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2009-08-24T10:14:00.001-07:00

How To Break a Fat Loss Plateau

2009-06-14T07:18:00.000-07:00

Here there....it's Dan here. I hope things are going awesome for you...things have been going crazy....pretty frikkin crazy.

I'm currently in the midst of changing up my workout programs (to make them even more sicker, wickeder and nastier....muahahaha) and planning for my 6 Week July Boot Camps.

I just got back from watching the Russell Peters show at the ACC and it was friggin hilarious! Big thanks to my body Dave for hooking up the tickets. Although I wish he made fun of Asian people a bit more....ah well....BTW I'm asian so I can say that ;)

We are in the midst of summer and it seems that everyone is looking for that "Look great FAST" routine for their bodies.

There are times where you know exactly why you don't see the results you want to see ie. Bad eating habits, not working out consistently etc..

But there are other times when you work so hard, see results initially but end up reaching a plateau. This could quite possibly be the MOST FRUSTRATING THING EVERRRRR.

So why do our bodies hit this plateau? I'll give you 3 reasons:

1. You are on the wrong exercise plan

Basically this means that the program you are on is not working in the first place. Examples of bad programming are:

- None or Very Light resistance training using 3 pound weights that will NOT CHANGE ANYONE'S BODY AT ALL...No you will not get bulky if you use bigger weights ok? I promise.

- Tons of aerobic activity ie. cardio, fitness classes

- Eating too little or too much calories for your body

Solution: The easiest way to avoid this plateau is to work with an exercise program that has a proven track record of achieving fat loss results.

2. You have a great plan but you just are not following it

This is probably the biggest problem. It reminds me of this post from fat loss expert Alwyn Cosgrove. You can have the greatest plan in the world.....BUT if you don't follow it the plan becomes ineffective.

You could be working out and revving up your metabolism with some sick workouts but if you end up eating crappy during the nights you are bound seeing the same body the night after.

Solution: Make small positive changes to your lifestyle every week and laser focus on them to make them habits.

3. You gotta BE DIFFERENT!

After 3-4 weeks your body adapts to the type of exercise program you are on. You always have to change up the workout program to keep on seeing results. So the plan that was supposed to help you burn 3 pounds of fat per week will only last 4 weeks.

Where workout programs fail is when you keep on doing the same old thing week after week after week after week....and expect to see results. It's like taking crazy pills.

Solution: Make sure you are changing up the program every 4 weeks so you can keep seeing results and show off that new body come July.

That's it. With a properly designed fat loss program that takes into account everything we talked about above you can get anyone - I mean ANYONE - to get that lean stomach and toned up legs.

Talk soon,

Dan

51 Universal Success Tips For a Better Body

2009-06-07T09:58:00.000-07:00

My definition of success is being satisfied with yourself and to always keep on searching for ways to grow and improve. Successful people just don't rest on their laurels when they reach their goals.

But hey that's just me.

When I came up with the idea for this post I was in the shower. It shot into my mind like a bat out of hell and I had to jump out of the shower and jot down EVERYTHING that was coming out.

A lot of these things are things I have had to learn and re-learn myself. I'm definitely not a perfect person but I have learned a lot of things from the screw ups I produced along the way.

When I was done I came up with 51 tips for a better body and general world domination ;)

Here they are...in no particular order....I hope you like'em

1. You can never out exercise a bad diet.

2. When eating out make sure you ask the waiter to fill up your plate with two servings of veggies rather than the mandatory carb that comes along with it.

3. Always write down goals for yourself. Don't type them. Write them.

4. Make sure those goals are so out of this world that everyone will be looking at you like you are crazy. Shoot for the stars and you'll end up in the clouds. It's so cliche but true.

5. Take a before picture of yourself. Front, side and back.

6. Front load your carbs in the beginning of the days. On workout days you can have more than normal carbs. Non workout days I would have little to none.

7. Drink water. A dehydrated body will not lose fat.

8. 99% of the time do full body workouts with little to no rest in between.

9. Don't bring a cell phone with you to the gym.

10. Don't take fat loss advice from someone that doesn't look like they practice what they preach.

11. 90% of personal trainers suck. Research them out and make sure they have testimonials so they have a proven track record of getting results.

12. You will end up living up to the expectations of everyone else around you. Put yourself in the company of people who have achieved what you already want to achieve.

13. There is no one perfect fat loss program.

14. There are only a few fat loss principles.

15. If you screw up (which you will eventually do) don't beat yourself up for slipping up. Focus on the solution rather than the problem.

16. Thoughts equal things. Focus on what you want ie. Flat stomach, toned thighs etc.. rather than what you don't want ie. "I don't want to get fat", "I don't want to eat badly" etc..

17. Always measure yourself every single month to see if you are making progress. Most important measurements are the hips and waist.

18. Have less than 10 seconds rest time between sets for a circuit or Tabatas. The less rest you have in-between sets the more your body turns into a fat burning machine.

19. Always aim for the "Afterburn effect". Afterburn happens when you end a day of exercise but an hour later you are still sweating from the workout. This is your metabolism on FIRE.

20. Buy clothing that is a size or two down from what you normally wear. Make it your goal to fit into that piece of clothing in two months.

21. Fitness classes (Step classes, fake weight classes, tae-bo classes, etc...) are fun but ineffective at helping you burn fat and achieve the body you want to achieve. Avoid them at all costs.

22.Yoga is awesome for developing an injury resistant body but horrible for fat loss. An average yoga class burns 130 calories. Sweeping your floor burns 130 calories.

23. Doing exercise with a friend is the best way to stick to a workout program.

24. If you do exercise with a friend, make sure they are AS SERIOUS AS YOU ARE in terms of achieving your goals. Which leads to...

25. If you can have a full out conversation when working out....you are NOT WORKING OUT HARD ENOUGH.

26. Always change your exercise program every 4 weeks to never let your body plateau. This means changing the entire program and doing something totally different. Don't just think types of exercises. Think ENTIRE program.

27. Always do your cardio intervals after your strength training.

28. Always take a post workout protein shake after a workout. This will boost your metabolism and increase the effectiveness of the workout.

29. Always aim for protein at every single meal.

30. Aim for 5-6 meals spread apart every 2-3 hours every day.

31. Always take a fish oil supplement and a multivitamin at least once every day.

32. Always seek a coach or a mentor to help you achieve your goals especially in areas you are weak in. I hire a business coach to help me out with my business. He costs a ton but he is worth every penny.

33. Adopt a long term mindset when trying to achieve a goal. Nothing happens overnight. We live in an instant gratification society where we wants things done FAST. The truth is it took us "X" number of years to develop the body we have.

It won't take as long to lose it but you have to be patient if you don't see anything happen in a couple of weeks or even months. Keep at it and don't quit.

33. Stop rationalizing. We rationalize and lie to ourselves to soften the blow. We gotta be radically honest with ourselves and push for the solution.

34. It takes more energy to be positive than negative, to be optimistic than to be pessimistic. Choose to consciously be optimistic and positive and you will attract more good things in life to you. This sounds a little esoteric but it's a universal law just like gravity.

35. Make sure you have one day a week (if you are eating right) to do/eat whatever the hell it is you want.

36. Always look for ways to stay active while doing something that is fun for you. Mine are basketball and beach volleyball. What are yours?

37. Always try various workout programs from different experts. I always use my body as a laboratory and try out as many fitness programs as possible not only to make myself a better trainer but to submit my body to different types of stresses so it can always keep getting leaner.

Right now I'm using Mark Verstegens Core performance workout. I'm cutting down using Alwyn Cosgroves After burn 2 program.

38. Stay outside of your comfort zone as much as you can. Doing uncomfortable things will result in more confidence, more growth as a human being and more skills.

39. Never whine, bitch, or complain....EVER. The more you whine, bitch or complain about a situation the more that situation will get worse. It never helps. Plus no one wants to hear about it.

40. Intensity EQUALS results.

41. Get away from using machines at the gym. Use your body weight, free weights, kettle bells elastic bands...use them ALL! But don't use the machines. They just absolutely suck.

42. Always aim to get 7-8 hours of sleep a day.

43. Ladies aim for half a gallon of water a day. Guys aim for a gallon of water a day.

44. Have only ONE GOAL and stick to it. Don't have a goal to lose 10 pounds and win a marathon. Confucius says, "Man who chases two rabbits, ends up with none". Have one goal and laser focus on it until you achieve it.

45. Keep a nutrition journal to keep track of your eating habits.

46. The best Ab exercise is pushing yourself away from the dinner table.

47. Understand that there are three kinds of business in life. Your business, other peoples and life's business. Your business is your thoughts and actions. Other peoples business is their thoughts and actions. Life's business are things like the weather and the traffic. Focus only on YOUR business, because it's the only thing that matters, the other stuff you can't control so don't worry about it.

48. Only do things for yourself not because someone else wanted you to. Ride your own race and compare your results only to yourself.

49. Always take action but don't be attached to the outcome.

50. When working out for fat loss stick with compound exercises that hit multiple muscle groups such as squats, pushups and lunges.

51. In Guy Ritchie's kick-a** film RockNRollla there's a chase scene that just goes on and goes on ( the secene is funny as hell by the way )… the bad guys just won't give up no matter what… where most people would have keeled over and died, these dudes just keep comin' at ya… that is how you get the body you dream of. <----Borrowed from my business coach.

52. (Bonus) It may sound totally cliche but we only get one chance at this thing called life. Enjoy the ride as much as possible and don't take anything too seriously ;)

What tips do you have to add on this list? Please add them below...

Want to join other women who have successfully transformed their bodies in my guaranteed results boot camp? Here's how: Http://www.GoGirlBootCamps.com

The Cure For Diabetes

2009-04-26T11:36:00.001-07:00

If you have been affected in any way by Diabetes then you HAVE TO READ THIS article.

Diabetes is one of the worlds rising epidemics due to lack of exercise and high carb diets. It gets even worse when you read about what the leading authority on diabetes The A.D.A. (American Diabetes Association) is recommending to treat the disease.

Even if you don't have diabetes or don't know anyone that does do yourself a favour and read this article piece. Reading this will take 10 minutes of your time but will provide you with chance to possibly SAVE someones life:

The Cure for Diabetes

6 Pack in 28 Days

2009-03-08T18:17:00.000-07:00

I really don't know where to start with this so I'll repost my original email that lead to all this craziness....

"Trust yourself. Think for yourself. Act for yourself. Speak for yourself. Be yourself. Imitation is suicide." - Marva Collins

"My body is my laboratory." -Chris Shugart

This is first article I have written where I have absolutely no idea where to start. So I thought I would start from the beginning...

In elementary school, I was a jock. I was co-captain of the volleyball team and playing beach volleyball in the summer. I was active just like most kids at my age.

