinking what the hell does, saying something stupid like 'I am so proud of you' have to do with exercise, weight loss, fitness, etc....

And probably are on the verge of unsubscribing and that's ok I guess you just don't get it.

My answer is what Does it NOT have to do with exercise and fitness.

I literally felt like I could do no wrong that day, in business, in my workout, in everything.

Just think if we all handed out that simple 5 word compliment a little more often; how much more enjoyable a place the world would be.

Note: I have been practicing using this phrase as the ‘giver’ and it feels just
as good to tell it to someone else, as it does to receive it.


Ok enough Mr Softy, now get your ass back to work, pronto!!

Troy M Anderson
AZ Womens Fitness Bootcamp

What Does Dying have to do with Fat Loss?

There are two key components to fat loss success.

Heck any kind of success really.

The funny thing is that these two keys have absolutely nothing to do with:

• resistance training
• sleep
• drinking water
• walking on the treadmill
• counting calories
  
  None of that stuff amounts to a hill of beans when compared to these two powerful components.
  
  Have I teased you enough?
  
  Are you sure you really ready? (the big build up)
  
  The Fear of Dying
  
  and
  
  The Fear of Being Ostracized
  
  These are very powerful tools; and we MUST learn how to channel their power; and let
  it work for in our favor.
  
  Otherwise if we embrace them in the wrong way it will leave us curled upon on the floor in the fetal position, clutching a 1/2 gallon of Ben&Jerry's Chunky Monkey.
  
  Need some specific examples, to put it all together.
  
  Here we go:
  
  Example 1: Lady (life time smoker) get a chest ex-ray, find a spot on her lunge. Over the next year's time, finds power in the fear of death, quits smoking, quits drinking, and loses 20lbs in 45 days.
  
  Example #2: Last year I worked with a local TV station on a fitness challenge every single person(even those whose were flat out slackers) lost at least 20lbs and 3-5% bodyfat.
  
  Why?
  
  Because they were on TV every single week and if they were screwing up every person they knew would see.
  
  Again the fear of being ostracized against was very powerful.
  
  You may not have a spot on your lung or a TV fitness challenge but I am sure that if spend a little time thinking you can find an aspect of one of these two powerful tools to that applies you.
  
  One way to artificially create this is to use the fear of being ostracized.
  
  You can do this by stating your goals to everyone you know, and telling them to 'Do Not Let Me Off the Hook'
  
  You can take a step further by posting your goals on an internet forum, your facebook or myspace account, or all of the above.
  
  You can even post weekly updates, and you can bet people will ask about your progress and hold your feet to the fire.
  
  One more powerful tip before I let you get out there and start to taking action.
  
  If you are shooting for aesthetic goals, take a before picture, even if you are vane and look the mirror a lot, the camera lens will tell you the real story of what is going on with your body.
  
  If you are feeling really brave post it on the internet.
  
  Here’s a little video a friend of mine sent me last week, took a look
  it is well worth your 10 minutes, and definitely applies to today’s
  topic:

Troy M Anderson

Tempe, AZ Fitness Bootcamp

Hiking: A New Breed of Stability Training

My wife she loves hiking, and since we live in sunny AZ this is actually the perfect time of year to go.

Me I hate it.

I actually kind find it senseless to walk somewhere without a purpose.

I love to fish and hunt so my hiking has always been about chasing something or getting from Point A to Point B in order to be able to do what you want.

Ever, since moving to the city my hunting and fishing has dramatically decreased to the point where in 2007 I did do 1 day of either.

My fault for neglecting something I love to do, but that is another post entirely.

During the two weeks of holiday break this year I took a couple hiking trips with my wife; and guess what?

I found two huge benefits of hiking.

1. It is great for the ankles, knees and back.

Hiking is a much more unstable and dynamic exercise than anything that you can do on a wobble board, stability ball, or one of those stupid BOSU Balls.

And

It's real life.

My personal story on this is: when I was hunting quail a lot a few years ago, I never had any ankle problems. Last year I hunted only 1 or 2 times and I severely sprained both ankles during my competitive sport season.

I also notice that the unstable and dynamic activity also caused my back to be active and move in areas where it may normally be stiff.

Sure I am only a case study of one but I think there might be something to it.

2. The other benefit of hiking is what I call mental reprieve and fresh training.

Far too many of us spend, too much time cooped up in our houses.

Certain people are outraged by the way chickens and pigs are treated; when they really ought be outraged about locking themselves indoors 23 1/2 hours per day.

The caveat here you have to get off the beaten path or get out early; because if you don't you will totally have to fight the damn crowds, which will totally negate this benefit.

Well there you have it I am officially a convert, I love hiking not as much as hunting or fishing but it will do for the time being.

So long as you don't have to run into too damn many of those 'city slickers' out mucking up your peace, quiet, and stability training.


PS - In my humble opinion a challenging hiking trail is that only way that walking ever counts as exercise.



Enjoy



Troy M Anderson

What is a Large??

If you will recall awhile back I wrote an entry pertaining to my purchase of workout clothes .


Well there is one more story that has to come out of that situation.

Since the workout gear did cost me $25 I kind of thought I might get to use it again.



Except there was one problem, the shorts were a size large.

I realized that this was a problem the day that I bought them, but I wasn't about to go back and get another size.

This might seem like a kind of weird post until I tell you that the day that I bought those shorts I was tipping in at 198lbs, I should have fit into a pair of large shorts, at least that's what I thought at the time.

