Dad Fitness

Breaking News from Dad Fitness

noreply@blogger.com (Sean Barker) — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 18:33:00 +0000

The Dad Fitness Blog Has Moved.

For all you busy dads livin' the Dad Fitness Lifestyle, The Dad Fitness blog has moved to a bigger and brighter location at

www.DadFitnessBlog.com

Be sure to update your RSS Feed to stay updated with tips on family and fitness!

Drop by the new blog and let me know what you think by leaving a comment.

Looking forward to seeing you guys there!

www.DadFitnessBlog.com

Sean Barker, CPT

Learn the "The Truth On Fat Loss, How To Finally Lose Your Beer Belly" in this FREE report from Sean Barker at www.dadfitness.com

Work and Weekend Workouts

noreply@blogger.com (Sean Barker) — Sun, 31 May 2009 22:57:00 +0000

I was hoping to be posting this new post on my new blog.

But I still have a few little kinks to workout.

Once I get everything running smoothly I will be moving to my new Dad Fitness blog at: www.DadFitnessBlog.com

The web address is a lot easier to remember and everything is redesigned so you can follow the Dad Fitness Lifestyle in a cool new format. In the meantime you can still check out the new blog as I have some of my older posts already moved over.

Once again, its DadFitnessBlog.com

Anyway, as for my weekend workouts.

After working 2 twelve hour nightshifts on Thursday and Friday I got up Friday morning after only 4 hours sleep and headed to the gym.

Despite the initial struggle of getting up after such little sleep I do this on purpose as I know I always feel better after my Dad Fitness workout.

So this is what I did for my Friday workout.

3 sets each, 5-10 reps.

Sumo Deadlifts

Bent Over BB Rows

Cable Pullthroughs

Cable Woodchops

Saturday night was date night with my wife and we crossed the nearby border to Quebec, the land of the best poutine and smoked meat. The french really go all out as we opted for a well known pub that serves an amazing pizza topped with smoked meat.

..and if that's not fattening enough for you they even give you butter to spread on the crust! It's a good thing I don't live in Quebec...

After that we came home to relax while Matea stayed at Nanny and Poppy's for the night and we cheered on my Pittsburgh Penguins as they faced off in the first game of the stanley cup finals to the Detriot Red Wings.

Unfortuantley they lost 3-1 to thanks to some lucky bounces from Detriots home rink!

Then for my Sunday morning workout it was Upper body day 2.

Seated DB Shoulder Press

Pullups

Reverse Curls

Elbow Out DB Rows

2 rounds of DB swings for 60 secs with 60 secs rest.

the rest was 3 sets each, 5-10 reps

After that we picked up Matea and took her to the playground for the afternoon.

I am finishing the evening off by barbecuing my famous Dad Fitness Perfect Burgers and curling up with my family to watch game 2 of the stanley cup finals.

(I am Canadian after all, eh!)

GO PENS!

Who are you cheering for in the Stanley Cup Finals?

How I Gained 25lbs This Year

noreply@blogger.com (Sean Barker) — Tue, 26 May 2009 02:51:00 +0000

This Saturday marked a special day in our house.

Our baby daughter Matea turned the big #1 on Saturday and celebrated her 1st Birthday!

Days later...I am still cleaning up cake

I can't believe a whole year has gone by since I became a dad.

I have to say it's been the most challenging AND the most rewarding year of my life.

Looking back I don't know how I survived on such little sleep!

But when you are suddenly responsible for another little life, you find a way to do what you have to do to be the best damn dad you can be.

Which also involves not forgetting to take care of myself.... I don't want to be huffing and puffing and out of breath when I am running around the backyard playing with my daughter because I neglected to take time for myself and stay fit with just 3 short workouts a week.

Despite being a busy dad working full-time up to 60 hours a week and running a business on the side , with my Dad Fitness workouts the only weight I gained during the past year has been my 25lb beautiful baby daughter.

I am actually down a few pounds to about 175lbs and a little leaner, compared to this time last year. But I am feeling healthier and stronger than I have ever been thanks to paying extra attention to my warm ups, mobility and my flexibility during my workouts.

I keep things pretty simple with short intense workouts and eating REAL food most of the time.

I work hard in the gym but more importantly work hard at home being a dad, a husband and a man.

That weight on my shoulders is something that I never want to lose...

Happy Birthday Matea.

Enjoy the ride...I will be there every step of the way;-)

Sean Barker, CPT

Learn the "The Truth On Fat Loss, How To Finally Lose Your Beer Belly" in this FREE report from Sean Barker at www.dadfitness.com

Trans Fatty Acids: The poison in our food supply that most people are STILL eating every day

noreply@blogger.com (Sean Barker) — Sat, 23 May 2009 01:48:00 +0000

Guest Blog:

By Tom Venuto
www.BurnTheFat.com

Most people are eating a poison every day without giving it a second thought. This substance can increase belly fat and consuming even small amounts (2% of total energy intake) is consistently linked to coronary heart disease. The research also says that this stuff can increase visceral fat, contribute to insulin resistance, increase risk of type 2 diabetes, increase bad cholesterol, decrease good cholesterol, trigger systemic inflammation and adversely affect almost every cell in your body.

What substance could be so harmful that it causes all of these health problems and yet is so prevalent in our food supply that most people are eating dangerous amounts every single day? This industrially manufactured ingredient is called Trans fatty acids (TFA’s).

TFA’s are not found in nature, with the exception of some ruminant-derived TFA’s in certain dairy products (usually contributing less than 0.5% of total caloric intake). TFA’s come mostly from the industrial hydrogenation of vegetable oils, which alters the natural cis configuration of the oils to the trans configuration. If you see “partially hydrogenated” oil in the ingredients list of any food product, then it contains TFA’s.

TFA’s have been studied for decades, but were largely ignored until the past several years. Research papers linking trans fats to heart disease date back to the 1970’s. In 1994, the Center for Science in the Public Interest petitioned the Food and Drug Administration to put trans fats on food labels (didn’t happen until 2006). Since 2006, TFA’s have thankfully received a decent amount of publicity when they were in the news regarding new food labeling laws and the banning of their use in restaurants in some states.

New studies have been published in the past year confirming the dangers of TFA’s. Four recent studies indicated 24, 20, 27 and 32% higher risk of myocardial infarction (MI) or CHD death for every 2% energy of TFA consumption isocalorically replacing carbohydrate, SFA, cis monounsaturated fatty acids and cis polyunsaturated fatty acids, respectively.

TFA intake in the United States still averages 2-3% of total energy intake, 4% in some developing countries where fast food is being introduced and as high as 8-10% in certain subgroups (who eat large amounts of baked goods, fried foods, pastries, doughnuts, etc). The government recommended maximum is 1% of total energy intake (2 grams!). Some experts say there is NO safe level of TFA intake.

Legislation has been enacted in some states banning the use of TFAs in restaurants. It was big news New York. As of 2008, 11 cities and counties have adopted regulations to restrict TFA use in restaurants. However, industrial TFA use is still widespread and lots of people are still scarfing them down every day.

If Trans fats are so dangerous, why is their use so widespread? Dietary fat expert Udo Erasmus put it this way: “TFA’s are a food manufacturer’s dream: an unspoilable substance that lasts forever.” TFA’s are cheap and for countless food products, they can prolong shelf life, allow easy transport, provide solidity at room temperature (to make spreads), and increase suitability for commercial frying.

Although most people have heard of TFA’s, the bad news is that this increased awareness has not been enough to translate into behavior change.

A study recently published in the Journal of The American Dietetic Association (ADA) found that in 2007, 73% of Americans knew that TFA’s increased risk of heart disease, compared to 63% in 2006. However, the bad news is that 79% of Americans could not name 3 foods that contain trans fats. 46% of Americans could not name any sources of trans fats on their own.

“Knowledge about food sources of fats remains low” says Robert Eckel, professor of Medicine at the University of Colorado.

