This year we decided to start featuring and awarding the top boot campers per each phase of our Strong and Sexy Boot Camps in 2009.  First one up is Miranda Maurits who attends our Redmond boot camp location.  Congratulations to Miranda for being our top performer in Phase 1 (January 5 – January 31, 2009).

Here’s what she has to say about her experience…

Who’s going to be our next top performer?

- Rommel

This will be a quick post.  Just wanted to share with you examples of a high-carb/high-protein post-workout meal and a high-protein/high-fat breakfast meal on my non-workout days.  The first two meal pics were taken last Friday morning after my workout.  This was breakfast at Gilbert’s on Main Street in Old Bellevue.  I had a spinach and havarti cheese omelette with baby red potatoes, a blueberry bagel, a glass of all-natural Odwalla OJ, and a glass of water.

BUT, Rommel you said we should try to eliminate liquid calories, such as juices.  If you limit it to post-workout you’re usually in the clear, because your body can utilize the insulin spike to shuttle amino-acids into your muscle cells for recovery.  However, it shouldn’t be abused or it will backfire on you if your goals are fat loss.  There’s definitely a delicate ratio of carbs to protein that should be followed.

The photo below was my breakfast on Saturday at Hector’s in downtown Kirkland.  I think it’s called the “Protein Power” breakfast.  It’s a ground chuck and ground sirloin patty over a bed of steamed spinach, an egg on top, tomatoes, plus I added a small side-salad.  This meal has no starchy carbs, just antioxidant rich veggies, serious protein, and normal fats to go with it.  BUT, Rommel that’s a fatty meal!  Yes, but I didn’t combine it with starchy carbs, and according to Dr. Berardi and his Precision Nutrition system it’s all good!  More on his system next time.

90% of my nutrition adheres to “Protein plus Fat and Veggies/Fruit”  unless it’s post-workout, in which those meals are “Protein plus Starchy Carbs/Fruit”.  This is a system I’ve incorporated into my lifestyle since 2003, and for me this has been the most effective program.  The other 10%, well cheat meals of course!

Ok, this just made me hungry again, so see ya later, gonna chow on some muscle building protein!

- Rommel

The James Bond Girls have become as famous as 007 himself.  With exotic looks and far out names it’s hard not to notice the women who portray Bond’s girls.  Their presence is almost as necessary as all of 007’s cars and cool hi-tech gadgets.

I came across an article in which three of the Bond girls shared their secrets to maintaining a sexy physique.

The latest Bond girl, Olga Kurylenko said she cross-trained with martial arts and high-intensity circuit weight training.  Her nutrition tip was to not overdo it with sugar, and said “The only time I had dessert was at friend’s houses!”

Halle Berry’s tip was along the lines of using an external motivator.  Her motivation was knowing that she had to wear that orange bikini in Die Another Day, and to “walk sexy” coming out of the water.  She too cut out sugar, ate more fruits and veggies, and focused on short, intense, and effective circuit weight training.

Michelle Yeoh explains that regular exercise is part of her life, and it’s important to incorporate it into your everyday lifestyle.  She doesn’t diet, eats most things in moderation, but eats a lot of fruits and veggies.

These tips are great examples of how you don’t need to overcomplicate your fitness routine and eating habits.  Cutting out refined white sugar and increasing your consumption of fruits and veggies is something we’ve been preaching consistently.  Make exercise a priority in your life, but find a way to make it fit seamlessly even if it’s literally just doing 1-2 sets of bodyweight squats and pushups.  You perform those two sets intensely enough it will still provide you great benefits in as little as four minutes per day.

So get off your butt right now, bust out as many squats as you can in 20 seconds, followed by as many pushups as you can in 20 seconds, and repeat that five more times.  You’ll be worked for sure, and when you’re done you can bite into your favorite fruit.

Have fun with that!

- Rommel

Last Saturday I held a grocery store tour for a few clients.  As we approached the meat section one client mentioned that they’ve pretty much cut out red meat from their diet, that people should stay away from meat, it causes a lot of problems, it’s linked to cancer, and the “China Study” reveals why.

I agree and I disagree.  But let me explain something first.  The “China Study” was written by Dr. Colin Campbell – a well known vegan.  Of course he’s going to be anti-meat.  As my business partner, Belton, and I have stated numerous times, please consider the source.