In high school I was more of the same. I played basketball regularly, beach volleyball in the summer and, embarrassingly, I was on the table tennis and badminton team. I was - and still am - a big time geek, but I was still physically active.

Then I took a year off after high school and my body started falling apart. I hung around the wrong crowd and my physical activities took a back seat.

Before I started working out, I was what you would call A FAT SLOB: I was smoking cigarettes, drinking alcohol frequently, eating crazy amounts of junk food (a bag of chips in one sitting was my favourite snack), and just generally inactive. My form of exercise was sweating in a pool hall playing Foos Ball and really intense games of Super Mario Brothers.

Even my friends would make fun of me and call me fat <*tear*!>. Cry me a river!

I won't get into the specifics of it, but at some point I got really pissed at myself and decided to do something about it. Thanks to my big brother and my dad I started to work out... AND I LOVED IT. I could go on but as they say, "The rest is history."

Fast forward to today.

I am doing a job that I LOVE. I am in the best shape I have ever been in my life. I am 29 years old, I work out 3-5 times a week, play basketball twice a week, and in the summers I spend my days at the beach playing volleyball. The only thing is... I still don't have that well-defined stomach that everyone is searching for.

This has been the elusive holy grail I have been chasing for the past 8 years. I have a good shape and shades of ab muscles, but not a ripped, defined, "Let me wash your shirt on my stomach" type of abdominals. My muscle tone is good but not where I want it to be. Never being satisfied is my gift and my curse.

The Holy Grail of Fitness

Enter the V-Diet. I have been researching this diet for the past 4 months and it is the craziest thing I have ever come across in my life. It is essentially what the headline to this email says: Reduce fat at a rapid rate while keeping/increasing your muscle and achieving a crazy defined six pack.

Instead of going through the logistics of the diet I'm going to ask you to read this site: www.velocitydiary.blogspot.com

This is my journey and I want to include you all into it. So instead of having 30 friends keeping me accountable I have the 1600 people who read this to be accountable to. I know most of you will think I'm crazy. I'll let you know what: I am crazy! Crazy enough to experiment on myself and see exactly what I am made of and how effective this can be.

Have a GREAT week everybody and stay tuned in to my journey!

DG

The 3 Reasons You Are Not Losing Weight

2009-02-26T12:10:00.000-08:00

Everyone always asks me this question over and over and over again: "I'm working hard in the gym, but I'm not losing any weight! What is wrong with me?"

If you have ever asked this questions or felt this way I can sympathize because I've been there before. It sucks. But really it all comes down to a few simple things...

For most situations I believe there are always a number of things going on that prevent people from seeing the results they want. Be warned though. I do not pull any punches and I will be straight up.

3 Reason's you are not losing weight

1. It's easier to get your ass to the gym and sweat then change the eating habits that are keeping your body looking the way it's looking.

This is probably the biggest A-HA you should take from the blog post. If you are working hard in the gym but relaxing on what you should be eating (and drinking!), you are destined for failure and disappointment. I should know, I've been there.

They say that losing weight is "80% diet". Well I don't exactly believe in that. I do believe that it is easier to buy a gym membership or get personal training etc.. and work your ass off by doing some SICK metabolic enhancing exercise than it is to change your bad eating habits. That is the reason why nutrition is 80% of the weight loss equation. Because it is the hardest to do.

People are always asking me to write them up fat loss programs but the first thing I ask is if their eating habits are under control. 95% of the time I get a "Uhhh yeah, that part is not so good." If you can put the effort in your workouts, you best be able to put the same effort and desire towards eating the right things at the right time.

Don't be a hero in the gym but a wussy in the kitchen k?

2. You are only focusing on the weight and not focusing on inches or the way your body looks in the mirror.

If I told you that I could give you the beach body you have always dreamnt about but you weight would stay the same? Would you still be hung up on that number? I would hope not.

Don't make the numbers on the scale determine if you are making progress or not. Measure the inches around your waist and hips. Also take monthly pictures of yourself half naked to see how much progress you are making. The camera don't lie.

If you are exercise hard (and smart) and following a simple and effective nutrition plan (like the one I give to my boot camp clients) you will see results. And most of the time it won't show up on the scale.

3. You are waaaaaaayyyy too easy on yourself and you make a lot of excuses.

Look here, if you want to make changes you gotta change in your body, you have to make a mental change as well.

But I don't mean that every time you make a mistake to beat yourself up for it. To make a change you HAVE TO desire it and work towards it as intensely as possible to achieve it.

I do recommend getting really pissed off and having an attitude of "I will do anything to reach my goals!!!" And when I mean anything I mean things like:

- Writing in a food and workout journal
- Putting yourself on strict carb restrictions until you reach your goal
- Having protein at every meal
- Not drinking alcohol until you reach your desired body
- Staying away from processed foods and junk
- Anything and everything ethical to reach your desired body

What do I not mean by "anything"? Anything that involves altering your own body or forcing it to do something that is not natural ie. anorexia, bullemia, steroids is not what I mean by "anything".

What are the excuses I hate the most when it comes to weight loss?

"I have bad genetics"

Hell I have bad genetics too but it didn't stop me from getting the body I want. Some people have to work harder than others. That's okay, for those that do you get to appreciate it a lot more when you get it.

"I'll just focus on the exercise part then I'll focus on the nutrition OR I'll just focus on the nutrition then I'll get to the exercise part"

Get this straight in your mind: Exercise and nutrition go hand in hand with each other like a newlywed couple on their honeymoon. There are two seperate entities but you can't have one without the other to succeed at getting the body you desire.

"I'm going to start my exercise/nutrition program next week"

Yeah I heard this one millions of times. Not many people actually follow through. The more you put off exercising or watching your nutrition the more excuses you'll find more excuses to not do it. Action creates momentum. NO matter what, if you want to make a change you have to make a small action to create momentum in that direction.

The say that the most difficult step to take is the first. Create momentum for yourself by just taking that first step.

Right now is the time to really focus on achieving your fitness goals. Summer is just around the corner and I want you to unveil a body that makes people's jaws drop!

Go Hard or Go Home!

DG
http://www.GoGirlbootcamps.com

The Barack Obama Workout. Aka. The Anytime Anywhere NO EXCUSES Workout

2009-02-22T08:22:00.000-08:00

Barack Obama...Ballllliiiiiinnnnnn

Barack Obama is my hero.....well kind of.

Have you seen this guy talk? Man, I can listen to this guy talk for days and always get inspired to take massive action. He is probably the most articulate, sharp and powerful presidents to come in a long time.

Although former president Bush was pretty bad. I'm guessing anyone would look good if they took over after this dude ;)

George Bush...not so ballin

Seriously though, how can someone handle to stress of being the leader of the free world? I can’t even begin to grasp the scope of something like that, can you?

One thing that has always struck me about Obama is his relentless daily workout routine. He plays a ton of basketball and puts in his 45-60 minute workout day 6 days a week. He claims it sets the tone for his entire day- that it gives him the energy he needs to grapple with the world’s problems.

Crazy eh? While people make excuses of not having enough time to workout, this man is in charge of a country but still makes working out a top priority.

I run several companies and I can personally vouch for Obama in this regard. My physical fitness sets the tone for everything I tackle in business on a daily basis. I train hard and I never miss a workout. I bring this same intensity and persistence to my companies.

I always have said that working out is like my sanctuary. It keeps me focused and I constantly challenge myself to improve. Working out is like a metaphor for life. You constantly challenge yourself and you tackle those challenges with the same intensity in the outside world.

Now, I am just going to assume that there are going to be some days when President Obama might not have time to get in his typical 45-60 minute workout. After all, since the first 100 days seem to set the tone of each presidency, Obama is going to have a pretty full plate these days!

So, I am going to lend my expertise in this regard to cut Obama’s workout routine by more than half to keep him on track in case any last minute issues may arise. I personally guarantee this will not only help him maintain, if not increase, his current strength and conditioning level.

And I am going to go ahead and make the process simple for Obama by designing body weight based workouts involve nothing more than resistance bands and dumbbells that can be done in the comfort of the oval office.

And every workout will start “outside in” by first recognizing how much time President Obama has to workout each day and then matching the appropriate workout for that time frame.

The President’s Day Workout- Obama Style

- Perform all strength workouts on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays
- Perform all cardio workouts on Tuesdays, Thursday, and Saturdays
- Play some hoops anytime you can get

If Obama or YOU have five minutes to workout:

Strength Workout- Continuous Work: Perform max rounds of 10 reps of an upper body exercise (push-ups, rows, pull-ups, dips, etc.) and 20 reps of a lower body exercise (squats, deadlifts, hip extensions, lunges, etc.) for time.

Cardio Workout- Tabata Intervals: Select one body weight cardio exercise (stationary running, jumping jacks, squat thrusts, alternating split jumps, ice skater jumps, etc.) OR one total body exercise (squat to presses, deadlift + curls, lunge + curl to press, swings, etc.) and perform 20 seconds on, 10 seconds off for four straight minutes, followed by a one-minute rest.

If Obama or YOU have 10 minutes to workout:

Strength Workout- Continuous Work: Perform max rounds of 10 reps of an upper body exercise (push-ups, rows, pull-ups, dips, etc.) and 20 reps of a lower body exercise (squats, deadlifts, hip extensions, lunges, etc.) for time.

Cardio Workout- Tabata Intervals: Select one body weight cardio exercise (stationary running, jumping jacks, squat thrusts, alternating split jumps, ice skater jumps, etc.) OR one total body exercise (squat to presses, deadlift + curls, lunge + curl to press, swings, etc.) and perform 20 seconds on, 10 seconds off for four straight minutes, followed by a one-minute rest. Repeat this five-minute sequence one more time with the same exercise or with the exercise(s) of your choice.

If Obama or YOU have 20 minutes to workout:

Strength Workout- Continuous Work: Perform two different 10-minute work zones. For work zone one, perform max rounds of 10 reps of an upper body pushing exercise (push-ups, dips, presses, etc.) and 20 reps of a double-leg lower body exercise (squats, deadlifts, hip extensions, etc.) for time. For work zone two, perform max rounds of 10 reps of an upper body pulling exercise (pull-ups, rows, curls, etc.) and 10 reps/leg of a single-leg lower body exercise (lunges, step-ups, single-leg hip extensions, etc.) for time.

Cardio Workout- Tabata Intervals: Select one body weight cardio exercise (stationary running, jumping jacks, squat thrusts, alternating split jumps, ice skater jumps, etc.) OR one total body exercise (squat to presses, deadlift + curls, lunge + curl to press, swings, etc.) and perform 20 seconds on, 10 seconds off for four straight minutes, followed by a one-minute rest. Repeat this five-minute sequence three more times with the same exercise or with the exercise(s) of your choice.

I’m sure the President will appreciate this killer fitness plan that works with, not against, his schedule as a courageous world leader. And if Obama can fit in his own personal workouts, you best believe there are no excuses for you not to do the same.