Public health messages have been raising awareness, but they haven’t been enough. “TFA’s are bad for you.” Ok, so now what? What you really need are some simple behavior guidelines and a list of foods to eat very infrequently if you eat them at all.

Here are some good places for you to start.

4 Ways to Avoid Trans Fatty Acids

1. Eat mostly foods that do not have a label. At the risk of stating the obvious, if you don’t eat anything that comes in a box or package with a label, then you won’t ever consume manmade TFA’s. If your diet consists primarily of fruits, fibrous vegetables, root vegetables, beans, legumes, brown rice, unprocessed whole grains, nuts, seeds, eggs, fish and lean meats, you’re home free.

2. Watch for label loopholes. WARNING: Food companies are lying to you on their product labels to make you think their foods are TFA-free. The front of their package may say “ZERO grams of trans fats,” and yet there is hydrogenated oil listed in the ingredients. How could that be? There is a label loophole where the government allows companies to claim zero trans fats if there is less than a half a gram per serving. So the food companies sneakily manipulate their serving sizes until the servings are so small that the TFA content falls below the per serving limit.

3. Read ingredients lists. The primary source of TFA’s is partially hydrogenated vegetable oils. In particular, soybean, sunflower, cottonseed and palm oils are frequently hydrogenated. Your first step then, is to read food labels on any packaged products and look at the ingredients list. If it contains partially hydrogenated oils, it contains TFA’s.

4. Avoid foods that contain TFA’s most of the time. TFA’s are commonly found in baked goods (bakery), fried foods and packaged convenience foods, especially:

cookies*
crackers*
biscuits*
pastries*
pies*
doughnuts*
packaged frozen foods (breaded chicken, breaded fish, etc)
corn chips
potato chips
packaged popcorn
some breads
frostings
french fries (fried potatoes)
taco shells
margarines and spreads
shortening
some salad dressings
some candies
some artificial cheeses

* major food sources for American adults

In 2002 when I published the first edition of my ebook, Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle, I warned my readers of the dangers of trans fatty acids. I was not the only one either. Years ahead of the 2006 law requiring trans fats to be listed on food labels and the 2007-2008 restaurant TFA bans, numerous health professionals were already warning people to stay away from TFA’s.

Not enough people heeded the warnings, while meanwhile, politics and commercial interests delayed legislation. No doubt, skyrocketing rates of obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease can be largely linked to the continued use of these artificial fake food additives. In the US alone, 1,700,000 new cases of diabetes, 233,600 diabetes-related deaths, 600,000 myocardial infarctions and 451,300 coronary heart disease-related deaths are reported every year.

A campaign for better education and lifestyle change is worth supporting. As researchers from Harvard said, “A comprehensive strategy to eliminate the use of industrial TFA in both developed and developing countries, including education, food labeling, and policy and legislative initiatives, would likely prevent tens of thousands of CHD events worldwide each year.”

For a healthy and balanced lifestyle, and for better long-term compliance, I’m rarely in favor of tagging any foods as totally “forbidden” or to use words as strong as “poison” in describing foods. But if there are any exceptions, trans fats are one of them.

If you are unable or unwilling to eliminate TFA’s from your diet completely, then you would be wise for the sake of your health and your family’s health, to keep foods containing TFA’s to a bare minimum and avoid eating any TFA-laden foods on a daily basis.

Last, but not least, be on guard, because history tells us that when one harmful food additive is banned, it is often replaced with another, which is sometimes even worse. That’s why item #1 on my list of four ways to avoid trans fatty acids is the best way to avoid anything that is harmful to your health.

Train hard and expect success,

Tom Venuto
Fat Loss Coach
www.BurnTheFat.com

About the Author:

Tom Venuto is a fat loss expert, lifetime natural (steroid-free) bodybuilder, independent nutrition researcher, freelance writer, and author of the #1 best selling diet e-book, Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle: Fat-Burning Secrets of The World’s Best Bodybuilders & Fitness Models (e-book) which teaches you how to get lean without drugs or supplements using secrets of the world's best bodybuilders and fitness models. Learn how to get rid of stubborn fat and increase your metabolism by visiting: www.BurnTheFat.com

References

Americans’ Awareness, Knowledge, and Behaviors Regarding Fats, Eckel RH et al, Journal of the American Dietetic Association, Feb 2009 (2):288-296

Metabolic implications of dietary trans-fatty acids, Dorfman SE et al, Obesity, Feb 2009, 1-8. Cardiovascular and metabolism disease area, Novartis institutes for biomedical research, INc. Cambridge, Mass.

Mortality from arteriosclerotic disease and consumption of hydrogenated oils and fats, Thomas LH, Br J Prev Soc Med, Jun 1975 29(2): 82-90

Health effects of trans-fatty acids: experimental and observational evidence. Mozzafarian D, Eur J Clin Nutr, May 2009: 63 suppl 2S5-21, Harvard Medical School

Fats that Heal, Fats that Kill, Udo Erasmus, Alive Books, 1994

Sean Barker, CPT

Learn the "The Truth On Fat Loss, How To Finally Lose Your Beer Belly" in this FREE report from Sean Barker at www.dadfitness.com

Barbells and Beer Can Chicken

noreply@blogger.com (Sean Barker) — Sun, 17 May 2009 23:59:00 +0000

Saturday I started back to the gym with my new workout routine after taking a week off to give my body a break...from the gym anyway...as I was hard at work renovating our bedroom.

It felt good to get the body moving again so I trained on Sunday morning as well.

This Dad Fitness workout program is focused mostly on building muscle and involves 4 different workouts a week instead of 3.

But I will still only workout 3 days a week and resume the 4th day the next week.

Each week I will change the first exercise to something similar, regular squats to front squats for example.

After 4 weeks I will rotate back to the exercise from week 1.

Day 1, 3 sets, 5-10 reps

Barbell Squats
Split Squats
Stability Ball Leg Curl
Front Planks

Day 2, 3 sets, 5-12 reps

BB Bench Press
DB Bench Press
Dip
Ez Bar Tricep Ext.
DB External Rotation

Day 3, 3 sets, 5-10 reps

BB Deadlift
Good Morning
Back Ext.
Side Plank

Day 4, 3 sets, 5-12 reps

BB Push Press
V Bar Chinups
Upright Rows
Incline Hammer Curl
Side Lying DB Raise

To refuel after my weekend workouts I took advantage of a beautiful sunny day and made Beer Can Chickens on the BBQ.

The Ultimate Beer Can Chicken

1 or 2 Fresh roasting chickens
1 tsp of olive oil
Seasonings and spices of your choice,
I like sea salt, freshly ground pepper, garlic powder, oregano, paprika and parsley
1 can of beer for each chicken

Preheat gas grill to 350 degrees. Remove giblets from chicken cavity. Rinse chicken inside and out and pat dry. Rub surface of chicken with oil. Rub cavity with 1 tablespoon seasoning. Sprinkle remaining seasoning evenly over surface of chicken.

Drink half a can of the beer . Hold chicken upright (legs pointing down) and insert opened beer can into cavity. Stand chicken in upright position in center of grill. Position legs to best support chicken; (similar to a tripod). Close lid

Grill chicken over INDIRECT heat for one hour and 15 minutes, leave lid closed to keep heat in

When done, let chicken cool for 10-15 minutes and remove can from chicken before serving.

For sweet potatoes fries, clean and wash potatoes.

Slice up in the shape of fries and toss in bowl with olive oil and spices such as salt, pepper, chili powder, garlic powder and parsley

Place on baking sheet and place in preheated oven at 425F for 30 minutes.

Another weekend of food and fitness livin' the Dad Fitness Lifestyle...

Sean Barker, CPT

Learn the "The Truth On Fat Loss, How To Finally Lose Your Beer Belly" in this FREE report from Sean Barker at www.dadfitness.com

There is no place like home

noreply@blogger.com (Sean Barker) — Thu, 14 May 2009 23:28:00 +0000

It's good to be home!