These shorts would have easily fit someone with 2-4" larger waist so I would say someone that runs between 210-220.

Now I know that I need to buy medium shorts.

What gives?

This just makes me wonder how much of this has to do with American public's, disdain for all things health, fitness and exercise related, which appears to have turned us into a big o'bunch of fat asses.

Evidently the clothing industry is reacting to our apparent need to exisit in this state of denial.

I am also drawn to the conclusion that there must be a bunch of self hating, self-conscious, poor self esteem having 220lb MEN out there that need to be coddled by clothing manufacturers.

Sad.

This is not the only instance of this type thing happening. I have actually had several clients report back similar 'sizing issues'.

All I really have to say is "Hey Mr/Mrs. Clothing Manufacturer you are NOT doing anyone a favor by skewing your sizes. Americans are FAT and they need take ACCOUNTABILITY and ACTION"

If someone need to be putting on an XL or XXXXL size your product approriately you might be just doing them a favor by getting them to take ACTION.

Until Next Time Remember- Fitness Ain't Pretty, RESULTS Are!



Troy M Anderson

Tempe, AZ Fitness Bootcamp

3 Exercise Myths That You Need to Know

This time of year health and fitness are at the top of everyone’s consciousness.

-New Years's Resolutions
-Gym memberships
-Diet books

All hot items for the first few weeks of January until annual fade starts.

Well I was watching one our local morning talk shows the other day(Think The View) and they had some fitness author on, I think the name of her plans is called The Eat Clean Diet.

Long story short the host started to solicit exercise tips from her; and I was blown away by the exercise myths that came spewing for with.

Unfreaking believable.

Myth #1 - The knee shouldn't go past the toe when performing lunges. Hello study some anatomy and biomechanics, the knee is meant to travel past the toes. As a matter of fact allow the knee to go over the will lead to better activation of the glutes/buns and hamstring, an area most of us really need to work.

This myth has been made prevalent by people using shit form when performing lunges, and blame the knee pain they get on the exercise not THEIR shit form.

Myth #2 - Working the Lower Abs, this such bullshit. Abs as we know them are defined as the 6-pack, or more technically the rectus abdominis.

Let me keep this simple, muscles (i.e. abs) work on something call the All-or-Nothing principle mean they either contract or do not contract. Since the abs are all 1 muscle this means that the whole muscle either contracts or it does not.

Pretty damn, simple.

Long story short do your ab work and don't worry about trying to 'hit' the abs from all directions, and wasting 1/2 a workout doing abs.

By the way you might want to spend your 'ab time' on some interval training as it is a quicker route to unveiling your abs, since you can't spot reduce anyway.

Myth #3 - This a new one. Great fat loss results are 90% dependent on nutrition and 10% on exercise.

While you can't out exercise a shit nutrition plan.

Exercise plays a far great role in achieving high quality fat loss results than 10%.

The majority of exercisers let alone general fat loss population are NOT even in the ball park when it comes to exercise we should be spending per week.

That number is 5 hours a week minimum, which may sound like a lot but it is only 3% of our available time each week.

By the way, in my book walking does NOT count as exercise, not unless you are obese.

I believe the reason many people lend credence toward this myth is that exercising five hour per week is hard work and most people will avoid hard work at all costs.

So if you have been dieting only or walking and dieting try throwing 3-5 hours of higher intensity exercise and I guarantee it will kick your fat loss into high gear.

You can not achieve significant fat loss results with a WEAK exercise program it is just not possible.

So keeping walking if you want but when your ready for some REAL results I will catch you in the weight room.

I am really surprised that the 1st two myths are still around I mean this is shit straight out the 80's Jane Fonda era. This other one is one is more recent.

Regardless I hope that learning of these myths will keep you from making some of the same mistakes that many others will be making if they follow the popular mythology.

Troy M Anderson
Tempe, AZ Fitness Bootcamp

Have You Invested in Your Health and Fitness Today?

I sure did by accident, actually.

It was Monday morning and I had packed up all my gear food, business tools, schedules, planners, etc... I had even laid out my workout clothes for a training session that afternoon.

Guess what I what I did?

I walked out the door and forgot my damn workout clothes. Once I realized this boy was I pissed.

This left me with two decisions:

1. I could either not workout and do some work on my business. Not a bad option by any means, god knows I need to spend as much time as possible working on my business.

2. Or I could drive down to the Target just down the road and buy some shorts and workout shirt. Another good option.

What did I decide to do, I decided to invest the $25 dollars in my health and fitness and go get some workout clothes.

Some would say 'it wouldn't hurt you to miss a workout'; but it not a matter of 'not hurting it's about not making progress towards my goals, and I have some big fitness goasl this year.

1. The first of which is to lose 20lbs by 15 Feb, not to far away really. Luckily I have lost 10 of the 20 to date good thing I hit that workout.

2. I am going to get down to an all low of 7% bodyfat this year. This is going to be damn hard, and EVERY workout this year matter, big time, plus all of the extra ones it will take to get to that goal.

My question to you is what are you investing in your health and fitness on a daily basis?

Are you investing money like I did, what about your time, or even better you mental focus.

All critical factor in the success of any goal.

Just like in the world of investing you have to putting something in, order to receive a return.

Are you investing?

That's all for me I am off now to get in one more workouts on the path to me my goals

Troy M Anderson

Tempe, AZ Fitness Bootcamp