Now I’m not completely bashing Dr. Campbell, because there are very good and legitimate points stated in his book.  However, there are way too many factors to consider before concluding that eating meat is the devil.  Yes there’s definitive evidence that links meat with increased cancer risk, but some factors to question are,

• The type of meat that was eaten – is it hormone pumped, grain fed beef? Or, naturally grass fed beef?
• Were the meats processed?
• How was the meat cooked? Grilled or Charred?  (Charred beef contains cancer causing carcinogens)
• What was eaten in combination with the beef? More saturated foods like cheeses? Or heart healthy whole grains and fruits and veggies?

Do you see my point yet?  Again, there are way too many things to consider, but let me simplify what I’ve learned from my own research, and in discussions with numerous nutrition experts.  It’s more about the way you combine your foods that will dictate your overall health and your physique.

We utilize these simple methods in our fat loss programs from Jayson Hunter, registered dietitian and Director of Research and Development for Prograde Nutrition:

• For each meal fulfill one serving for each category: lean protein, fibrous carbs (any fruits or veggies), starchy (but high fiber) carbs
• For starchy carbs do your best to choose whole, unprocessed grains such as whole grain or whole wheat breads, or other complex starchy carbs, such as sweet potatoes, yams, quinoa, and brown rice.
• Consume more healthy fats in the form of nuts, cold water fish, or supplementing with heart healthy, fat blasting essential fatty acids (we recommend Prograde’s EFA Icon, and read this blog to learn more about how essential fatty acids helps beat the battle of the bulge).
• Drink more water! We recommend a minimum of 64oz per day.

These methods are not rocket science, and they’re definitely not new.  The problem is that most people are oversimplifying the concepts (considering how we Americans tend to react to information, this isn’t surprising).  Remember the KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) principle?  Take small steps by focusing on one bullet point each week.  Master that bullet point then move on to the next.  I guarantee you do that and you’ll be seeing results in no time.

Now back to the issue of eating meat, if you love it don’t avoid it, just make sure to eat the naturally raised grass-fed beef, and eat more fruits and veggies to go with it.  Eating the right amounts of meat can be helpful in an overall supportive nutrition regimen.  Not only is good quality meat high in muscle-building protein, but it’s rich in iron, and energy producing B-vitamins.  Again, just make sure to add in high quality fruits and veggies for added antioxidants, and lots of fiber to round out your nutrition plan.

Yours in health,

Rommel

PS – If you’re not a participant in one of our fitness and fat loss programs and would like more information about the nutrition guidelines stated above, please fill out the form on our home page and we’ll send you our “Nutrition Crash Course” guide.

**Disclaimer: I am not a dietitian.  The dietary recommendations are
not intended as a substitute for any treatment or dietary regimen that
may have been prescribed by your physician.  If you have high
cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, or any other metabolic
disorder please discuss all nutritional changes with your physician or
a registered dietician.

This last weekend was very physical and enlightening.  My martial arts group had the world-famous Grandmaster Richard Bustillo up here from L.A. for a seminar.  It was fun, physical, and a great learning experience.  I learned some things from Sifu Bustillo and from my teacher Mr. Kamara.  It’s funny how people think Martial Arts is all pounding fists and kicking things in.  It’s an outlook, a way of life, a dedication to something.  It shines with the warrior in us who fights the battles in life, that attacks us from all realms.  

Now most of you know who Bruce Lee is.  He was a phenomenal man.  He was a great martial artist, and a strong human being (and I’m not just talking about the physical sense).  Well, my teacher asked Sifu Ted Wong once a question that impacted him greatly.  He asked Mr. Wong ”Sifu, how do I achieve Bruce lee like moves?”  Sifu Ted Wong simply replied “If you want Bruce Lee-like-moves, you have to put in Bruce Lee-like-time and effort.” 

So many people want results quick, fast, with no real effort put into it.  This applies to business owners, clients, fat loss programs, trainers, our strong and sexy bootcampparticipants, or inquiries about them.  I get phone calls from people asking about our Bootcamps and training programs in Bellevue, Redmond, and Woodinville.  I get asked by trainers how to maximize their business and get more clients.  I get pre-qualification phone calls or evaluations from people who want to achieve certain goals.  On our website, we have pictures and testimonials of others who have achieved phenomenal results and people want them NOW NOW NOW!  Just last week, someone showed me a picture of a woman they WANT to LOOK like!

Reality check – You cannot get the results if you do not have the quality time put into it.  You think Bruce Lee showed up to train once a week?  You think he magically landed film roles and made millions accidentally?  Success didn’t fall from the sky and Bruce Lee just so happened to be there.  In the same way, Element 5 Fitness did not achieve a level of success without hard work.  Our clients with their tesimonials did not lose all that bodyfat without hardwork.  If you want to emulate their success, or anyone for that matter, well Success leaves clues.  Pick it up and be a student of the masters.  Learn from them and be diligent.  I never said achieving your goals was going to be easy.