After sleeping at our in-laws most of the week because we have been renovating our bedroom, I am glad to be able to sleep in our own bed tonight.

and I must say...we did a good job. Thanks for all the help dad!

How not to use a hammer!

So this week was also a good time to take a week off from the gym as it has been another 8 week run with my workout routine.

By taking a week off from the gym every 8-10 weeks it not only gives me a mental and physical break from my intense workouts but it also frees up some time I can devote to other projects like this renovation for example.

You can time your rest week from your Dad Fitness workouts for other things that might come up as well like vacations, an unexpected injury, or just to spend some extra time with your family with the long summer days ahead.

That's what I love about my Dad Fitness 3 day a week workout program, it gives me the flexibility to do all the other things I need to do as a busy dad without having to stress over trying to get in a workout every day.

So after my wife getting her "new" bedroom, she has to head out of town for the weekend on business.

...Oh the thanks us guys get!

This weekend will also be the last weekend I spend at home as a full time stay-at-home dad with my baby daughter as I will be returning to work on Monday after 4 months parental leave.

With my wife and I back to work we reluctantly will have to leave Matea with a babysitter for the first time on Tuesday. Luckily it is a friend of ours so we are hoping the transition will be OK.

It's been a privilege to play such a hands on roll as a dad and I look forward to coming home from work and seeing her beautiful 3 teeth smile greeting me at the door...

Sean Barker, CPT

Learn the "The Truth On Fat Loss, How To Finally Lose Your Beer Belly" in this FREE report from Sean Barker at www.dadfitness.com

The Lazy Man's Workout

noreply@blogger.com (Sean Barker) — Mon, 11 May 2009 22:18:00 +0000

I hope you had a special Mother's Day weekend with your wife or mother.

Things were a bit chaotic here at our house as we are renovating our bedroom with new flooring and a new paint job, so we have been staying at my in-laws down the street.

It's working out well because they are on vacation in Cuba...

I gave my wife one of those digital picture frames that I preloaded with pics of her and Matea over her first year as a new mom. She really loved the idea!

I treated my wife and my mother well during their special day and we ended off the evening by wining and dining them to a fancy meal.

I had Escargots for an appetizer and Filet Mignon with a baked potato and veggies for my main course. They even served little Matea some mashed potatoes and green peas on a silver platter!

Good food, Good times...

Alright, enough about food and more about fitness...

The Lazy Man's Workout

Do you find yourself making excuses as to why you can't workout?

Are you worried working out in the evening will cause you to miss your favorite TV show?

FINALLY, there are no more excuses for missing out on a short workout.

Workout during commercials with just your bodyweight!

Just think, the average commercial time is 30 secs, 2-4 commercials of 1-2 minutes

A 1 hour show has 4 commercial breaks of about 4 minutes each.

You can get in a short and intense full body workout while watching TV.

Don't count reps!

Don't count sets!

No gym, No equipment!

Just watch TV and workout during commercials, its that simple!

1st Commercial - Warmup with Burpees

2nd Commercial- Prisoner Squat Off Couch

3rd Commercial - Decline Pushup Off Couch

4th Commercial - Mountain Climbers with hands on couch

For more quick workouts for busy dads try the

==>Dad Fitness System

Sean Barker, CPT

Learn the "The Truth On Fat Loss, How To Finally Lose Your Beer Belly" in this FREE report from Sean Barker at www.dadfitness.com

The Best Mother's Day Gift

noreply@blogger.com (Sean Barker) — Fri, 08 May 2009 12:46:00 +0000

OK guys, this is your FINAL reminder, Mother's Day is THIS Sunday!

Now before you rush off to grab the few remaining Mother's Day cards that nobody wants,... STOP and think about what your wife AND your mother would really want on this special day.

With my wife busy and back to work now after her parental leave from having our first child this is her FIRST Mother's Day!

So no matter how much flowers or chocolate I give her that's still not going to give her what she REALLY wants... and it doesn't cost a cent...TIME

Being a busy working mother with a 11 month old baby in the house TIME is priceless.

So that is what I intend to give my wife this Sunday, the day to herself doing whatever she wants. I will serve her breakfast in bed after she sleeps late and will take Matea off her hands for the day.

...Plus I got a few other personal things up my sleeve that will brighten her day as well.

Oh and don't forget that other special Mom in your life, yeah... YOUR Mom!

Instead of taking her out to some loud and over crowded restaurant on Sunday, if you live near by... just spend some TIME with her.

Dust off some of the old photo albums of you naked in the tub and go through them with her and ask her questions about how she was feeling at the time the photo was taken.

That will be sure to stir up many great emotions and memories that might be fading with time.

A great mothers day gift idea if you are lucky enough to live near your mom is a digital photo frame loaded up with lots of photos of you and her together. These can play hundreds of photos in a continuous slide show allowing her to look back in time every day at her motherhood years even if your not there.

Alright guys, the rest is up to you...just remember on Sunday that time is precious and priceless so make the best of it by showing how much those special ladies in your life mean to you...

Have a great weekend!

Thanks for being MY Mom!

Happy Mother's Day Mommy!

Love Matea

Sean Barker, CPT

Learn the "The Truth On Fat Loss, How To Finally Lose Your Beer Belly" in this FREE report from Sean Barker at www.dadfitness.com

The 10 Best Injury-Management Tips

noreply@blogger.com (Sean Barker) — Thu, 07 May 2009 13:05:00 +0000

With the sun shining and the temperatures rising to a balmy 15 degrees here in Labrador the last few days, I am trying to get out and enjoy it as much as possible.

After my Dad Fitness workout yesterday afternoon we spent the entire day outside with baby Matea and put a nice few miles on her stroller.

The fresh air really did her good as she slept like a rock last night!

So instead of sitting in front of the computer today I called upon one of my friends in the fitness industry to help you out with any aches and pains you might be having.

Make sure to enjoy any spring sunshine coming your way and get outside and get active with your family...

Guest Blog:

By Charles Staley, B.Sc, MSS

Director, Staley Training Systems

Tip One: The Hyper-Warm-Up

If you're hurtin' and you start your squat session with 135 on the bar, keep reading…

Look, if you're young, healthy, and stupid, you can skip the warm-up- for now. But if you've got a few miles on that chassis and you're not yet ready for replacement parts, it'll serve you well to institute the hyper-warm-up:

Step 1: The Early Bird Gets Burned:

If you can, your joints will appreciate a later workout as opposed to an earlier one. Synovial joints, for example, aren't fully lubricated with synovial fluid until a few hours after waking. Think of your first few hours after waking as part of your warm-up- and in fact, you'll immediately find that your exercise warm-up will be faster when you train later in the day as opposed to earlier.

Step 2: The Long, Hot Shower:

This is another example of success by "doing the opposite:" Take your shower before your workout, not after (well, OK, you can take one after too if you like). How long? How hot? As long and hot as you can comfortably tolerate- 15 minutes is probably plenty, but play around with it and you'll come up with the best duration. Warm tissues respond better to training- which is where the term "warm-up" comes from in the first place).

Step 3: Dress For Success:

Even if it's warm out, try to wear Under Armor-type sweat-wicking material. There are a number of materials available now, but the salient idea is that these new fabrics wick sweat away from your skin as you train. Why is this important? Because evaporating sweat cools your body- the exact opposite of what you're trying to do. I love cotton when I'm not training, but in the gym, forget it- I'm sold on Synthetic sweat-wicking materials. If you haven't yet tried them, I urge you to give it a go and see what you think.

Step 3: Joint Custody:

Neoprene joint sleeves help to warm your joints faster, and they also keep those joints warm through your entire workout. At Bed & Barbell, we like sleeves made by TK and Rehband, but a number of brands are available. If you haven't yet tried joint sleeves because you view them as "cheating" or "giving in," you're really missing out!