Go hard or go home!

DG
http://www.GoGirlBootcamps.com

25 Random Things About Me

2009-02-12T20:13:00.000-08:00

This seems to be the big craze on Crackbook...err...I mean Facebook. I thought I would give this one a shot because we've been talking to each other for awhile and it's just good manners that you know a little about me:

25 Random Things About Moi!

1. I was born in Manila, Phillipines.

2. I am not religious but spiritual in nature.

3. I'm Chinese but I don't know how to speak mandarin, Cantonese or Fukien (my dialect). I know....it's pretty sad.

4. I vow to learn Mandarin!

5. The more I don't care about what people think, the more weight is lifted off of my chest.

6. I love basketball. I love playing basketball. Is that two things or one? I guess they can be one in the same? Whatevs..

7. I love the Raptors, but right now they are really breaking my heart. I can't even bear to watch their games anymore because they make me feel horrible inside. But I still do because I'm a diehard fan.

8. Working out is like meditation to me. Where else can you challenge yourself to be better and be completely in your own world at the same time? When I work out, nothing else matters but myself.

9. I won two Chinese basketball tournaments. There should be an *asterisk beside them because we recruited a ringer to play on our team. While everyone else in the tournament was an average size of 5'8 160 pounds, my teammate was 6'4 240 pounds. It pays to know the right people.

10. People can either play hard or play smart. I choose the latter. I'm lazy like that. DAMNIT thats two things again!

11. My mom passed away when I was 24 years old. She was my most favourite person on this earth. When she died it was the turning point in my life.

12. My Grandfather passed away when I was 28 years old. Even though he didn't speak any English I always understood him.

13. The very first car I bought was a Honda Civic. I will never buy a Civic ever again.

14. I believe everyone on this life has a purpose. I also believe that I'm living out mine and it is always evolving.

15. I believe that I will always keep getting better. I will always keep on improving.

16. I also believe that anyone can change at anytime. It doesn't matter how old you are, male or female, if you want to make a major change in your life there is no such thing as good timing. You can do it anytime, anywhere no matter who you are.

17. My Personal training mentors are Alwyn Cosgrove, Mark Vertegen, Craig Ballantyne and BJ Gaddour.

18. When I started personal training, everyone told me that I was making the wrong choice. I used their words as fire to succeed.

19. My favourite vodka is Grey Goose.

20. I love learning so much that sometimes it acts as a creative avoidance to just do the thing I'm learning (does this make sense?).

21. I really believe that everyday I gain a new insight on myself, business and the world around me.

22. My sister is an amazing Hip Hop Dance teacher. She's danced for Chinese pop stars and Mr. Lova Lova himself Shaggy. If you like dancing hip hop then you gotta check her out: http://www.VybeDance.com <-----Shameless plug but really she's a good hip hop teacher!

23. I have a very dry sarcastic sense of humour.

24. I swear a lot. More than I like to admit.

25. I really do believe that my women's and corporate boot camps are the best in Ontario. I'm not blowing marketing smoke up your ass either. I've been researching fat loss exercise and nutrition ever since I stepped foot inside a gym. It just facinates the shit out of me. Some people are into cars, some people are into playing poker, I'm into fat loss. I have spent (literally) tens of thousands of dollars on the top fitness experts products so I should know a thing or two.

The results do not lie either and if you take my boot camp, follow my plan and don't get results then you can have your money back. I don't want it. If you haven't taken my camp then you have to try it out. Damn, try it out for a week free and tell me in my face that you didn't get the workout of your life.

Well that is it about me. I usually don't do stuff like this, I guess there is a first time for everything. If you are feeling it, leave a comment and tell me something about yourself. I'd love to hear more about you.

Much love and respect,

DG
Http://www.GoGirlbootcamps.com

The Valentines Day Workout - Do This One With A Lovah!

2009-02-08T17:18:00.000-08:00

Valentines day is a time to go out with that special someone, eat some chocolates and hopefully get some action with your partner.....in the gym!

Build a better relationship with that significant other by working out together. They say that sweat-driven pheromones are one of nature’s most powerful aphrodisiacs. Do yourself (and your loved one) a favour and get sweaty with each other using this workout:

Today I am going to demo the concept of partner training. Partner training is essentially a workout that involves performing joint exercises with at least one other person or more. There are a ton of benefits to partner training, including:

1.) Social Support and Accountability

2.) No Equipment Needed

3.) Provides a Ton of Variety

4.) Breeds Competition and Drives Better Results

5.) It’s FUN!

Partner training definitely spices things up in our boot camps from time to time. The inner freaks seem to come out of the woodwork whenever people workout with someone else- you are simply pushed to the limit and there is no better way to make your body change and break out of a frustrating training rut.

So grab the love of your life and do this rapid fat loss workout!

The Sweaty Couples Valentines Day Workout - Tabata Style Partner Training

This 20-minute total body partner workout will consist of all body weight-based exercises. For each exercise at each outlined station below you will alternate between 20 s of work and 10 s of rest. You will repeat this 30-second sequence eight times for four total minutes followed by a one-minute rest and transition before moving on to the next station listed:

Station#1- Partner Push-ups and Back Rows

Station #2- Forward Lunges and Mountain Climbers

Station #3- Partner Resisted Pillar Circuit (Planks/side planks)

Station #4- Squats and Bicycle crunches

Do these with your girlfriend/boyfriend/wife/husband and get sweaty!

Go hard or go home!

DG
http://www.GoGirlbootcamps.com

How To Wake Up Pain Free Part 1

2009-02-01T12:18:00.000-08:00

The look on my face after injuring my back!

Before I get into this post I wanted to say one thing: If you are reading this right blog post now or have read my blog posts in the past....THANK YOU. I appreciate it :)

Just the fact that you are reading this tells me that you are someone that looks to improve throughout life. I hope that I can keep benefiting your life with information that will help you move forward. Again, thank you so much for reading this!

If you are looking for a really effective fat loss program then you have to check out Andrea, Cyn and I on Rogers Daytime live Monday February 2nd at 11am, 5pm and 11pm. I'm going to intro a killer workout that can be done at home and doesn't require any equipment....other than your body :P

So the reason I'm doing this post is simple: I screwed up.

Sometimes it takes a moment of crisis to really let someone know that they have really effed up. I'll admit that I was so focused on finding the most effective fat loss programs, that I neglected to do the things that kept my body pain free in the first place.

Sometimes I can get so deeply obsessed about a subject that everything else goes out the window. Does that ever happen to you? I'm sure it does. Take this as a reminder to pull back. Do the maintenance before something bad happens.

Now I'm back to properly taking care of myself. I'm not only doing my rapid fat loss exercises such as supersets, trisets, tabatas, circuits etc...

But I'm doing the things that will keep my body and my joints healthy enough to stay active. You can say that I'm doing things that prevent injuries from even occurring in the first place.

So what should you do to keep a healthy body? If you are in pain, de-conditioned, feel tightness when waking up, getting up from your seat etc...START HERE.

Oh by the way if you sit at a desk from 9-5 all day long then this might be the most important blog post you may ever read. Don't worry I'll get back to that fat loss stuff next week I promise..

Disclaimer
The techniques, ideas, and suggestions in this document
are not intended as a substitute for proper medical advice.
Always consult your physician or health care professional
before performing any new exercise, exercise technique or
beginning any new diet. Any use of the techniques, ideas,
and suggestions in this document is at the reader's sole
discretion and risk.

Movement Prep

Movement prep prepares the body for movement. It boosts your heart rate, blood flow to muscles, and core temperature. It also improves the function of the nervous system. In laymen's terms: It helps you move better.

Think of movement prep as taking a few minutes to warm up your car. Especially in the cold winter months we are experiencing you can't just put the key in the ignition of your car and start driving.

I swear that immediately after I started doing this I started to move better and wake up in less pain.

Doing movement prep will warm up your body and stretch it at the same time, keeping it pliable to deal with life's surprises. It also beats going on the treadmill for 5 minutes watching CNN and getting depressed with all the bad news coming at you.

Here are the most important movement prep exercises for the 9-5'er:

Hip Crossover (A MUST DO) - 6 reps per side

- Builds mobility and strength in your torso by dissociating hips and shoulders

Hand Walk aka. "The Worlds Second Greatest Stretch" - 6 Reps

- Builds stability in your shoulders and core and to lengthen your hamstrings, calves and lower back muscles.

Forward Lunge/Forearm-to-instep aka. "The Worlds Greatest Stretch"

- Improve flexibility in your hips, hamstrings, lower back, torso, groin, hip flexors and quads.

Ideally I want you doing movement prep every day but for now I want you to do it 2 days a week (preferably before your workout). Do this for a couple of weeks and you will notice an immediate improvement in flexibility and overall movement.

This leads me to the second most important thing to wake up pain free....

Prehab

I compare Prehab to getting an oil change for you car. If you neglect getting an oil change for your car you are going to run into some serious problems.

Same thing for your body.

This Prehab unit takes care of vulnerable areas that get stressed in every day movement: your hips, core, and shoulders.

Prehab is specifically geared towards to strengthen your body so it can move better and stronger as well as decrease your potential for injuries.

You probably spend long hours hunched over a computer screen - most of us do. In time your shoulders will hunch forward and tighten. Here are some other things you may notice if you sit at a desk all day:

- Shoulders round forward
- Lower back starts rounding
- Tightness in hips, less mobile in the pillar area (core)

Do Prehab to prevent and strengthen those troubled areas. You don't want to wait for something bad to happen (like me) to start realizing that this is needed in your life daily.

Do these exercises in the order laid out before you as a warmup.

Pillar (lower back, abs, obliques)

Planks - 30 Seconds

- Creates pillar (shoulder, core, hips) stability and strength

*Make sure to suck your stomach in*

Easier Variation - Keep your knees down

Side Planks - 20 Seconds per side

- - Creates pillar (shoulder, core, hips) stability and strength

Easier variation - Keep your bottom knee down and lift

Shoulders

Stability Ball Y's and T's - 1 set, 6 reps

- Improves shoulder stability, which strengthens your rotator cuffs.

*If you can't use a stability ball do the exercises on the floor or a bench*

Again preferably this would be done every day. But for now just do it 2 times a week with your movement prep as a warm up.

So There you go! Start doing these immediately, especially if you are waking up tight and in pain. In part 2 I will be going over the most neglected part of taking care of your body. Stay tuned because you probably won't believe it.

Much love and respect,

DG
http://Www.GoGirlBootcamps.com
http://Www.GoPersonalFitness.com

Ps. Don't forget to check out Andrea, Cyn and I on Rogers Daytime live Monday February 2nd at 11am, 5pm and 11pm!

6 Things I Learned In 2008

2009-01-25T18:33:00.000-08:00

This is a little late to be talking about the things I learned last year. But like they say, "Better late than never."

