Friday, June 24, 2011

F.I.T.E Club Workout!!

Well, Robin and her summer travel schedule are in full swing so she handed off the FITE club to me again this morning.

We had a pretty good turnout, but it could have been better if I would have sent a text like we usually do. Sorry Adam, Meghan, and Kristen. But at least I saw you guys working hard on your own, good job!! Christie was sick this week , so hopefully she feels better and we get her back next week.

On to the workout:

This is a timed workout. You will start the timer at the beginning, perform the below circuit 3 times through. Be sure you record your 1/4 mile interval time each round, and then record your total workout time at the end.

You want to beat your own 1/4 time each time.


1. Kettle Bell or DB double clean to press 10X
a. BOSU Slide board mountain climbers 20X
b. BOSU Plank hold 20 sec.







2. KB or DB lunge variation 10 each leg
a. BOSU Slide board mountain climbers 20X
b. BOSU Plank hold 20 sec.


3. KB or DB Renegade Row 10 each arm
a. BOSU Slide board mountain climbers 20X
b. BOSU Plank hold 20 sec.




4. KB/ DB Turkish Get ups 3 each side
a. BOSU Slide board mountain climbers 20X
b. BOSU Plank hold 20 sec.


5. KB/ DB Lateral lunge to lateral raise 10 each side
a. BOSU Slide board mountain climbers 20X
b. BOSU Plank hold 20 sec.

6. 1/4 mile interval (run, bike, or row)


RESULTS:
1/4 mile times:
M. (run) 1) 2:08 2) 2:04 3) 1:54
D. (run) 1) 2:07 2) 2:03 3) 2:02
H. (run) 1) ? 2) 1:59 3) 1:55
S. (run) 1) 1:45 2) 1:40 3) 1:33
J. (row) 1) 2:20 2) 2:15 3) 2;15
M. (run)

Total time:
S. 37:58
D. 38:03
M. 38:05
H. 39:17
J. ~40
M.

Finisher: (we didn't have time for the complete finisher, so we just did the farmers carries
F1. Team Farmers Carry relay
F2. Team heavy bag rope pull then push

Hope you all enjoy it.

Train For Life!
Scott

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Building the Best!

Hi Everyone,
I love this time of year! We have begun the planning for our annual Staff Retreat. I look forward to planning this event every year, and every year it is a little different. But, one thing is always the same. This event is about rewarding exceptional work, having a great time, and most importantly growing as a team and supporting each other.

For the third year in a row now I am planning another "Amazing Race" themed Road Rally which will lead the trainers to the "Secret" retreat location. This is a great way to start the day. The trainers will make 3 or 4 stops along the way to complete different challenges that will be both mentally and physically challenging. Also, this year we are doing things a little differently by having the trainers create and lead the team building activities.

Over the years I have used these books to help lead the trainers through various team building activities.



I will keep you updated when the big day arrives.

Train For Life!!
Scott

Friday, June 10, 2011

"Refuse to Fail"

Hey Everyone,
If you follow my blog, you will know that I often like to share content with you from someone I respect very much in the fitness industry. So, here is another great article form Todd Durkin. I think he speaks for all of us in the fitness industry with this article.....listen up!

Train for Life!
Scott

"Refuse to Fail"

Just two weeks ago, someone asked me (for the umpteenth time) if I ever get mad. I responded to the question in my opening letter for our Fitness Quest 10 Insider telling about a particularly chaotic evening when our three young children clearly outnumbered me, and my wife, Melanie. I was totally frustrated that night. But in hindsight, it was nothing compared to how I felt on a recent flight between Providence, RI and Tampa, FL where I was headed to participate in an Under Armour Combine360 event.

Before I tell you what happened on the flight, I need to be clear about a few things. Every fitness professional works with people of all shapes and sizes. I have clients who are some of the strongest and most fit men and women I've ever known. And on the other hand, my team and I work with a number of individuals who struggle with their weight. I've had clients at Fitness Quest 10 who were a hundred pounds or more over weight. These brave individuals fight everyday to break bad habits and replace them with healthy, life-altering choices - chief of which is the choice to get their you-know-what into the gym three or more times a week. I couldn't admire them more and I thank God they are on a path toward health and wellness.