Step 4: Sweat:

Your general warm-up should be sufficient to generate a sweat. You don't need to be pouring sweat mind, you, but if you're still dry, you're not warmed up. I like skipping rope, but whatever works for you is fine.

Step 5: Come In Through The Back Door:

If you've got a "problem" joint, muscle, or body region, try training it last in the workout. Now here's why you'll probably dismiss this idea- your "problem" areas are likely to be related to exercise you deem important to you. For example, if you love to squat and/or you're a powerlifter, and your knees are a bit cranky, try squatting at the end of the workout instead of at the beginning. I know this violates the old axiom that important exercises should come first in the workout, but your HEALTH is what's really important, correct? Use your upper-body exercises as a general warm-up, and you'll find that your knees will respond better to the squats as a result.

Tip Two: Control Variables

If I've got a client who needs/wants to squats, but he's got orthopedic issues, I'll always do everything I can to ensure we're using consistent technique on every rep. For example, squat depth can be made more precise by squatting down to a box or bench. Similarly, tempo can be monitored/timed as well.

Tip Three: Hold Load Constant And Use The "O" Rating

If you've got a nagging injury that you're determined to train through, consider this tip: Every time you perform a/the exercise that tends to aggravate joint pain, use the same load, and the same set/rep bracket. For example, if you're benching with shoulder pain, you might work up to 185 pounds for 5 sets of 5. Then, every time you bench, in your training journal, make a note of your joint pain on a 1-5 scale (0 meaning no pain, 5 meaning you had so much pain you had to stop). If, over a series of bench press workouts, your "O Rating" increases, you'll need to reconsider your plan. On the other hand, if your O Rating decreases, you're probably on the right track.

Tip Four: Stop the Vicious Cycle

When you've got an injury, you might need to rest it, but if you never return to training, you'll be victimized by the "vicious cycle:" the initial injury tends to cause reduced activity, which causes atrophy, which further reduces activity, which leads to further atrophy, etc. You've gotta break that cycle somehow. And that might mean medical intervention by the way.

Tip Five: Train Injured Parts Last

This was already addressed in the first tip relating to the Hyper Warm-Up, but it bears repeating: don't hammer your hurtin' joints right out of the gate, even if that's the way you've always done it. The more a joint hurts, the later it should be trained, if at all.

Tip Six: Your Warm-Up Remains The Same

Consistent with the idea of controlling variables is the concept of using a consistent warm-up routine. Here's mine for Olympic snatches:

44 pounds (2x3)
66 pounds (2x3)
88pounds (2x3)
110 pounds (2x3)
132 pounds (2x2)

Then I proceed to my heaviest weights for the day, whatever they might be.

Notice that I always use the same weight jumps, and also notice that I perform each weight twice. This provides me with a basis of comparison- if, for example, my second set with 110 pounds feels better than the first set with that weight, I know my warm-up's working for me- I can feel myself becoming more prepared for the heavier weights to follow. Without this approach however, I don't benefit from this comparison

Tip Seven: Be Efficient

If you're a competitive lifter, are all those joint-trashing exercises really necessary? For example, let's say you're looking for a bigger bench and your elbows are becoming problematic. Further, your pecs (not your triceps) are the weak muscle group in the bench press. So why are you still doing heavy triceps extensions?

Tip Eight: Is Pain An Ibuprofin Deficiency?

OK, it's probably irresponsible for me to suggest this, but the point is, anti-inflammatories can really help. Ask your doctor, not me.

Tip Nine: If All Else Fails, Rest

I know, you don't wanna take a layoff. But if you're O Rating is climbing and your Ibuprofin purchases are breaking the budget, you might have to do it. Take heart: after a very recent three-week layoff, I hit a lifetime PR power snatch right out of the gates, at age 49. Sometimes the upside of healthier joints are worth the downside of detraining.

Tip Ten: If That Fails, See Your Doc

Here's a wild thought for ya: if you know what's actually wrong, you might be closer to finding a solution! I know, you don't want your doctor to tell you to stop lifting, but obviously he will, so just get over it. Knowledge is power. Get the knowledge, make a plan, get those joints healthy, and get back to the gym already.

About The Author

Charles Staley...world-class strength/performance coach...his colleagues call him an iconoclast, a visionary, a rule-breaker. His clients call him “The Secret Weapon” for his ability to see what other coaches miss. Charles calls himself a “geek” who struggled in Phys Ed throughout school. Whatever you call him, Charles’ methods are ahead of their time and quickly produce serious results.

Click here to visit Charles' site and grab your 5 FREE videos that will show you how to literally FORCE your body to build muscle, lose fat and gain strength with "Escalating Density Training," Charles' revolutionary, time-saving approach to lifting that focuses on performance NOT pain.

Dr. Dad is in the House

noreply@blogger.com (Sean Barker) — Mon, 04 May 2009 19:16:00 +0000

It was a restless night in the Barker household last night...

But sleep takes a back seat when I got two ladies to take care of.

Not only was our 11 month old daughter Matea up a few times throughout the night as she is teething and has a little head cold,

BUT my wife woke up with a bad headache, high fever and ended up getting sick all night and this morning.

So while I tended to my wife resting in bed I thought the best thing for today would be to let her have some piece and quite while I packed up Matea and headed over to my parents house for the afternoon. My wife liked the idea so we left and let her rest...

I did have a workout scheduled for today so while Matea was happy playing and getting her workout at Grammie's and Grampies I headed across the street to the gym for a quick and intense Dad Fitness Workout.

I loved the convenience of growing up with that little dungeon of a gym just across the street from where we lived. I have been working out there for about 14 years and it is like having my own little gym as there is hardly anyone ever there.

Here was today's workout.

Pushups off a fixed barbell with feet elevated on bench,3 max sets, 60 sec rest
Lying Flat Barbell Tricep Extensions, 4 sets of 8 reps
Pullups from rope, 4 sets of 6 reps
Standing DB Shoulder Press, 3 sets of 8 reps
Standing One Arm Cable Curls, 3 sets of 8 reps
Ab circuit of hanging leg raises and cross body mountain climbers

I am gonna refuel after today's workout with my mother's homemade spaghetti
...I couldn't turn down her offer!... then we will head back home to take care of mommy...and maybe I will get a chance to check out the hockey game.

GO PENS!

Sean Barker, CPT

Learn the "The Truth On Fat Loss, How To Finally Lose Your Beer Belly" in this FREE report from Sean Barker at www.dadfitness.com

The Buff and Busy Workout

noreply@blogger.com (Sean Barker) — Fri, 01 May 2009 18:22:00 +0000

TGIF...Today is May 1st, which means there are only 3 weeks until the start of summer.

Not too sure if that applies to us here in Labrador, Canada though with the rain and wet snow falling outside...

So I decided I would give you time crunched dads a little kick start workout that I pulled from my training tickle trunk.

For complete exercise descriptions and to get over 16 weeks of fitness workouts for men download the Dad Fitness System HERE<==

The Buff and Busy Workout is more of an advanced muscle building workout, but can be done at home with minimal equipment and will get you on your way to building strong lean muscle and goodbye to that gut before the shirts come off this summer.

If you are just starting out, do a couple sets of each exercise until you improve your conditioning.

Bodyweight Warm-up (to be performed before each workout)
• Prisoner-Squat – 10 reps
• Pushups – 10 reps
• Wall Slides – 10 reps

*Complete 2 circuits of this entire warm-up without rest

Bodyweight Workout

1A Jump Squat, 5 sets of 5 reps, no rest

1B Spiderman Pushup, 5 sets of 5 reps, 60 secs rest

2A Chin Ups or Bent Over DB Rows, 5 sets of 5 reps, no rest

2B Standing DB Shoulder Press, 5 sets of 5 reps, 60 secs rest

3A Standing Zottman DB Curl, 5 sets of 5 reps, no rest

3B Lying Floor DB Tricep Ext. 5 sets of 5 reps, 60 secs rest

4. Stability Ball Jackknife 3 sets of 8-10 reps, 60 secs rest

Cooldown Stretching (to be performed after each workout)

*Hold each stretch for 10-15 seconds
• Lat Stretch
• Chest Stretch
• Quad Stretch
• Hamstring Stretch
• Shoulder/Tricep Stretch

Alright guys, give this workout a try this weekend and let me know how it went!