Man, I could probably fill up this blog post with thousands of "Ah ha" moments I had during the year but I'll just choose the best ones. The ones that I think will be beneficial for you!

1. A pain free body is just as important as a sexy looking body.

Okay so I learned this lesson in 2009 when I had a near debilitating back injury.

As I focused more and more on the tools of fat loss I started to neglect the things that kept my body healthy and pain free in the first place. Things that kept my body injury free like foam rolling, movement exercises, yoga and pre-habilitation were thrown out the window.

I could actually do a whole book post on injury prevention exercises but I'll leave that for next week.

In 2009 I am bringing the attention back to those things in addition to my fat loss tools because there is no point working towards a sexy body if it wakes up every morning in pain.

2. You can turn your body into a fat burning furnace using only your own bodyweight

You don't need fancy exercise equipment (I advise against using them in the first place) to get the body you want. Timed exercises such as Tabata's, 10 minute continuous training and circuits can still build the muscle you need to burn fat.

The best part about those exercises is that you can do it at home.

3. You are the sum average of the people you hang around on a consistent basis.

I'm beginning to see this more and more in my boot camp classes. All the women in the class pretty much have the same goal: Look sexy.

The one thing I didn't expect was that I was going to produce better fat loss results in group classes than in one on one training.

I realize that by putting all of these women together, with one common goal in mind, it makes the goal more attainable by putting them in a supportive environment with like minded people.

4. You need to get away every so often to recharge your mind.

I took a trip to Hong Kong and China this past fall for 3 weeks. I was so scared that I was going to take so much time away from my business that I almost considered canceling the trip.

Taking the trip was the best decision I made in 2008. When you take a vacation it's almost like all your worries go away. You also open up your mind to new possibilities by being in a foreign country.

Before I left for Hong Kong I was stressing over a lot of things. My mind was somewhere else. When I came back from my trip my batteries were charged and I was refreshed.

5. One on one personal training will become extinct very shortly

Yes, you heard me right. This is something I learned when I first started my boot camps. I couldn't believe that you could get the same if not better results working out in groups than one on one with a personal trainer.

Not only that but personal training is hella expensive. If I could provide you the same if not better results at 1/3 the cost would you take it? Of course you would.

Boot camps are evolving as the next form of personal training. I am thinking that in the next two years you will see a lot more pop up and a lot more trainers lose jobs.

6. The more I know, the more I realize that I don't know.

Everything I learned in 2008 just opened up more opportunities to learn more. You can't know everything and if you think you do it is born of pure ignorance.

I know that in 2009 I won't be the same person I was in 2008.

Well there you have it. I am sure I learned a lot more in 2008 those are the biggest "A-ha" moments I had. If you had some "A-ha" moments in 2008 please comment below. I would love to hear about them!

DG
http://Www.GoGirlBootcamps.com

The Greatest Lower Body Exercise Everrrr

2009-01-19T07:59:00.000-08:00

It's funny that I'm talking about a lower body exercise when the past week and a half I was just sidelined from doing a lower body exercise.

That doesn't mean that it's not important!

Oh by the way, I'm all better now, thanks for asking :) First day back at the gym was on Saturday and I was sucking wind. Now I know how people feel when they take an extended period of time away from the gym and struggle to get back.

I only had a week away from the gym and I was already making excuses as to why I shouldn't be going:

- I was tired (verrrry original)
- My friends asked me to go to dinner with them
- I was just coming back from an injury, one more day away wouldn't hurt me...would it?
- Friends was on and it was the episode where Ross and Rachel finally hook up. I can't miss that!

Damn that is a lot of excuses. Now I know how hard it is to start a new routine, especially after a long lay off (trust me, a week and a half is a long lay off to me).

Anyways long story short, I'm back at the gym regularly and kicking my own a**. When you fall off the horse the only thing to do is get back on it and ride it out.

Okay so back to the main point: What is the best lower body exercise everrrrr?

As a fitness trainer I usually am asked by females (for some reason males don't ask me about leg exercises...go figure) about what I consider the best lower body exercise in my fat loss arsenal.

Today I’m going to share my personal favorite lower body exercise and all of its awesome variations. It’s called the Rear-Foot Elevated Lunge Variation (a.k.a. Bulgarian Split Squat). This exercise is so effective that you’ll pretty much make your body thunder-thigh proof once you master it!

Before we get into this, one thing I definitely don’t want to do is feed into the idea of individual body part training and spot reduction on certain areas of the body.

I am a big believer in total body training, meaning that we train the upper body, lower body, and core during every single workout. By training the whole body at once we stimulate lean muscle gain and boost up your metabolism to promote total body fat burning. I like to call this Rapid Fat Loss Exercise.

We need to do this in order to effectively eliminate the body fat that is hiding those areas that people are having trouble seeing; yep the stubborn fat areas that prevent a good body from becoming a great body.

Plus, a diet high in lean protein, fiber, and green veggies and low in unnatural fats and refined sugars and starches is of course a MUST DO if you want to see your muscles tone up in a good way.

It is also important to know that you lose fat in a genetically predetermined way. You can do all the crunches you want but without total body training, proper eating habits, and enough time to get to those stubborn fat areas you will never get rid of your gut, jiggly arms, or the junk in the trunk.

Moving onto the main event: the world’s greatest lower body exercise.

My favorite leg exercises are any sort of lunge variation because I prefer single leg exercise in lieu of their double leg counterparts for a lot of reasons. For people with back issues, single leg exercises allow them to safely perform lower body exercises without putting their lower lumbar spine in jeopardy of hyper flexion or excessive rounding that can cause back spasms in the short run and herniated discs in the long run.

Also, I feel there’s often such a strength and/or flexibility imbalance between one leg and the other for most people that it’s critical to address one leg at a time to really shore up the weak links from the start.

My favorite lunge variation is called the rear foot elevated lunge. So basically we’re going to elevate the back foot on a chair, bench, box, or any other sturdy foot support, usually about 12-18 inches high.

You’ll put your front leg well in front of you in order to make sure that your front knee and ankle are lined up. In general, I tell people to exaggerate how far you put your front leg forward so that the front knee is almost slightly behind the ankle as this really helps reduce sheer force on the knees.

Initiate the exercise by loading the front heel and dropping your hips as low as you can in a pain-free range of motion while staying really tall up top with a proud chest and shoulders down and back. Finish the rep by explosively driving through your front heel to return to the top of the movement.

You can start with body weight only in search of front thigh parallel to the floor or lower depth and then progress by adding speed of movement or by adding dumbbells. You can even incorporate some very cool combination movements with this lower body exercise like adding a curl to press at the top of the movement or even by raising dumbbells overhead to really challenge your core and single-leg balance and stability.

I have yet to find an exercise that hits the legs as hard as this baby does. If you are looking for that apple bottom or just trying to tone up your legs, this exercise should be a staple in your workout program.

Go Hard or Go Home!

DG

My Pain Filled Weekend And 5 Tips To Shoveling Pain Free

2009-01-12T10:53:00.000-08:00

So I am going to start off this blog by saying: I'm officially stupid.

Yup, thats right. "I'm stupid"

The reason why I'm stupid is that I tend to push the limits of my own body a little too far.

So here is what happened...

Sunday - Played ball for the first time in months with the best players I've ever played with in years. Made me feel like an old man.
Monday - Worked out a crazy Fat Loss circuit
Tuesday - Workout out again and played ball
Wednesday - Worked out AGAIN and played ball afterwards till 10:30pm at night.
Thursday 12:44pm- After doing a seminar I was feeling a bit off. My back was sore from playing too much ball and I was just not feeling it.

So what did I decide to do? I decided to be stupid and work out again. Even when my body wasn't feeling it.

So what happened? Hit the gym, did my mobility drills to warm up and lined up my first exercise of the day: Deadlifts

Picked up the weight, dropped my a** to get into position and when I was bringing the weight down.....

CRASH!

Sharp pains up my back, I started seeing stars and a ringing in my ear.

Needless to say...I was hurting.

To make a long story short, I got immediate treatment from John Sage at Apple Creek Sports Medicine (These guys are GREAT for rehab and very nice to boot!) but was bed-ridden for whole weekend. No partying for me :(

The moral of the story kids is to listen to your body. If it don't feel right then don't be afraid to shut it down. Thanks to the proper stretching techniques provided by John, I should be back to killing myself again by Wednesday :P

So ranting about my pain filled weekend has motivated me to release my 5 tips for pain free shoveling.

1.) Perform a Proper 5-Minute Warm-up Before Shoveling

Just as very few people properly warm-up before intense exercise, so do many people fail to get their bodies ready for the rigors of shoveling snow. Let’s face it, snow, especially when it’s wet, is a real beast to move around. And if your body is tight and cold then you will dramatically increase your chances of short or long-term injury.

I have created a great shoveling specific five-minute warm-up to get your body ready to rock. There is a special emphasis on opening up the hips and chest to save your back and shoulders, the two most commonly injured areas of broken down shovelers:

Perform each exercise in the following warm-up circuit at a slow, controlled tempo for 50 seconds with a 10 second rest and transition between exercises. Do this warm-up indoors to better increase core temperature and total body blood flow:

Exercise#1- Stationary High Knee Run
Exercise#2- Jumping Claps (modified jumping jacks with arms moving across chest level, palms facing)
Exercise#3- Alternating Forward Lunge, Overhead Reach, and Twist
Exercise#4- Alternating Lateral Lunge with Opposite Hand to Toe Touch
Exercise#5- Prisoner Squats (hands behind head with finger interlocked)

2.) Split Your Stance When Shoveling

Back pain is probably the biggest complaint for avid shovelers. In most cases, a sore or tight back stems from restriction at the hips (see the warm-up above to best remedy this).

More specifically, using a parallel stance puts your lower back at a greater risk of injury due to the greater likelihood of excessive flexion of the lumbar spine that often leads to back spasms in the short run and herniated discs in the long run.

However, the simple switch to shoveling with a split stance, where one leg is forward and the other leg is back, will not only help prevent this hyper flexion while bending over and moving snow, but will also actively stretch and open up those tight hips at the same time. Be sure to keep things in balance by doing an even number of shovel strokes with both legs forward by alternating every 10 reps or so.

3.) Point Your Toes In Same Direction of Shoveling

This is a continuation of the last tip. Even when you split your stance, you can be susceptible to injury whenever you perform a rotating back extension (e.g. a shovel toss to your rear). So, to further bolster your body, be sure to always shovel snow in the direction that your toes point to minimize excessive spinal rotation that can literally wrench your back.

4.) Shovel EQUALLY to BOTH Sides

This is a further continuation on the last two tips. Another big mistake people make is that they always shovel to their strong sides causing further strength and flexibility imbalances that can put your body at greater risk for injury.