Here's my story. On Sunday, I was seated on the plane next to an obese 30-something year old young woman. She was at least 150 lbs overweight and practically took up two seats. In the course of our two-hour flight, she consumed one can of Mountain Dew, one can of Diet Coke, one full-size can of Pringles, and a bag of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. But who's counting?

I sat and wondered, "Is this really happening right in front of me?" The woman's headphones, in place for the entire flight, sent a clear message about any potential conversation between us. So I sat wondering about her particular story and the stories of so many others who are obese. I've heard a lot of stories and I've heard a lot of excuses: thyroid, hormones, medication, bad parenting, poor role models, stress, depression, poverty... the list goes on. I'm not sure why, but Sunday felt like the "last straw" for me. Even though this woman and I never spoke, I left the plane with a new sense of clarity and resolve... I'm done with excuses.

Right here, right now, I'm calling it like I see it. For adults, no matter where or why a weight problem starts, it ends in the same place. My friends, you've got to have the willpower to make good choices. We are a nation addicted to food. And most of it is junk. No one force-feeds you. No one stops you from buying fruits and vegetables and lean protein. No one chains you to the couch. No one bars you from your neighborhood gym or stops you at the door when you want to take a walk. There is no one to blame but the guy or gal in the mirror. We are suffering from an epidemic of bad choices and I've had enough. Do you or do you not have the will power?

More than ever before, we are well informed about exercise, nutrition and health. Yet, despite this increased awareness, the incidence of disease linked to poor lifestyle is on a rampant rise. Our waistlines continue to expand and our health continues to deteriorate. I have to own this. Each one of us has to own this.

Once home, I contacted my friend Thomas Plummer, a respected fitness industry professional and author of numerous industry books, for some quick facts. With Thomas' help and a little Internet research (cdc.gov and www.IHRSA.org), I've got some eye-opening stats:

* Approximately 72.5 million adults in the United States are obese
* Obese adults are at increased risk for coronary heart disease, hypertension, stroke, type 2 diabetes, certain types of cancer, and premature death
* Childhood obesity more than tripled in the past 30 years
* Obesity among children aged 6 to 11 years increased from 6.5% in 1980 to 19.6% in 2008
* Obesity among adolescents aged 12 to 19 years increased from 5.0% to 18.1% in 2008
* 16% of the American population belongs to a health club
* Of that 16%, only 10% exercise 1 or more times per week
* Less than 2% of the overall population of the US exercises regularly (3 times per week or more)

Read the facts or just look around - you can see the problem for yourself. Pay attention this summer when you visit any theme park, county fair, airport or restaurant with super sized portions. I sat on that flight this past Sunday and watched a real-time demonstration of this epidemic of bad choices. I took it personally. I felt like I'm failing in my life's work. Folks, it's time to wake up and smell the coffee.

Enough is enough. I'm taking action right now, and I'm going to need your help. Together, we can form a groundswell and create "MASSIVE ACTION" to fight this epidemic. Here's how:

Step One is YOU. I want to hear how YOU are going to GET SERIOUS with your own health, fitness, and conditioning. What are you going to commit to doing? What areas of your life are you going to GET SERIOUS about? And you do NOT have to be obese or overweight to step up your game!

Step Two. Then, I want to know how you will share this with others. Will you invite a friend on a walk or a run? Maybe a trip to the gym to join you for a workout? Hire a coach? Will you step up and be a role model in your own family for planning, shopping for and cooking healthy meals? Will you be brave enough to clean out the frig and pantry? Will you be a leader and toss out all that junk? That would be IMPACT!

I can't do it alone. Together, we can make a real difference. Together, we can create "MASSIVE ACTION" toward change. Together, we must 'Refuse to Fail.' I really do want to know what you will do. So, make your plan, write it down and share it with me. Reach out - Tweet me, Facebook me and tell me. If we are going to create MASSIVE ACTION, we need to work together. The time is NOW!