Enjoy your weekend and your workouts...

Sean Barker, CPT

Learn the "The Truth On Fat Loss, How To Finally Lose Your Beer Belly" in this FREE report from Sean Barker at www.dadfitness.com

Everything is amazing, nobody is happy...

noreply@blogger.com (Sean Barker) — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 17:11:00 +0000

Make sure you watch this video below. It really has a powerful message!

As for me, I had a great workout this afternoon. I got to the gym at 11am instead of my usual 12pm this morning as my wife came home for lunch early so she let me out early, lol

Thanks to my properly designed Dad Fitness workouts I can get to the gym, warm up, workout, stretch and drive home, all within an hour to be back home to resume my daily duties as a stay at home dad with my baby daughter so my wife can head back to work.

...and I only need to do this workout 3 times a week so I don't have to worry about fitting in a workout everyday!

Here is Day 1 of the new workout routine I started today that I will do for the next 3 weeks.

Day 1-Max Effort Upper Body

Weighted Dips, 1 max set of 3-5 reps
Flat DB Bench Press, 4 sets of 6-10 reps
Bent Over BB Row, 4 sets of 10-15 reps
Bent Over Cable Raise, 3 sets of 10-12
BB Side Bends, 3 sets of 8-12 reps

I have been feeling really good lately with my workouts and I am thankful that I have found the proper balance between family, fitness and fun by following the Dad Fitness Lifestyle.

If YOU find yourself feeling stressed about your health, wealth and happiness during these tough economic times you need to watch this video!

There is nothing like a little perspective to show you that if you take a minute to just look around, EVERYTHING IS AMAZING...

Let me know what you do to keep things in perspective by posting a comment below.

I would love to hear your opinion!

Sean Barker, CPT

Learn the "The Truth On Fat Loss, How To Finally Lose Your Beer Belly" in this FREE report from Sean Barker at www.dadfitness.com

18 Reasons Why You MUST Weight Train

noreply@blogger.com (Sean Barker) — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 11:37:00 +0000

I have got to get something off my chest and I hope it doesn't offend you...

It seems almost on a daily basis I continue to hear from busy dads who are trying to slim down and get in shape but are only doing long boring cardio like walking on a treadmill or even knee numbing long distance running to burn fat.

First, if this sounds familiar...I applaud you for doing SOMETHING, but if you are putting in some effort I want YOU to get results.

Walking and running are still good ways to stay active but they must not be your only source of exercise if you want to change the shape of your body.

So if you are trying to lose a few pounds and you are NOT doing some type of resistance training like weight training or bodyweight workouts you will NOT be happy with your results!

Weight Training increases your body's metabolism 24 hours a day, not just for a hour, like when you do long duration cardio like running.

More specifically it is referred to as E.P.O.C. otherwise known as "excess post-exercise oxygen consumption."

Without getting to technical, EPOC represents the process your body goes through in which energy is used to recover from exercise.

When you finish exercising, it takes time and energy for your muscle cells to return to resting levels.

Energy is also needed to replenish depleted glucose, protein and fat stores, and to remove accumulated cell waste.

The more rebuilding that needs to be done, the greater the rate of EPOC, which in turn, means more calories from your body's fat stores are being burned after your workout.

While the primary factor in determining EPOC is exercise intensity, there is also duration to consider -- just not to the same extent.

Just visualize spinning one of those Tops you used to have as a kid, as your metabolism. You want to spin it really hard so it will continue to spin on its own when you let go of it.

Studies show your metabolism remains elevated to such a level up to 48 hours after high intensity exercise like weight training.

When intense weight training exercises using your entire body are combined with intervals in the same workout, like are found in the Dad Fitness Workouts, the positive effects it will have on reshaping your body is astonishing!

Still don't believe me? Here are 18 more reasons to weight train...

1. Weight training tones your muscles, which looks great and raises your basal metabolism, which causes you to burn more calories 24 hours a day. You'll even burn more calories while you're sleeping!

2. Weight training can *reverse* the natural decline in your metabolism which begins around age 30.

3. Weight training energizes you.

4. Weight training has a positive affect on almost all of your 650+ muscles.

5. Weight training strengthens your bones reducing your risk of developing osteoporosis.

6. Weight training improves your muscular endurance.

7. Weight training will NOT develop big bulky muscles; just hard toned muscles!

8. Weight training makes you strong. Strength gives you confidence and makes daily activities easier.

9. Weight training makes you less prone to low-back injuries.

10. Weight training decreases your resting blood pressure.

11. Weight training decreases your risk of developing adult onset diabetes.

12. Weight training decreases your gastrointestinal transit time, reducing your risk for developing colon cancer.

13. Weight training increases your blood level of HDL cholesterol (the good type).

14. Weight training improves your posture.

15. Weight training improves the functioning of your immune system.

16. Weight training lowers your resting heart rate, a sign of a more efficient heart.

17. Weight training improves your balance and coordination.

18. Weight training elevates your mood.

If you have some other good reasons of your own why YOU should weight train please share it and post a comment below!

...and if you want a quick and easy recipe for my Mmmmmm Meatloaf, watch my latest cooking video.

Sean Barker, CPT

Learn the "The Truth On Fat Loss, How To Finally Lose Your Beer Belly" in this FREE report from Sean Barker at www.dadfitness.com

The Real Way to Stop Eating Fast Food

noreply@blogger.com (Sean Barker) — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 15:25:00 +0000

Guest Blog: By Tom Venuto
www.BurnTheFat.com

I rounded up fat loss expert Tom Venuto for a great guest post on The Real Way to Stop Eating Fast Food

Plus he even shares some quick healthy recipes that you can whip up in minutes when it's Dad's time to cook!

“How could you eat that junk? It’s so bad for you!” (nag, nag).

“Don’t you know those fries will give you a heart attack?” (nag, nag).

“You have to stop eating all that fast food, it’s going to make you fat!” (nag nag).

“You have to eat more healthy food like fruits and vegetables - they’re good for you!” (nag, nag).

Your friends nag you, your family nags you, your doctor nags you, the health newsletters, websites and magazines - they all nag you, and of course, your personal trainer nags the heck out of you, to stop eating all those BAD FAST FOODS.

But does all that nagging you and bad-mouthing the fast food industry really help anyone stop?

It doesn’t look that way. The fast food industry is thriving, even in the bad economy. The Chicago Tribune recently said that McDonalds is “recession proof.”

As one of only two companies to turn a major profit over the last year (the other being Wal Mart), McDonald’s is laughing its way to the bank. In fact, McDonalds plans to open 1,000 new stores this year.

I was driving down Route 95 a few weeks ago and pulled over to use the rest room at Mcdonalds on a Saturday morning (there’s a McDonalds conveniently located immediately off almost every exit up and down the full length of Interstate 95).

The parking lot was full, it was standing-room only inside and the lines snaked around into the seating area! You’d think Brad and Angelina were there signing autographs or something. Nope. Just a regular weekend at breakfast-time.

I was shopping in Wal Mart the same week and I almost passed out when I saw (smelled, actually) a McDonalds… INSIDE THE WAL- MART! Also, with lines.

Yep. It looks like your friends and family’s nagging you to stop eating fast food, and all the messages of the health and fitness industry to get people eating more “health food” are not working!

So what does work?

The results of a new survey from the behavior and psychology section of the journal, OBESITY (Feb 2009) provide some answers:

Researchers at the University of Minnesota School of Public health surveyed 530 adults about their attitudes towards fast foods.