So, we now know you want to split your stance and shovel in the direction your toes are pointing, but you should also be sure do an equal amount of shovel tosses to your left AND right. Do 10 shovel tosses to your left with your left leg forward and then do 10 shovel tosses to your right with your right leg forward. Repeat until your driveway or sidewalk is crystal clear.

5.) Buy a Condo

This is my personal favorite, and no, I’m not joking. The great thing about a condominium community is that they do all of the outdoor maintenance for your home, including shoveling. This will save you so much time and stress. If it is a viable option and you live in a harsh winter climate, make the smart move and get a condo. It’s hard to get hurt shoveling if you never shovel.

The aforementioned tips will go a long way in keeping your body as bulletproof as possible during the next blizzard. Seriously, it’s not really cool to get hurt shoveling. It’s a sign of an even bigger problem: being overweight and/or highly de-conditioned.

And if you do get hurt shoveling, be sure to lie when some asks why you’re in a wheelchair. Just tell them you got hit by a snow plow truck, it makes for a better story and your co-workers or friends won’t rip on you for the rest of your days, ha!

DG

How To Hit Your New Years Resolutions And Make 2009 A Kick A** Year

2009-01-04T16:03:00.000-08:00

"Many people look forward to the new year for a new start on old habits."—Author Unknown

Now let's get one things straight....I HATE NEW YEARS RESOLUTIONS. I don't just "dislike" new years resolutions, I HATE them.

Why do I hate them? Let me count the ways....

1. The person making them usually never follows through past the first month
2. They are mostly about stopping bad habits instead of creating new positive ones
3. They give you a subconscious type of guilt every time you stray away from it until you just totally give up on it (see #1)

Now there is a reason I put "New years resolutions" in my title: That was the only way I could get you to read this blog post.

Simple but effective.

I started a habit 6 years ago that has stuck ever since. Every single new year I sit my a** down and write down the goals I want to achieve in the new year. It's much more different than having a new years resolution because I am focusing more on the positive (make more money) than the negative (stop my bad spending habits).

Since I started doing that I have been achieving things every year that I would have though impossible before.

Fact: People who write down their goals are 95% more likely to achieve them.

Here are some tips to help you make 2009 your BEST year ever.

1. Write down your goals and be specific about them. Easy enough. I mean write them. Do not type them on a computer or think about them. Write them down on a piece of paper. Do it now. Then put them in a place where you will see them every day. Every single day make sure you work towards them.

Also be specific. Want to lose weight? Don't put your goal down as "Lose weight". Be specific about the amount of weight you want to lose ie. "I want to lose 27 pounds in 2009"

2. Get rid of all negative influences in your life. This is a hard one. But if you have that one person that always puts your goals/dreams down make it a point to spend less time with them.

I had to do this a couple times in my life and it is tough. But you have to realize that this is your life you are living. If you want to succeed and be the person you are meant to be then the negative people have to go.

3. Study what you want to achieve and apply it. Spend the money on the education you need to achieve the goal you want. Want to own a business? Spend money on business education. Want to lose a ton of fat and get ripped? Spend money on the books that will get you there.

Someone has done it before. Take their knowledge and use it to your advantage.

4. Write down an action plan for each goal you want to achieve(at least the most important ones) You don't know if you are going to there if you don't have a map.

5. Stop being so damn hard on yourself. It's easy to get down and mentally scold yourself for screwing up. Heck I do it all the time. But sometimes you gotta just chill out and realize that this one screw up is not the end of everything. You can handle it.

Stop being so hard on yourself and realize that everyone screws up. We are human. Now if you are constantly screwing up, you really need to sit down and work out what the problem is.

7. Control what you can control and let go of what you can't control. What are the things you control? Your choices and yourself. What can you not control? Other people and outside influences.

Let go of what you can't control and you will relieve yourself of a ton of stress.

8. Take immediate action whenever possible. If you hear about a new fat loss technique then try it out at the gym the very same day.

If you learn something that you can apply to your life, do it immediately. I learned this concept by Anthony Robbins. When action is taken it creates momentum in your life.

And finally....

9. Have fun! Life is too short to be taken seriously. Helen Keller once said, "Life is a daring adventure or nothing." That is pretty profound wisdom for someone who was deaf, dumb and blind.

Have fun in 2009. I know I will :D

DG

5 more Last Minute Fitness Gifts

2008-12-22T08:18:00.000-08:00

Here is the final part of my Top 10 Last Minute Fitness gifts of 2008. If you have already done your shopping well done!

If you haven't done your shopping yet well...SHAME ON YOU. But thats okay, now you have a gift list to go by and thousands of shoppers at the mall to compete with.

6.) Supplements that Work: Protein Powders, Fish Oil, Multi-Vitamin

I have helped hundreds of people lose thousands of pounds of fat. In my journey, I have found only three supplements to be a mandatory part of the optimal fat loss program: protein powders, fish oil, and multi-vitamin supplements.

Protein powders provide great liquid workout nutrition and a convenient meat alternative for on-the-go snacking. For a protein powder, look for a brand low in sugar and carbohydrates and with a mix of both whey and casein (fast and slow absorbing proteins). I like Metabolic Drive available at https://www.t-nation.com/free_online_store.

Fish oil, or more appropriately entitled an essential fatty acid (EFA) supplement, is critical to providing key omega 3’s to maximize overall health, performance, and body composition. Studies show that krill oil provides the most effective dosing of EFA’s.

A multi-vitamin provides keys vitamins and minerals that are tough to obtain unless your diet is near picture perfect. I don’t know about you, but I like to cover my bases when it comes to my health. Be sure to choose a multi-vitamin supplement that is made from whole foods rather than synthetic materials, in addition to being made specifically for your gender.

My clients and I rock with VGF+25 and EFA Icon, both included in Prograde’s Health+ Package available at Prograde Nutrition

7.) Sport-Specific Gift

This one’s pretty basic: if you want to give a great gift to an athlete then get them something unique that compliments their sport, whether it be fitness equipment, apparel, or both.

8.) Fitness Book or Subscription to Fitness Magazine

Everybody need bedtime or bathroom reading baby! If you have just read a good fitness book that you know a friend or family member would benefit from, hook them up with their own copy. Better yet, people love magazine subscriptions. Personally, I am a big fan of Men’s Health and Women’s Health. These magazines are filled with tons of workout, nutrition, and lifestyle tips catered to each sex and I never miss an issue. I know it sounds funny that I read Women’s Health being a dude, but I work with a lot of women so I need to keep up with the lingo like skinny jeans and muffin-tops, ha ha!

9.) Wireless MP3 Headset- KOSS Tugo

This one’s a bit pricey, but man is it worth the unparalleled listening pleasure and convenience. It’s this simple: drag and drop your workout MP3’s onto the headset using a USB cable and then press play and rock out while you workout. There are no annoying wires to deal with and the headphones are comfortably, yet firmly locked on your head so they never fall off and you never miss a beat.

10.) A Gift Card to a Fitness Boot Camp

Boot camps provide a fun and exciting team environment that guarantee better results than one-on-one personal training for only a third of the cost… it’s a total no-brainer.

Look for a local fitness boot camp with tons of social proof (client testimonials, especially in the form of pictures and video) to make sure they have a solid reputation and a bunch of raving fans of people just like you. Plus, any good boot camp worth its weight offers free trials and money-back guarantees to all newcomers because they are so confident their program works that you’ll more than likely continue after a test-drive, This way there is typically no risk on your part… besides getting you butt kicked, in a good way ;)

So join a fitness boot camp with at least one other friend or family member or buy a boot camp gift card to give to your loved ones. As a boot camp instructor myself, I know firsthand that clients always get better results when they embark on a fitness journey with others.

And if you live in the local Markham area, come work with us for the best personal training in Markham by visiting http://Www.gogirlbootcamps.com. We’ll change your life and have you looking better naked this New Year, guaranteed!

Go hard for the holidays and have a safe and Happy New Year!

DG
Go Girl Boot Camps

The Future of Fat Loss

2008-12-15T09:57:00.000-08:00

Man, time flies don't it? I feel like I just blinked and a year passed me by. When I look back on 2008 I feel pretty damn proud of myself. It's always nice to look back and realize how much you grew within one year. What did I do?

- Watched a live UFC event in Las Vegas then ended up going the after party with the fighters, Eddie Griffin (comedian) and Josh Smith (Atlanta Hawks Basketball team)
- Took a 3 week much deserved vacation in Asia (Shanghai and Hong Kong)
- Lowered my body fat percentage significantly since last year.
- Started a women's boot camp in Markham and corporate boot camps for Direct Energy
- My hamstrings are finally flexible as I can touch my toes easily :)

and much much more. I am definitely looking forward to more growth in 2009!

But when I look at the obesity epidemic that is hitting Canadians I can't help but feel that the fitness industry as a whole is not progressing at all. More and more people are getting fat. No joke! And it doesn't look like it is slowing down anytime soon.

The only thing I can focus on is providing you guys with the information that I KNOW will push you and your body forward in a positive direction. Here are the next trends in fat loss exercise as well as the fitness industry.

Fitness Trend#1- Fitness Boot Camps Will Rise, One-On-One Personal Training Will Fall

You’d have to be living in a cave to not be aware of the fact that we are in the midst of the biggest economic recession since The Great Depression. With the disappearance of the middle class and an economy that will most likely get worse before it gets better, the average Canadian simply does not have the disposable income for typical personal training rates that run about $60 per hour (probably more than that!)

However, with every problem emerges a solution; fitness boot camps are just that. Boot camps are probably the hottest thing in the fitness game right now. The group training business model creates the ultimate win-win for trainers and clients making the one-on-one alternative obsolete. Fitness trainers get to better leverage their time and maximize profits by working with an unlimited number of clients per hour.

Fitness clients are able to better access personal training services in a unique and dynamic team environment that provides better social support and accountability for only a the third of the cost of typical one-on-one training rates. Personally I feel that fitness boot camps are 10X better than one on one training just due to the social support you get from every single member in the camp. It's an unbelievable experience.

Fitness boot camps are popping up all over the country, and for good reason. If you are trying to lose weight in 2009, do yourself a favor by saving your hard-earned money to get better results by joining a local fitness boot camp.

Fitness Trend#2- Interval Training Destroys Aerobic Training For Improved Fat Loss And Fitness 100% Of The Time

High-Intensity Interval Training is rapidly gaining popularity as the best form of improving both fitness and fat loss. Thankfully, 2009 will see more people doing sprints and less people doing marathons to lose weight. However, make no mistake about it, lots of people are still going to do hours of snail-paced cardio to burn fat.

I'll also make a bold statement that has been proven over and over again (this statement is so bold I have to put it in bold): Fitness classes absolutely positively SUCK at helping people lose fat. Studies have actually shown that if people have done the same fitness class for over one month they may actually be getting fatter instead of losing it.