Peace & love,
Todd


Todd Durkin, MA, CSCS, is an internationally recognized performance coach, personal trainer and massage therapist who motivates, educates and inspires people worldwide. He is the owner of Fitness Quest 10 in San Diego, CA, where his wonderful team of 35 focuses on personal training, massage therapy, Pilates, yoga, sports performance training and nutrition to help transform the bodies, minds and spirits of a broad clientele. Todd trains dozens of NFL and MLB athletes, including 2010 Super Bowl XLIV Champion and MVP Drew Brees. He is the head of the Under Armour Performance Training Council, serves on the Gatorade G-Fit Team, and is a featured presenter on the Perform Better educational circuit. He is a two-time Trainer of the Year (IDEA & ACE). Additionally, Todd provides motivational talks and programs to companies and conferences worldwide.

Men's Health recently named his gym, Fitness Quest 10, one of the Top 10 Gyms in the US. Todd has appeared on 60 Minutes, ESPN, NFL Network and has been featured in Sports Illustrated, USA Today, Business Week, Prevention, ESPN the Magazine, Men's Health, Men's Fitness, Men's Journal, Stack Magazine, Self, Shape, Fitness, the NY Times and Washington Post. Todd has authored 35 DVDs on strength and conditioning, functional fitness, massage/bodywork and business/personal growth.

His new book, The IMPACT! Body Plan, which debuted in September 2010 and is a 10 Week program designed to create world-class fitness and life performance. You can sign up for Todd's FREE award-winning Ezine newsletter, the TD TIMES, at www.FitnessQuest10.com or www.ToddDurkin.com.

Saturday, June 4, 2011

Home is Where the Health Is

Hey Everyone,
I ran across this article today written by Brett Klika, from Fitness Quest 10 in San Diego, Ca. Please read it and share it with your friends who have kids.

Train For Life!
Scott


Home is Where the Health Is

Brett Klika C.S.C.S.

Our youth are getting fat and unhealthy. You can beat the stats to death, but the consensus is that in less than 20 years, 1 out of 3 American children will be obese. Not just a little baby fat, clinically obese. Along with this condition comes multiple health risks such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and cancer. Quite frankly, this is probably not the first time you have heard these stats. It certainly isn’t the first time I’ve mentioned them. So what are we going to do about it? We can point fingers and wait until big money, politics, litigation, and Brad and Angelina catch up with this epidemic, or we can start a grass-roots, house to house battle. A “revolution” if you will.

This revolution must start inside the 4 walls of each individual home. Yes, that means yours! What’s your child doing right now? What are they eating? What’s in your cupboard? What’s for dinner? What did they have for breakfast? We have to stop the blame game. It’s not Microsoft’s fault you bought your kid an Xbox and allow them to play it all the time. It’s not the cable company or Sony’s fault that your child has a television in their room and watches it around the clock. It’s not McDonald’s fault that you repeatedly drive your family there to eat frankenfood because you’re “busy.” It’s not Kraft’s fault that you continually buy and stock your cupboards with their over-processed low food-value products. As a society, we actually demand all of the above. These companies merely provide a supply for that demand. It’s called capitalism. If you want to create change, we need to quit blaming the supply and start looking at the demand.

In our free country, demand is primarily a product of choice. The process of how we arrive at our choices is influenced by many things. For example, if I offered you either an apple or a doughnut you would definitely know which one is a healthier, more beneficial choice. Which do you chose though? Why? How many other people make your same choice? Why? This applies to the health of our youth. Our youth are a product of their environment. This environment affects how they make decisions. In their highly influential early years, children learn daily life habits from home. If “food” is attained by driving through a fast-food restaurant, or “free time” is lying around watching television, these concepts will follow them throughout their lives. Think about how you position health in your house. Do your kids see you exercise just to “lose weight?” Do you eat unprocessed “gross, plain health food” just because you’re on a diet? Kids pick up on these concepts. Exercising and eating healthy foods becomes viewed as punishment for eating yummy food and having free time. Kids aren’t going to embrace punishment as a lifestyle. This thought process effects how they make daily health-related choices.