They found that people already know fast food is unhealthy. (like, no kidding!)

The primary reasons they eat it anyway are because of the perceived convenience and a dislike for cooking! (I’d add another: they think fast food is always cheaper than healthy food).

So, said the authors of this research paper, nagging people to eat more healthy food and warning them that “fast food is going to make us fat and kill us” is not the best approach.

What’s the right approach?

Focus on teaching people how to make healthy eating fast, convenient and easy, because those are the reasons people are choosing fast food in the first place.

So what’s holding us back from implementing or taking this advice?

Well, I think that most people can’t get over the ideas that they “just cant cook” or that cooking is “too time consuming” or that healthy food “tastes like dirt” (as if McDonalds is gourmet food!)

That said, I’m not going to nag you, scold you or try to scare you out of eating fast food. I’m not going to lecture you about health food (not today, anyway). Nor am I going to bad-mouth the fast food restaurants.

I’m going to lead the new charge by showing you just how easy and convenient it is to eat healthy and nutritious food and make it delicous.

Here’s a few meal ideas (for starters) to prove my point.

3-MINUTE APPLE CINNAMON OATMEAL

* natural oatmeal (like Quaker old fashioned rolled oats)
* natural (unsweetened) applesauce
* cinnamon
* for protein, serve with scrambled eggs or egg whites on side or stir 1-2 scoops of vanilla protein powder into the oats

I eat this almost every morning. It’s faster, easier and cheaper than going to the donut place or getting sausage, cheese, bacon breakfast muffins at the fast food joint! (you don’t have to wait in line, either!)

10-MINUTE LAZY PERSON’S CHINESE STIR FRY

* Brown rice (I like basmati)
* frozen oriental vegetables
* chicken breast, grilled (try foreman grill)
* bragg’s “liquid aminos” (or light/lo-sodium soy sauce)

This takes 30 minutes, however, if you get a rice cooker and make a giant batch, you can have your rice on standby for instant eats and this will take less than 10 minutes.

It doesn’t get much easier than that. (I like those chinese veggies that come with the little mini-corn-on-the-cobs… reminds me of that Tom Hanks Movie, BIG)

2-MINUTE BLACK BEANS AND SPICY SALSA

* black beans (15 oz can)
* Medium or hot salsa
* 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
* 2 cloves garlic or chopped garlic to taste
* salt and pepper to taste

This one takes you all of 2 minutes to make. No cooking required! And it’s good! It’s vegetarian as listed above, but if you’re a high-protein muscle-head like me, just add chicken breast or lean ground turkey.

Best part: this is all inexpensive food! Oats, rice, beans… doesn’t get much cheaper than that - buy your healthy staples in bulk and the cost per serving is probably less than mickey D’s! (yes, even the “Value” meals)

Every one of these recipes is compatible with my Burn The Fat program

This means that my way of eating makes you more muscular and leaner… so you can look hot wearing very little clothes this summer… and be healthier… and save money too.

Train Hard, Eat Right, and Expect Success!

Tom Venuto
www.BurnTheFat.com

About the Author:

Sean Barker, CPT

Learn the "The Truth On Fat Loss, How To Finally Lose Your Beer Belly" in this FREE report from Sean Barker at www.dadfitness.com

The #1 Food You Should NOT Eat

noreply@blogger.com (Sean Barker) — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 11:52:00 +0000

Nope its not snow, read on to find out what this mystery food is...

It's been a crazy couple days here in our house.

Our baby daughter who will be 11 months old on Thursday seems to have gotten into the habit of waking up around 1am at night and wanting to stay up and play for the rest of the night!

So for the last few days my wife despite our best efforts have had only a couple hours sleep.

But wait until you read what happened to us due to lack of sleep!

You will definitely get a good laugh at MY expense!

...Yesterday was a BEAUTIFUL spring day here in Labrador with clear blue skies and a warm 11 degrees Celsius. That's as good as it gets here for spring sunshine.

So we all decided to head out for some good' old Vitamin D with my folks on snowmobile Labrador style by lighting a fire and having a "boil up" up on a nearby lake.

For those of you who don't know:

"Happiness is a mug of tea, made from water boiled in a newfie flat ass kettle over a fire of blasty boughs!"

Anyway, earlier that morning I made some quick and easy Chili in the crockpot to bring to our day out on the lake.

Check out this cooking video for a quick and easy chili recipe...

My wife and I were running around the house trying to get baby Matea ready as well as pack up our food and gear for the day.

I took my Crock Pot, which even had a lid that seals up for transporting to potlucks and packed it in the cooler along with the rest of our stuff...including my new Flip video camera.

Looking back I obviously was rushed and my brain was half asleep.

and I didn't pack things good enough because when we got to our destination, after towing our gear with our cooler in the sleigh across the lake.

Chili was EVERYWHERE!

The lid ended up coming off and chili was all over the inside of the cooler, INCLUDING my camera!

The chili was ruined and so was my new camera...

But, thanks to my mom who had some sandwiches packed as well as a can of beans which is great cooked over an open fire we all managed to have a great afternoon.

When you have "one of those days" you need to take a step back and think, is it really a big deal?

Being healthy and alive with great family and friends is the BIG DEAL....

Oh yeah, I even treated myself to the #1 Food You Should NOT Eat...wieners

Keep these artery clogging pig parts for rare occasions like a campfire or a family bbq and your gut will thank you!

Sean Barker, CPT

Learn the "The Truth On Fat Loss, How To Finally Lose Your Beer Belly" in this FREE report from Sean Barker at www.dadfitness.com

Real Men DO Eat Quiche

noreply@blogger.com (Sean Barker) — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 17:48:00 +0000

Despite what some books may tell you "Real Men DO Eat Quiche"!

I consider myself a manly man as I like hunting and eating wild meat, lifting heavy weights and watching sports and Food Network's Giada De Laurentiis for more than her recipes.

Eating Hungry Man microwaved dinners and sporting a big belly don't make you more of a man.

It actually makes you LESS of a man as eating junk food from heated plastics and carrying around excess belly fat creates more estrogen in your body not testosterone!

Can you say man-boobs?

I love to eat so with that comes a love to cook...

Plus by letting your wife sleep late and serving her a Sunday morning breakfast you will definitely win points in the testosterone department...

So this morning I took the Quiche recipe from my favorite cookbook, Gourmet Nutrition.

The only change I made was I didn't cook them in muffin pans.

I thought that was a little too sissy even for me... I just used a regular casserole dish.

After that I was off to the gym for a quick workout to sweat and grunt and lift heavy stuff.

Here was my Dad Fitness workout:

Barbell Front Squats
Barbell Reverse Lunges
Cable Rope Pull Throughs (definitely a manly exercise)
Forearms Grip Holds

OK, I am off to watch the hockey playoffs. GO PENS!

Let me know who you are cheering for in this years NHL playoffs.

If you want to build the body you never thought you could have, start eating the meals you never thought you could eat! Get over 120 recipes and a no-nonsense nutrition plan that will show you how to make it all work. Get Gourmet Nutrition today.

Get the book HERE<==

Sean Barker, CPT

Learn the "The Truth On Fat Loss, How To Finally Lose Your Beer Belly" in this FREE report from Sean Barker at www.dadfitness.com

Wok With Sean? Healthy Fish and Chips Video

noreply@blogger.com (Sean Barker) — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 18:57:00 +0000

For you fellow Canadians, you might recognize the humor in today's post.

"Wok With Sean" instead of a cooking show called Wok With Yan, that used to come on CBC television here in Canada back in the 80's.

It was a funny blend of Cantonese cuisine, recipes, feeding the audience, and dorky humor.

...and who could forget his trademark apron’s which contained a variety of Wok puns.

Some of my favorites were:

Wok & Roll
Danger, Men at Wok
Wok the Heck
Stuck between a Wok and a Hard Place
Wokkey Night in Canada
Raiders of the Lost Wok

I always loved watching cooking shows and that was probably the first one I ever watched.