Aerobic or endurance training is essentially going at a slow, low intensity pace for a long period of time (typically at least 30-60 minutes). In other words, the focus of endurance training is on the total volume of exercise (not quality). Think about all those speed limpers you see every New Year foolishly running for hours pounding the pavement or treadmill to get rid of that winter blubber. Sadly, this results in minimal fat loss and lots of overtraining injuries (e.g. ______-its).

With interval training, the focus is on the intensity of exercise (quality). Intervals consist of alternating between shorts bouts of all out high-intensity effort and active recovery periods for a much quicker and focused amount of time (typically 10-20 minutes of intervals works best). This approach is scientifically proven to burn nine times more fat AND lead to faster improvements in fitness than the aerobic alternative.

Two landmark scientific studies come to mind here:

The Tabata study compared the effects of four minutes of high-intensity interval training with 45-60 minutes of low to moderate intensity cardio. The interval training group burned just as much fat as the endurance group and also had greater improvement in both anaerobic (think sprinters) and aerobic (think distance runners) fitness… in only four minutes!

The Gibala study compared the effects of 20 minutes of interval training (30 second sprint followed by four minutes of rest) with 90-120 minutes of endurance training in the “heartrate zone.” The conclusions of the study were that both methods of training lead to the same improvements in oxygen utilization (or aerobic fitness). In other words, intervals accomplished what endurance training did from a fitness standpoint in only a sixth of the time!

The time is now to jump on the interval training bandwagon. Come 2009, do yourself and your body a favor and start sprinting to look better naked.

Fitness Trend#3- Lean Protein And Fiber Are The Carbohydrate Addict’s Answer For Improved Health, Performance, and Body Composition

Canadians are carb addicts. We simply can’t get enough starches and sugars in our diet, and we have the bulging midsections to prove it. One of the biggest misconceptions about diet today is that eliminated starches and sugars from your diet automatically means low carb. Better said, eliminating grains (even whole grains) and refined sugars still allows for consumption of the other carbohydrates: fruits and veggies. These nutrient-dense carbs are loaded with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber and create more stable blood sugar levels to keep your body burning fat all day long. All of my clients who have lost the most fat have followed our guidelines of unlimited veggies all day long (besides corn, peas, carrots, beets, and potatoes). In other words, eat lots of veggie carbs, and very little of the other stuff if you want to see your abs!

The overwhelming scientific literature proving the fat burning benefits of a diet high in lean protein and fiber is finally catching the eye of mainstream consumers. Protein is the most important component of each and every meal or snack you consume. It builds and maintains muscle, allows your body to preferentially burn fat, increases metabolism through the thermic effect of feeding, and fills you up. Fiber (ideally obtained from fruits and vegetables, specifically green vegetables) helps slow digestion for a more steady supply of nutrients and sustained energy, it prevents overeating at each meal, and it helps keep you more full between meals. Thus by combining protein and fiber every two to four hours, you provide your body with the optimal one-two belly fat burning punch for a leaner, sexier you.]

Without a doubt, people will be consuming more protein and fruits and veggies next year, and their bodies will reap the rewards of this.

Well, those are the top fitness trends for 2009 according to my crystal ball. I hope the information in this article gives you the push you need to be the trendsetter for your own body and the bodies of those whom you care most about in the New Year!

Go Hard or go home!

DG
Go Girl Boot camps

Top 5 Last Minute Fitness Gifts!

2008-12-11T08:04:00.000-08:00

If you are like me I leave my Christmas shopping to the last minute. This means that on December 24th I am empty handed, trying to find a parking spot in Yorkdale, fighting a mom of 2 for the last tickle-me-elmo in Toys R us. Not a pretty sight.

I'm going to make it easy for you this holiday season. Here is my top 10 list for Best fitness holiday gifts. Just don't leave to the last minute ok?

1.) A Foam Roller

If you’re like most people, you spend a lot of your day nailed to a desk. And when you actually do have time to workout, all you usually can fit in is the workout itself. Really, who has time for daily stretching?

Well that’s where a foam roller comes in. It’s a phenomenal corrective self-massage tool that will dramatically bolster injury prevention and improve performance. It’s ideal to use for at least five minutes post-workout to promote healing of the small micro-tears in your muscles that result from high-intensity training to jumpstart the recovery process. Plus, a foam roller both kneads out and lengthens your muscle and connective tissues thus alleviating, if not eliminating, nagging aches and pains in your back, knees, hips, shoulders, and elbows.

If you’re going to get a foam roller, get a good one. The cheaper options tend to wear down into a limp noodle for larger individuals after a couple of months. I get all of my foam rollers from Perform Better. My brand of choice is The EVA Premium Foam Roller (about $30), I have used it every day for the last several years and I swear by it!

2.) Resistance Bands

Resistance bands are by far the most simple, convenient, and affordable equipment option in the fitness industry. They supply total portability for killer workouts that can be done anywhere. If you are a busy professional who does a lot of traveling, bands are the perfect lightweight training tool to take your workouts with you on the road as they can fit in the smallest of bags without a problem. If you are a busy Mom looking to workout in the comfort of your own home, bands can make this happen too. Bands provide the perfect compliment to your body weight circuit training workouts for added variety, allow for multiple levels of resistance with practically zero transition and set-up time, are easy on the joints, and are fun to use!

In my travels, I have had the pleasure of meeting and befriending the world’s premier resistance band training expert, Dave “The Might Band Man” Schmitz. This guy is a total nut job who creates the most innovative fat loss workouts with bands that you’ll ever see. He has his own line of resistance bands that are virtually indestructible and I use them year round to crank it at home or on the road.

3.) A Gift Card to a Sporting Goods Store For Fitness Equipment and Apparel

You can’t beat a sporting goods store like Sportchek to get the best fitness equipment and apparel on the market today. I always recommend going with a gift card here because everybody has their own preferences, particularly when it comes to clothing sizes and styles.

4.) A Gift Card to Whole Foods, Trader Joes, or Other Premium Grocery Stores

Rather then waste money on an overpriced restaurant, why not give a week’s worth of groceries to a 100% organic grocer like Whole Foods to a friend or loved one. After all, everybody’s got to eat, but how many of us actually eat the right stuff to support our fitness goals?

I must admit, several years ago I thought Whole Foods was just for rich people or hippies, but boy was I wrong. I shop there almost exclusively these days, particularly when buying produce to avoid foods that are typically loaded with hormones and pesticides at other regular run of the mill grocery stores. The key is to go in with a budget in mind (e.g. spend $50 bucks on protein, $20 on fruits and veggies, and $10 on miscellaneous items) only buying what you need.

5.) A Gift Card to a Massage Therapist

Most of us are crazy busy and super stressed out during the holiday season and nothing eases the tension like a good massage. This is about as can’t miss of a gift as it gets, unless you know someone who doesn’t like to be touched. It’s nice to be pampered on occasion, and though the foam roller I mentioned above can do wonders for the majority of your body, nothing can alleviate tension in your upper back, neck, and head like a good massage therapist!

13 Must Do Diet Tips to Save Your Waistline This Holiday

2008-12-07T14:51:00.000-08:00

There are a bunch of handy damage control diet strategies that you should employ to best prevent yourself from overdoing it at the dinner table this holiday season. Use the tips below to allow yourself to stay social and to be able to indulge in moderation without splitting your pants before the New Year:

1.) Perform High-Intensity Activity Before and/or After a Big Meal or Holiday Feast

I know, I know. I promised diet strategies, but I simply cannot go without recommending some activity. Your body is most receptive to higher calorie and/or carbohydrate meals within 30 minutes before and within three hours following high-intensity activity. Ideally you would want to workout out before AND after a big meal, but if you can only do one, that will suffice. It is less important when you do it and more important that you do it. Your best options will be 20 minutes of circuit resistance training or cardio interval training.

If you want bonus points, you can take a nice 20-30 minute walk after your meal to help digest and burn a few calories.

2.) Do NOT Fast in Preparation for a a Big Meal or Holiday Feast

Fasting in preparation for a free meal will not only lead to overeating, but worse: overeating foods that are extremely high in sugar, fat, or both! Your body is a survival mechanism. If it hasn’t had food in a while it anticipates a famine state. This means that the next time that you eat your body will use as much of the incoming food as possible to store as body fat (survival energy) in anticipation that it won’t see food again for another long period of time. Do yourself and your body a favor by eating every two to four hours as you normally should to prevent yourself from becoming a ravenous, fat-storing beast this holiday season!

3.) Do NOT Gorge Yourself

Eat until the point of satisfaction, not discomfort. Remember this: binge eating is not the habit of lean individuals. It's important to understand that holiday meals are not a ticket to "Eat whatever you want". However, listen to your body and make sure to enjoy the foods you are craving in moderation and only eat when you are hungry.

4.) Eat a High-Fiber, Protein-Rich Meal An Hour Before a Holiday Event

A meal high in fiber and protein before a big holiday meal will help prevent overeating by making you feel more full which in turn means less calories consumed during the ensuing feast. My favorite strategy is to drink a protein shake with a added fiber and healthy fats (e.g. 2-4 Tbsp. flax meal) and 1 liter of water before such a meal to help keep me nice and full upon arrival. This way you won’t lose any friends by eating their entire dinner platter and you’ll save your midsection from a fluffier existence!

5.) Eat Leans Proteins and Fruits and Vegetables FIRST

Just because it’s a holiday meal doesn’t mean you can’t eat any nutritious food. Make sure to load up on healthier food choices first and try to eat as much lean meat, fish, and fruits and veggies as possible at the start of each holiday event. This will leave less room for the unhealthier, higher calorie treats. At least this way you know your body is getting in some good nutrition and you are not putting yourself at excessive risk for sickness and/or other health concerns.

6.) Drink, Drink, Drink Water!

Water competes for space in your stomach and truly helps suppress that appetite. For every plate you eat, try to drink at least 1-2 glasses of water. After that second plate, when you have 1 full liter of water in your stomach, I bet you might just throw in the towel!

7.) Do NOT Eat Again Until Hungry Following a Large Meal

Now I know I already told you to eat every 2-4 hours, but there is one exception to this. If you eat a huge meal, it is important not to eat again until you are hungry and/or no longer full. If your body is not used to eating such a big meal, then it will take a much longer time to digest all that food and the worst thing you can do is put more food into an already full stomach, unless you goal is to do the stop, drop, and roll drill. Only when you are hungry again should you resume your normal eating plan following a big holiday meal.