Daily activity and good nutrition should be part of your family’s lifestyle. I’m talking about enjoying physical activity, playing with your kids, going on bike rides, walks, etc. I’m talking about sitting down and eating real food as a family. However, make sure that when you do get prepared food, you enjoy it, but you help your kids understand that it isn’t real food. In this way, they start to form positive attitudes towards exercise and eating right. They become bored with their friends who sit around all day, because being inactive isn’t what they have learned is fun. They see their friends eat mountains of crap every day (and while they do enjoy this stuff from time to time), they realize that it isn’t food. As children get older, they start to form more advanced concepts as to how their activity and diet either positively or negatively effect how they look, feel, and perform. They make their choices and create consumer demand appropriately.

Creating a household that nourishes a healthy lifestyle requires the resources of time, energy, and commitment. Plugging your kids into technology is much easier than encouraging them to go outside. Picking up dinner at a restaurant is quite a bit easier than cooking. Unprocessed food takes time to prepare, and can be more expensive. Participating in daily physical activity can be tiring. In most households, we chose to allocate resources for the things we deem the most important. That being said, the issue of creating a healthy lifestyle becomes primarily a “value” proposition for most. How important is it to you that your child does not battle with their health for the rest of their lives? How important is it to you that you are not contributing to the disturbing youth health statistics? How important is your own health? These decisions begin at home and eventually affect the masses.

Positive change is created when strong, smart people start doing the right thing. Eventually, weak and ignorant people are forced to get on board by litigation or legislation, and they absent-mindedly reap the benefits. Be strong and create a household that facilitates a healthy lifestyle for you and your kids. As Gandhi said, “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” Heath for our kids starts at home. Let’s commit to nurturing our kids into happy, healthy, pain-free adults.

Coach Brett Klika is the Director of Athletic Performance at Todd Durkin’s Fitness Quest 10 in San Diego, CA. He specializes in youth fitness and athletic performance, overseeing a staff of 8 strength coaches developing programs for over 300 youth per week, both athletes and non-athletes. In addition to coaching, Brett currently authors for a variety of publications, produces DVD’s on fitness and athletic performance and presents around the world on topics in fitness, wellness, and sports performance. Brett can be reached at // brett@fitnessquest10.com

Friday, June 3, 2011

FITE Club Workout #2



Good Morning Everyone,
Another Friday and another awesome FITE Club workout completed! I have to admit, I really wasn't looking forward to the workout this morning. Combine an extremely busy week with very little sleep and that equals no motivation to get up early and train...... I know, I know..... preaching to the choir, right. We all have weeks like this, maybe every week for some of us? But, the good news is I didn't want to let the down the FITE Club crew so I designed today's program, manned up and and stuck to my commitment. These are the days you will feel most proud of after you complete your training. And I can tell you that I feel amazing after this workout!!

So, push through those barriers and road blocks, make a commitment to get better at something and stick to it!!

Enjoy today's workout.

Rule #2 of FITE Club: Maximum Effort Only at FITE Club!

** Each station is 8 min running clock. Complete as many rounds as possible in 8 min. 90 seconds between rounds.**

*Dynamic Warm-up
*Station 1
KB Snatch 10x
Lateral hop(small hurdle) 10x
Cable Rotation 10x

*Station 2
Scissor step ups 10x
TRX Row 15x
Dynamax Squat Slams 15x

*Station 3
Wall Ball 12x
Post. cross behind Lunge 10x
Band Rotation 20x



*Station 4
Jump jax w. weight 15x
KB Swing curl 15x
Jump Rope 50 skips

*Core
Stability Ball Russian twist w/ MB 15x
Stability Ball kneeling roll outs 15x











Train For Life!
Scott

"Life Is Motion"

"Life Is Motion"
Turkish Get Up