Now you can join ME in the kitchen as I whip up a healthy version of the classic Fish and Chips.

If you want to get REAL results from your workouts then you have to starting eating REAL.

Nothing processed or out of a box or package.

If it don't fly, swim, run around or is green your body don't need it!

What's not enjoyable about frying up some tasty fish outdoors on your grill in the spring sunshine while sipping on a cold beer? Watch the video to see for yourself.

..and yes you can even enjoy an occasional beer and still lose that "beer belly"!

As long as you are eating real food most of the time such as lean meats, fruit and veggies and doing your 3 intense workouts a week, YOU will see RESULTS.

I hope your hungry, because if you are not, you will be after watching this video!

Remember, You Are Wok You Eat...

Sean Barker, CPT

Learn the "The Truth On Fat Loss, How To Finally Lose Your Beer Belly" in this FREE report from Sean Barker at www.dadfitness.com

Dad Fitness Cooking Show How To Make The Best Burger

noreply@blogger.com (Sean Barker) — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 12:05:00 +0000

When people see me eat burgers and pizza, the first question they ask me is

"How do you eat this stuff and stay in such great shape?"

My first answer is with 3 short and simple, BUT intense Dad Fitness workouts each week.

These build strength and lean muscle which is a must if you want to increase your metabolism and force your body to burn fat 24 hours around the clock, even while your sleeping!

...which seems to be a commodity here lately in the Barker household with our teething 10 month old daughter. Poor baby...

Then my second answer is that MY homemade pizza and burgers is not the same as YOUR pizza and burgers that you feed your family.

They taste better and are actually GOOD for your health!

So sit back, relax and watch me fire up my BBQ and show you
how to make the best burgers Dad Fitness style!

WARNING: This video may contain really good food!

Sean Barker, CPT

Learn the "The Truth On Fat Loss, How To Finally Lose Your Beer Belly" in this FREE report from Sean Barker at www.dadfitness.com

What was in YOUR Easter egg?

noreply@blogger.com (Sean Barker) — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 22:32:00 +0000

Happy Easter!

I sincerely hope you're having a great weekend with your family and friends.

We had a fun day as it was Matea's first Easter and it seems like Easter is the new Christmas, according to all the gifts she got!

Our friends knitted her the cute yellow outfit you see in the pics.

She is too young to dig into any chocolate bunnies yet but we did let her taste one of those yellow marshmallow "Peeps" or should I just call them yellow sugar.

As for me I am not a big fan of cheap sweet chocolate like you find in "Mr. Solid". I honestly prefer to enjoy a small piece of 85% rich dark chocolate that is actually good for you and great after a meal with a cup of green tea.

We got up this morning and headed to church and then my wife's parents had an Easter egg hunt all setup for Matea at their house and we had lots of fun deciphering the clues trying to find the hidden treasures.

Then we all enjoyed an early Easter dinner with a big juicy turkey with all the trimmings. I had a little chocolate cake for dessert and that was that.

I don't feel guilty about eating what I want on the weekends because I know that I will be back to eating healthy meals and doing my Dad Fitness Workouts come Monday.

Eat good healthy food 90% of the time and do 3 short fat loss workouts a week and you can burn off that belly fat and be a fit father while still enjoying the foods you love.

I never planned a workout today with all the Easter festivities but I will workout tomorrow and am excited to SPRING into another week of livin' the

Dad Fitness Lifestyle...

Sean Barker, CPT

Learn the "The Truth On Fat Loss, How To Finally Lose Your Beer Belly" in this FREE report from Sean Barker at www.dadfitness.com

Quick Hotel Room Bodyweight Workout

noreply@blogger.com (Sean Barker) — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 18:38:00 +0000

It's good to be home.

I was in Toronto all week attending some business meetings and networking with some of the top fitness professionals.

We also had lots of fun as we checked out a Toronto Raptors basketball game and had a great view from our own skybox. The players even looked big from that distance, they must be monsters in person!

For times when you are away from home for work or even vacation, you can still stay on track with your workout routine by doing quick bodyweight workouts in your hotel room or if you have the time you can get a great workout in at the hotel gym.

I actually did both during the week as I knew that the gyms would be closed on this long weekend when I returned home.

So check out this quick hotel room bodyweight workout for times when you are on the road.

No excuses!

Sean Barker, CPT

Learn the "The Truth On Fat Loss, How To Finally Lose Your Beer Belly" in this FREE report from Sean Barker at www.dadfitness.com

The Top 10 Things You Must Do To Have A Great Workout - EVERY Workout

noreply@blogger.com (Sean Barker) — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 23:19:00 +0000

I have been staying in Toronto the last few days attending business meetings.

I don't travel all that much but I gotta say I really have been missing my wife and my baby daughter.

So today I have a special guest post for you from one of the top fitness professionals in the industry and who is also a fit dad over 40.

The Top 10 Things You Must Do To Have A Great Workout - EVERY Workout

By Charles Staley, B.Sc, MSS
Director, Staley Training Systems

The basic idea of a good warm-up is to walk that fine line between preparing yourself adequately for the intense work to come, without fatiguing yourself in the process.

From my observations, however, few people seem to manage this, either performing far too little work, or doing so much that their warm-up becomes a workout in itself. I conceptualize the perfect warm-up as a 5- stage event, as follows:

Engage Brain Before Putting Body in Gear: The Mental Warm-up

The experienced athlete has been thinking about the impending workout all week. He’s rehearsed the workout dozens of times in his mind, and is already aware of the possible problems he might encounter (such as dealing with rush hour in the gym or a nagging hamstring pull that might kick up during the workout).

A novice trainee, on the other hand, can be identified by the fact that he doesn’t even know what he will do until he gets to the gym (and maybe not even then!). Since novices typically get novice-level results, I urge you to explore visualization and autogenic training, both of which are established methods of maximizing physical performance both in training and in competition.

Some people learn these techniques on their own, others need instruction. Either way, USE them!

If you’ll be training early in the morning, and/or if it’s cold out, beef up the warm-up process commensurately.
Training in dry climates requires a more thorough warm-up than training in humid surrounds.
Older trainees generally profit from more extensive warm-ups.
If you are otherwise healthy but have “creaky” joints, err on the side of being too extensive with your warm-up. After all, the goal of being able to train takes precedence over the fact that you might fatigue yourself slightly with an extensive warm-up.

The closer you venture toward 1RM in your workout, the more extensive your warm-up should be. In other words, do a more thorough warm-up for 5×5 than you would for 3×12.
You can accelerate your warm-up through passive means such as a hot bath or shower. Although active means are superior to passive, often, a combination of the two leads to great results.
On exercises where your own bodyweight is the minimal load possible (chins, dips, etc.), first warm up with similar exercises that allow lesser loads (e.g., lat pulldowns and decline bench presses), and then proceed to the target exercise, using multiple sets of 1 rep. As soon as the next set of 1 does not feel any easier than the set before it, you’re ready to proceed to your work sets.
If you are executing exercises for antagonistic muscle groups “back to back” (such as training seated rows with triceps extensions), do your warm-up sets for these exercises in the same pattern that you’ll use for the work sets.
If you’ve done it right, your middle work set(s) will feel the easiest. For example, when performing 5×8, the 3rd set should feel the best, and sets 4 and 5 should feel progressively more difficult. If your last sets feel the best, it indicates that your warm-up was not thorough enough. If your first work sets are easiest, you may have warmed-up too much.

On to the Heavy Metal…

If you’ve followed my suggestions, you should now feel warm, strong, loose, and enthusiastic about training hard. It’s kind of amazing, isn’t it? Fifteen minutes ago you could barely tolerate the thought of a hard workout; now you’re looking forward to it!