8.) Immediately Resume Your Normal Eating Schedule at the Next Meal

What’s done is done. Now it is time to get back to your regular eating plan. Remember weekly caloric intake is far more important than daily caloric intake. For example, let’s say that you need 3,000 calories per day to maintain your current body weight. Well, all that you need to do is make sure the average daily caloric intake each week is 3,000 calories per day. This means that you can fluctuate your daily caloric intake and yield the same results as if you ate that same amount each day. So if you have one day of big eating where you eat 9,000 calories (just an example, not a recommendation), but you only eat 2,000 calories per day the rest of the week, you will still end up at the same caloric balance. Again, I am not recommending that you eat in such an extreme manner, rather I am suggesting that you do not have to obsess about being perfect. Enjoy some indulging in moderation at your various holiday festivities knowing that the week in review trumps a day in review, even when you are particularly naughty on any given day.

9.) Never Eat Junk Food for Breakfast or Before Bed

Eating a highly refined carbohydrate meal first thing in the morning will make your blood sugar levels go crazy for the rest of the day resulting in greater junk food cravings and uncontrollable hunger. On the other hand, eating a big meal before bed will result in a bunch of unused energy that will be stored as body fat and you very well may have trouble sleeping with all of that extra food volume in your stomach!

10.) Control your Portions

Try to eat only half of all the servings of unhealthy food that you choose. Half of the portions equal half the calories!

11.) Avoid Empty Liquid Calories and Alcohol

One can easily consume over 1,000 calories per day from liquid calories alone. This means that in one week, you will gain 2 lbs of body fat from just fluids! Opt for regular solid food calories versus empty liquid calories (e.g. juices and soft drinks), for at least the food will fill you up and provide some nutrition where as liquid calories, particularly alcohol, have no such effect. Rather, sugary and/or alcoholic drinks tend to make you hungrier in general and often hungrier for junk food in particular. Furthermore, your body cannot burn fat until the alcohol is processed out of your body in addition to the fact that alcohol consumption actually lowers leptin levels thus defeating one of the main purposes of this flexible eating (decreased leptin levels increase hunger and decreases your body’s use of fat for fuel). Thus over-consumption of alcohol can prevent the fat burning process from resuming until several days later and/or even cause unwanted fat gain and thus set you back as little as a few days to as long as a full week!

12.) Use Lower Calorie/Carbohydrate Substitutes Whenever Possible

Instead of using sugar, opt for zero calorie alternatives like splenda or stevia. They can deliver a similar taste without all of the extra sugar and calories. Even try replacing yeast with protein powder when you bake. The extra protein and reduced carbohydrates will result in a slimmer you while still providing some great tasting treats! Your goal should be to find the minimal amount of calories that can provide the same great taste that makes the holiday treats enjoyable rather than simply overdoing it because you can!

13.) Avoid Eating Meals that are High in Both Fat and Carbohydrates

The absolute worst thing that you can do is to eat a meal that is high in both fat and carbs. The high amount of carbs will lead to a rapid increase in blood sugar levels and thus large increases in the potent fat-storing hormone Insulin. The high amount of fat will lead to a large increase in free fatty acids in your bloodstream. Since Insulin is already present in large amounts, in addition to there being a large amount of free fatty acids now available in your blood, the stage is set for all those free fatty acids to be gobbled up and stored by your fat cells. This is the equivalent of becoming the next Goodyear blimp, so it is imperative to use caution at your holiday meals when it comes to combining fat (particularly saturated and trans fats) and carbs (particularly starches and refined sugars). In general, it is best to choose one over the other. But since most people crave carbs at their free meals, it is essential to keep the fat low at this meal. Want pasta? Instead of alfredo sauce, opt for marinara sauce with whole grain pasta. Want pizza? Make your own pizza with whole grain crust and fat-free cheese. Want mashed potatoes? Well then be sure to skip the gravy and go easy on the butter. These small changes can literally save you hundreds, even thousands of calories, and more importantly will prevent your holiday feasts from creating the optimal fat-storing environment that will set you back from achieving your health and fitness goals.

Use these fat-fighting diet tips to make this your fittest holiday EVER!

Go hard or go home!

DG

http://Www.Gogirlbootcamps.com

4 Quick tips for a Fat Free Holiday Season

2008-12-01T08:32:00.000-08:00

We all know how busy the holidays can be. The biggest mistake you can make is letting your holiday errands and parties take importance over taking care of your body. It is a big mistake to risk losing the lean muscle mass and strength that you have worked so hard to build and maintain. Why you ask? Losing lean muscle mass will lower your resting metabolic rate, which accounts for the vast majority (about 60-75%) of your total daily calorie burning. This means that everyday you will end up burning less calories and packing on MORE POUNDS! Plus, losing strength will mean that the next time you start to work out your performance will be sub par and you’ll get smacked in the face with that ugly word that no one ever wants to encounter when it comes to their training: regression!

There are many clever ways to maintain or increase the number of calories you burn per day, both from exercise and from your normal daily activities, to make this a fat-free holiday season. Use these strategies to turn your body into a fat burning furnace and to help avoid the "Holiday Bulge".

1.) Perform at least one intense strength training session per week

Studies show that only a single strength training workout per week during times when you cannot train as frequently as you normally do is an effective way to maintain your current levels of strength and lean muscle mass. So, to best maintain your strength and lean muscle mass, shoot for at least one good strength training workout per week to stay buff during the holidays and to prevent unwanted regressions in fitness. To best prevent weight gain, aim for three total body strength workouts per week. To maximize fat burning, perform three total body strength workouts per week and also perform three cardio interval workouts per week on non strength-training days.

2.) Hit Your Totals

Your body is a moron. In other words, it cannot differentiate between 100 push-ups performed in a row versus 100 total push-ups performed in a day. When you honestly cannot find a five to 20-minute time slot to complete an effective total body workout, look for hidden chunks of time during the day to get in a certain number of daily repetitions for a certain number of exercises that work your entire body. Got a free moment from now until you need to take the turkey out of the oven? Then, bang out 10 push-ups, 10 rows, and 20 squats. Using this method throughout the day will lead to big numbers by the end of the day that will burn the same amount of calories in addition to creating similar muscle building effects as if you did all of the exercises at once during a single workout.

It is important to note that this “Hit Your Totals” routine is merely a back-up option to the ideal 20-minute interval training workouts which are scientifically proven to burn nine times more fat than ordinary exercise (see my article How to Build 5-Minute Total Body Fat Burning Workouts for the Holidays for more info). Short rest periods between exercises create the optimal hormonal environment for rapid fat loss and lean muscle gain, where as the long rest periods (full recovery) between movements do not. However, it comes down to effective (“Hit Your Totals”) versus optimal (50-10 Total Body Circuit Interval Training Workouts), so be sure to at least be effective this holiday season!

Make sure to pick multi-joint, compound movements that hit as much of your body’s major muscle groups in the shortest amount of time possible (e.g. squats, deadlifts, lunges, push-ups, rows, etc.). Use the plan below as guide to build your own “Hit Your Totals” workout. Adjust the repetition ranges accordingly based on your current strength levels. The only thing you need is your body weight and adjustable dumbbells and/or resistance bands. Perform this plan up to three times per week, resting a day between workouts. Make sure to alternate between Plan A and Plan B for more variety. You can either hit your total by doing one exercise first (e.g. perform push-ups rest-pausing as needed until you get 100 total), or by simply employ circuit style training (e.g. 20 squats, 10 push-ups, 10 rows, repeat 10x throughout the day to hit your totals).

The Hit Your Total Workout For The Holidays
Plan A-

Body weight Squats or Hip Extensions: 100-200 total
Push-ups: 50-100 total
DB/Band Rows: 50-100 total

Plan B-

Body weight Lunges or Single-Leg Hip Extensions: 50-100/total per leg
Off Chair/Couch Dips: 50-100 total
DB/Band Curls: 50-100 total (feel free to swap pull-ups or pull-downs here if you have access to the equipment)

3.) Rage Against The Machines

Machines have made us an incredibly out of shape and overweight society. This holiday season make it a point to not use them! Now I don’t mean to say that you cannot drive to the mall during the holidays. However, when you get to the mall, try to park further away so you can do more walking to get inside. Avoid using elevators and escalators and opt for the stairs; all those steps truly do add up. Instead of having your naughty kids carry the bags, burn more calories by carrying the bags yourself (sorry, that was the former naughty kid in me raging, ha ha). Stay on your feet as much as possible and resist the temptation to let a robot or machine do the work for you.

4.) Engage in more outdoor holiday activities

I have been in some pretty incredible snowball fights in my day. Though I was always having a blast while pelting my friends behind cleverly built igloos, I was never aware of how exhausting a good snowball fight can truly be until I came indoors afterwards. My snowsuit was soaked with sweat and I had spent the last 30 minutes or so in total fight or flight mode. Talk about an awesome way to burn calories without even thinking about it! Get outdoors this holidays season and throw around the pigskin or have your very own “Ice Bowl.” Once again, all these calories here and there truly do add up and could make a difference between you fitting in your pants or ripping your pants by the time the clock strikes midnight this New Year!

Go Hard or Go Home!

DG
Http://Www.Gogirlbootcamps.com

Ps. I'm doing a FREE week of my Women's Boot Camp in January. Email me at go.personalfitness@gmail.com to reserve a spot!

Goal Setting Technique that Guarantees your Success

2008-11-24T08:46:00.000-08:00

When I talk to successful people I always like to pick their brains and ask a lot of questions. I am in the belief that success is a mindset and can be learned rather than being something somebody is automatically born with.

The one thing I am always picking up on is that successful people always know what their goals are for their lives and their businesses. They know what benchmarks they want to set and when they want to set them. They know what their goals are as if they are written on the back of their hand.

On the other hand I do talk to a lot of people on the other side of the fence: Stuck in a job they don’t like, not liking their body knowing they need to do something about it but don’t, and overall not satisfied with the way their life is going. The one thing I notice is that they don’t know what they want out of life, they don’t know what their goals are and they refuse to take an hour to even sit down and write them out.

If you have never written goals out for yourself ever or you do but want more direction, here is your chance to follow a step by step goal setting outline that is guaranteed to help you achieve your goals without fail.

The Ultimate Goal Setting System

Start today by selecting your goals!

1. Take out a sheet of paper and title it “Life’s goals” or whatever you want to call it.

2. Make a list of everything you want to accomplish in life. Ideas: Six pack abs, 9% body fat, $$$, travelling destinations, etc…

3. Convert that list into long term life goals and narrow your list down to four. Think in terms of a long-term wealth-building goal, a long-term health goal, a long-term personal-relationship goal, and a long-term personal growth and development goal. These are your top priorities, your bottom line objectives.

4. Convert those goals into 5 year mid term objectives. For example, let’s say that your long term financial goal is have a net worth of 5 million dollars. By year 5 you would have to be at a 2.5 million dollar net worth.

5. Now use the 5 year objectives and break them down into yearly objectives.

6. Take those yearly objectives and break them down into monthly bit sized objectives.

7. Then break those monthly objectives into 4 weekly goals. So if your goal is to get your body to 9% body fat then your weekly goals would be to hit the gym 3 times that week and follow your nutrition plan to an 80% compliance.