About The Author

Sean Barker, CPT

Learn the "The Truth On Fat Loss, How To Finally Lose Your Beer Belly" in this FREE report from Sean Barker at www.dadfitness.com

Manly Meals In Minutes

noreply@blogger.com (Sean Barker) — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 22:24:00 +0000

Every busy dad needs to have a staple of quick manly meals he can fall back on when he feels like getting creative in the kitchen and cooking something that even the kids will eat.

You can get really creative with this "recipe" and mix and match the pasta, meat, veggies, cheese and spices.

Use this meal as a base to try a different combination every week to keep your families taste buds guessing.

The best part about this easy recipe is it won't bust your gut like those "heart attack hungry man dinners", and it makes great leftovers that you can freeze in those Tupperware containers so you have healthy meals to bring to work or to refuel after your short fat loss workouts.

Just don't reheat them in the plastic containers using the microwave do to all the nasty estrogen-like chemicals that can leach into your food and give you man boobs!

I find Pyrex glassware great for storing and reheating leftover meals.

So move on over Chef Boyardee...dad is taking over... so here is a hearty and healthy manly meal you can feel good about serving your family...(Puffy white chef hat is optional)

2 cups of whole wheat pasta
1lb of extra lean ground beef
1 bell pepper chopped
1 small onion chopped
2 stalks of celery chopped
half a can of slice black olives
a few chopped sun dried tomatoes
half a cup of shredded Parmesan cheese
1 cup of tomato sauce
sprinkle of sea salt, freshly ground black pepper,
oregano, parsley, hot chili flakes, and clubhouse garlic pepper seasoning

Add pasta to boiling water and boil for 10-12 minutes

Cook ground beef in pan with veggies

Add spices to beef and veggies

Drain pasta and add to pan with beef and veggies

Add tomato sauce to beef and pasta mixture, stir and simmer for 5 minutes

Sprinkle cheese over top and turn off heat allowing cheese to melt with remaining heat.

Enjoy!

Sean Barker, CPT

Learn the "The Truth On Fat Loss, How To Finally Lose Your Beer Belly" in this FREE report from Sean Barker at www.dadfitness.com

This guy lost 49lbs in 11 weeks with Dad Fitness

noreply@blogger.com (Sean Barker) — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 19:44:00 +0000

It's been a good week of training for me as one of my closest friends who used to be my training partner for years is back in town for a few months.

We haven't worked out together in years so it is great to meet up at the gym 3 days a week for some short intense workouts.

Oh yeah, he also made a dramatic transformation using my workout and nutrition system.

Check it out==>

"In just 11 weeks I went from 247lbs to 198lbs,
lost my beer belly and gained rock hard muscle!"...

“Coming from a “big boned” family I thought I was cursed with the fat gene. I am a guy who loves to eat, and on this lifestyle program I ate more than I ever had.

Within the first week after each workout it’s like I could actually feel my body burning fat. Over the years I tried all the traditional forms of exercise and spent hours in the gym, with minimal results. With this program I loved the freedom it gave me with just 3 workouts a week.

Sean’s program was different, it’s short, simple, and it works! And it’s backed my science, so I know it had to work.

I completely transformed my body to the point my own mother barely recognized me. Wherever I went around town or to social events people would compliment me on how great I looked, and man did that feel good. For the first time in my life I could actually see my abs!

The best thing is I now have the knowledge to maintain this body for the rest of my life. This program is the only one I will ever need. Sean is the real-deal and practices what he preaches.”

Thanks Sean,

Toby Aylward,
Toronto, Ontario, Canada

But there is a BIG difference in my life and the way I train now compared to the way we used to workout, because now I am married and a proud and busy dad to our 10 month old daughter Matea.

We always were pretty intense with our workouts back in the day but they were more bodybuilding style workouts and we took more rest in between sets to chat about last nights hockey game or our plans for the weekend.

From our first workout on Monday he noticed that I now don't waste anytime in the gym anymore as I only have an hour at the most to get to the gym, warmup, workout, stretch and be home to get back to my duties as Mr. Mom. Thankfully the gym is only 5 mins drive away.

With my Dad Fitness System I have fast and furious workouts that build lean muscle and keep my metabolism into overdrive burning fat even while I sleep.

We had a great training session today, here it what we did.

Max Effort Upper Body

Incline Bench Press, 1 max set, 3-5 reps
Flat DB Bench Press, 4 sets, 6-10 reps
One Arm DB Row, 4 sets, 10-15 reps
Cable Rope Upright Rows, 3 sets, 12-15 reps
Hanging Leg Raise, 3 sets, 10-12 reps

Now I am heading out and looking forward to date night with my wife as my mother has Matea for the night. Now that my 3 short workouts are finished for the week I can relax come the weekend and enjoy time with my family.

On tonight's menu, the movie Benjamin Button and then I think I will treat myself to a couple slices of Pizza after eating healthy all week.

Love Livin' the Dad Fitness Lifestyle...

Sean Barker, CPT

Learn the "The Truth On Fat Loss, How To Finally Lose Your Beer Belly" in this FREE report from Sean Barker at www.dadfitness.com

Im Watching You Dad- A video every Dad must see!

noreply@blogger.com (Sean Barker) — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 23:59:00 +0000

For all you dads out there, this is a powerful video that you must see!

because remember, EVERYDAY you are being watched...

Sean Barker, CPT

Learn the "The Truth On Fat Loss, How To Finally Lose Your Beer Belly" in this FREE report from Sean Barker at www.dadfitness.com

The Barbell Belly Blaster Workout

noreply@blogger.com (Sean Barker) — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 13:36:00 +0000

Are you a busy dad who likes to go to the gym for a quick fat burning workout but hate encountering a crowd of regular gym goers who hog workout equipment while yapping on their cell phone?

If so, The Barbell Belly Blaster Workout is for you.

If you are lucky enough to have an Olympic Barbell in your home gym, you can also do this workout without ever leaving your house.

This is primarily a fat loss workout as it elevates your heart rate while supersetting exercises using your bodies major muscles.

But by using your major muscles you are building strength and endurance in those muscles which will also help to build lean muscle in beginners to intermediate lifters.

This is also a great alternative to long boring cardio and can be done at the end of your regular weight training workout to burn extra calories and lose bodyfat.

To increase the muscle building effects of this workout you can add additional weight to the bar but I wouldn't recommend it unless you have a few years of training under your belt.

For absolute beginners who find that the 45lb bar is too much, you can use a lighter bar like the EZ curl bar which is around 25lbs or even a broomstick.

This workout only requires the empty 45lb Olympic Barbell for the entire workout so you can grab a barbell and head off to an empty corner in the gym so you can get a great fat burning workout and be free of any distractions.

You will be using the barbell to complete a Complex, which is just a series of barbell free weight exercises that you will do without rest while keeping the bar in your hands the entire time.

Perform 10-15 reps for each exercise. Complete all exercises without rest, then rest 60 seconds and repeat the circuit 2 more times.

*Warmup with 12 Burpees.

Jump down onto the floor in the bottom of the pushup position and jump back up with hands in the air reaching for the ceiling.

1A Barbell Pushup

Perform regular pushup with hands on the barbell. Brace your abs hard so that you do not roll the bar on the floor.

2A Barbell Squat

Pick barbell off the floor and press overhead and rest the bar across your shoulders. Pushing hips back squat down until your thighs are parallel to the ground.

3A Barbell Shoulder Press

After squats, press the bar back overhead and in front of your shoulders with shoulder width grip press the bar straight up overhead.

4A Barbell Bent-Over Row

After shoulder presses, bend over with bar hanging straight down. Using your elbows pull or row the bar up to your belly button.

5A Barbell Mountain Climber

Place bar back on the floor and get in top part of the pushups position. With abs tight hold that position while you bring one knee to towards your elbow and alternate each leg

Sean Barker, CPT

Learn the "The Truth On Fat Loss, How To Finally Lose Your Beer Belly" in this FREE report from Sean Barker at www.dadfitness.com

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