8. Finally work your way down to breaking the goals down into daily goals. So the objectives for the week would be on your to do list for the day.

Expect to spend a good chunk of time planning out your year. Once a month, you'll sit down for two or three hours to map out your goals for the next four weeks. Once a week, you'll spend one hour establishing your goals for the next seven days. And you'll spend about 30 minutes each morning organizing your day.

I know that sounds like a lot, but you're really spending no more than the equivalent of a few days a year to map out your strategy for achieving your long-term Life Goals.

This is how I establish my own goals, focus my objectives, and set daily tasks. It's not, by any means, an entirely original system. It's a patchwork of systems that have been developed by others and added to by me. But there is something about this particular system that seems to work.

It works so well, in fact, that I encourage everyone who works for me to use it. Those who do find that it works very well. I think you will too.

Go Hard Or Go Home!

DG
http://Www.GoGirlbootcamps.com

The Best Exercises for Rapid Fat Loss and Lean Muscle Gain

2008-11-17T07:16:00.000-08:00

As a former fat kid who has researched every fat loss method and helped hundreds of people lose weight, I know a thing or two about exercise selection. The one question people always ask me is: What are the best exercises to burn fat AND gain muscle fast.

I’ll keep this as simple as possible for you. The best exercises for fat loss are also the best exercises for muscle gain and visa versa. These exercises all have one thing in common: they provide a UNIQUE challenge to your body AND involve as many muscles in your body as possible.

Both the scientific research and the real world case studies have shown that total body workouts are superior for maximal fat loss and muscle gain. But let’s take this one step further…

Let’s dramatically accelerate results by preferentially selecting TOTAL BODY EXERCISES within each TOTAL BODY WORKOUT! For example, squats are well known for being one of the best muscle-builders with a serious a fat-shredding effect. However, the squat goes from great to UNSTOPPABLE for changing your body for the better when you make it a combination movement by adding a row or press to each squat rep. It’s obvious that you can reap more benefits this way since you have now involved your upper body into the king of lower body exercises.

It’s as simple as the Dream Body Equation below:

Performing Total Body Exercises Within Each Total Body Workout -->

More Muscles Involved =

More Calories Burnt + Greater Muscle-Building Stimulus =

Greater Fat Lost + Greater Muscle Gain

I must be honest in that I have a true love-hate relationship with the following movements I am about to share with you. Love because of the unparalleled fat-melting, muscle-building results they provide to help maximize my sexy. Hate because they break me every single workout by leaving me in tears while in a pool of my own sweat. In other words, these are not for the weak of mind, body, or soul!

Without further adieu, here is the official top 10 list of my favorite exercises in the world for fat loss and lean muscle gain:

Exercise#1- Power Clean + Squat to Overhead Press Combo

Exercise#1- Any Squatting Combination Exercise- Squat Thrust/Burpee Variations, Squat to Overhead Press, Squat to Row, Squat to Chest Press, Braced Core Squat, Single-Leg Squat plus Curl to Press, etc.

Exercise#2- The Swing- Dumbbells, Kettlebells, Med Balls, or Sandbags

Exercise#3- Any Lunge Combination Exercise- Alternating Lunge plus Curl to Press, Alternating Lunge plus Twist, Alternating Lunge plus Chest Press, Alternating Reverse Lunge plus Row, Split Jump plus Jerk, Split Jump plus Curl etc.

Exercise#4- Any Push-Up Combination Exercise- Push-ups plus Knee-Ins, Push-up Rows, T-Push-Ups, Spiderman Push-ups, Squat Thrust Push-Ups, Four-Way Push-up Crawl, etc.

Exercise#5- The Chop- Dumbbells, Kettlebells, Med Balls, Bands, or Sandbags

Exercise#6- Olympic Lifting Variations: Dumbbell or Kettlebell Cleans, Snatches, High Pulls

Exercise#7- Dynamic Back Pillar plus 1-Arm Dumbbell Chest Press

Exercise#8- Rear Foot Elevated Deadlift plus Curl to Press

Exercise#9- Med Ball Snatch-Slam Combo

Exercise#10- Dumbbell or Kettlebell Single-Leg RDL plus Row

Use these exercises in the format I explained in my last blog post and you will be burning fat, gaining muscle and enjoying your sexy body in time for your next vacation!

Remember to keep an eye on my blog for the next few days. I'll be posting a video using the top ten exercises and give you more killer exercises for those trouble areas (e.g. legs, butt, abs, chest, arms, etc.)

Go Hard Or Go Home!

DG
Www.GoGirlbootcamps.com

How To Create An Effective Circuit Training Program For Rapid Fat Loss

2008-11-10T19:32:00.000-08:00

In the past (and even to this present day) people have followed a traditional approach to weight training in a straight set format. This means that you perform a specific weight training exercise that is followed by a rest period of anywhere between 30 seconds to five minutes depending on your training goals. For more of a fat loss and lean muscle gain emphasis shorter rest periods are ideal. For more of a strength or power emphasis, longer rest periods are prescribed.

So, what’s the problem with this format? Well, though straight sets are extremely easy to comprehend for people new to fitness, they are also an extremely inefficient way to order your exercises. In most commercial gyms you’ll typically see someone perform three sets of 10 reps for let’s say the bench press. They pump out 10 reps, go to the water fountain, talk with some buddies, watch a couple of highlights on TSN, and then gingerly walk back to the bench area to hit up their second set. In general, most people, guys in particular, tend to take about 3-5 minutes between sets. In the case of three sets of 10 on the bench that means it would take up to 15 minutes to complete only one movement pattern (a horizontal push). That means you’d need at least in hour to perform four different exercises!

A much more effective and time-efficient approach to ordering your exercises is utilizing the alternating set format. Here you’ll perform one exercise, rest for a short period of time, then perform another non-competing exercise, rest for a short period of time, and so forth.

Alternating sets allow you to work different areas of your body when you would otherwise be resting with the straight set format. Plus, by working another area of your body with a non-competing exercise you allow your body to recover from the previous exercise(s). The result is improved training economy and density: more work accomplished in less time, the cornerstone of any sound fat loss program. There are several ways to perform alternating sets outlined below:

Supersets: Alternate between two different non-competing exercises (e.g. upper body and lower body such as push-ups and lunges)

Trisets: Alternate between three different exercises (e.g. push, pull, and lower body such as push-ups, rows, and lunges)

Circuits: Alternate between four or more different exercises

Though supersets and trisets are excellent alternating set options, I believe circuit training is by the far the best option time and time again. To demonstrate why, let’s examine my favorite circuit training template using timed set intervals:

The 50-10 Five Exercise Circuit: You will alternate between 50 seconds of work and 10 seconds of rest for all five exercises in the following 5-minute circuit:

Exercise#1- Squats

Exercise#2- Dips

Exercise#3- Single-Leg Hip Extensions

Exercise#4- Pull-ups

Exercise#5- Leg Raises

Perform this circuit up to four times for a 20-minute total body fat burning workout.

Basically, in the same 15 minutes that it took to get in three sets on the bench you could have gotten in three sets of five different exercise for a staggering total of 15 work sets! Plus, the intensity on each exercise will be just as high as in the straight set format because in this five exercise circuit you will have full recovery with over four minutes before you return to any given exercise (just as you did with the straight set format described earlier).

To recap, the key to creating the ultimate fat loss environment for your body is to do each exercise to maximum intensity separated by a small rest periods so you can get the most work done in the least amount of time. Circuit training gives your body the best of both worlds and is unmatched for simultaneously maximizing fat loss and lean muscle gain. Use the following template I use with my many bootcamp clients for some killer, yet simple fat loss circuits:

Exercise#1- Double-Leg

Exercise#2- Push

Exercise#3- Single-Leg

Exercise#4- Pull

Exercise#5- Core

I’ll be sharing some more great circuit training workouts from my boot camps in the weeks to come ;)

Go hard or go home!

DG

Http://Www.GoGirlbootcamps.com

"I probably can't do that"

2008-03-16T08:49:00.001-07:00

When I told people about the crazy ass DIET I was trying out their first response was "I probably can't do that."

Well you know what? They are right.

Your beliefs are the contracts you hold with yourself. When you have a belief that you are too busy to hit the gym you are basically signing a contract with yourself saying that you don't have enough time to bother with the gym.

Whatever beliefs you hold near and dear to yourself are probably true.

If you believe that you are a failure at everything you do, you are right.

If you believe that whatever you put your mind into you can succeed at doing, you are right.

Be careful with the beliefs you place in your head on a daily basis. These are contracts that you are signing that bind you until a better/worse one comes along.

Start believing that you can make a difference in your own life and you'll be amazed at what happens.

DG

Rant: Just because it looks cool doesn't mean it works

2008-03-10T18:06:00.000-07:00

So I saw this personal trainer dude do a pushup with one leg on the stability ball and two hands on an elevated surface. Then he made his overweight client attempt it.

His reasons for doing this were for strength and stability. What he really accomplished was that I thought he was a complete idiot and he should get his certification revoked as well as his gym membership cancelled.

I see a lot of stupid things go on in the gym that make me just cringe.

Look, just because it looks cool doesn't mean that it is effective. I remember the story where famed personal trainer Juan Carlos Santana was doing 180 lbs squats with his feet ON A STABILITY BALL (for the same reasons "strength and stability"). He has done the squast before but this time his footing was not right and he fell the ground breaking a lot of bones.

He did this in front of hundreds of people at a seminar.

When he recuperated he informed everyone to never attempt what he tried and vowed he would never do it again.

When looking for effective exercises look no further than the fundamental ones. Squats, deadlifts, chest press, pull ups. When I prescribe a fat loss program, athletic conditioning program or mass building program these exercises are still the foundations of where I work from.

Next time your personal trainer asks you to do a stupid ass exercise like the one I just mentioned please give him/her a cocked eye and question the shit out of why you are doing such an exercise in the first place.

If you get a bunch of muttering, stuttering and stammering about why they prescribe it, take the back of your hand and subsequently slap it across your trainers face.

You will probably get a more effective workout doing that instead ;)

DG

Follow your gut

2008-03-10T17:58:00.000-07:00

My gut told me to write this blog post.

My gut tells me to do a lot of things. Some things I do are logical and some things I do are totally illogical but if my gut tells me to do it I usually do. Sometimes I ignore it. That gets me in more trouble.

Where am I going with this?

At this moment you probably have a gut level feeling about something in your life. Whether it be your job, your current situation in life or that ridiculous exercise your personal trainer is making you do. Instead of questioning it do something different for a change: Follow it.

Chances are that your gut is right in all cases. It is what you are truly feeling inside without the b.s. of following societies rules or someone else's expectations of what you should be doing. You gut is probably the key to your happiness. You just have to start listening to it.

DG

Ps. My gut told me to do this Diet. It has probably been the dumbest yet life changing decision I have ever made.