Sifu Bustillo ended the seminar with a story about Bruce Lee (who was his teacher).  He said that Bruce Lee made a statement in 1969:

Here is the ultimate aim of Bruce Lee, as he stated in 1969:

I, Bruce Lee, will be the first highest paid
Oriental super star in the United States. In
return I will give the most exciting
performances and render the best of quality in
the capacity of an actor. Starting 1970 I will
achieve world fame and from then onward till
the end of 1980 I will have in my possession
$10,000,000. I will live the way I please and
achieve inner harmony and happiness.
- Bruce Lee
Jan. 1969

That all happened in about a year’s time. Wow……

So for those Eastside Trainers out there reading this who need more business, or the clients who want to reach their goals, or the business owner who is struggling, I have one last thing to share with you.

Yeah it’s tough out there.  I am pretty sure that you have a legitimate REASON why you can’t “invest” in your health, your business, your education in growing your business, your workouts, your nutrition, your dedication to self-growth, etc.

In my eyes, sometimes….and I say this cautiously sometimes, it’s just an EXCUSE.  So, because I believe you when you say that you have a legitimate reason why you can’t start today, I am renaming your reason to REXCUSE.

What’s your REXCUSE TODAY?

Belton Lubas

Co Founder Element5 Fitness

http://Element5fitness.com

This morning I was in a rush to head out to teach bootcamp and didn’t have time to make my normal breakfast of an omega-3 enriched egg omelette and oatmeal topped with almonds and dried fruit.  So I had to reach for my trusty shaker bottle, filled it up with water and threw in two scoops of Prograde Lean.  About two seconds into shaking it up I made a huge mess, because I forgot to secure the cap and about a fourth of my shake went splashing all over the kitchen floor – AARGH!!!

I was so pissed, but calmed myself quickly knowing that I had to get to the club asap.  I noticed as I was cleaning my mess up that I really wasn’t in the mood for a meal replacement shake and wanted my REAL breakfast.

Why am I telling you this story?  Well, I wanted – yet again – to stress the importance of breakfast to you and how crucial it is to achieving great results, especially in regards to positively changing your body composition (or, in the words of most of my clients “lose belly fat”).

On my drive over I was like, “Gosh, this shake is so boring right now!”  So I figured my blog title would express that in some way.  But do NOT take this message lightly.

“You have to eat breakfast!”  I know you’ve heard it a many times, and this message is nothing new.  But do you have any idea how many people I talk to on a daily basis that DO NOT eat breakfast?  It’s a lot!  And the worst thing is that at least 70% of these people that admit this to me are overweight.

Look, I know a lot of people either don’t have much time in the morning or are just not that hungry after waking up, but you’ve got to find alternatives to feeding your body some quality nutrients in the morning.

Consider this analogy – You go to work every day, because you need to earn a good income, provide for your family with a comfortable home, food to eat, and enjoy other luxuries.  You do this because you NEED the RESULT of this effort, right?

Well, Ok, then IF you want to burn fat, feel better and have more energy you NEED to eat breakfast every morning. Period. End of discussion.

Some things are boring, such as the shake I had this morning. Some things just have to be done to get the result you want. For those of you that want to burn fat all day long, breakfast is just one of those things.

Yours in health,

Rommel

Valentine’s Day is here, and there’s a VERY good chance you have plans to eat out with your significant
other.

And while we want you to have a great time, we do NOT want you to kiss your fat loss goals goodbye. Here are three quick Valentine’s Day Fat Burning Tips to help keep you on track.

1) Make sure you get a good workout in that day. Preferably a circuit strength training routine utilizing the Tabata protocol as described here.  It’s your insurance policy to burning fat all day long.

2) DO NOT starve yourself all day long in anticipation of your big night out.  You’ll just piss your body off, and impede the fat burning process!

3) If you’re having a chocolate craving – it is Valentine’s Day after all – you want to have some good dark chocolate on hand.

(Note: We recommend Prograde Cravers. See the bottom of this email as they are on sale till tomorrow night!)

4) Start Valentine’s Day off with 1-2 cups of water when you wake up. You also want to drink 1-2 cups before each meal as it will help you from consuming WAY to many calories.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Yours in health,

The Element 5 Fitness Team

PS – Here are all the details on Prograde Nutrition’s 14% off Prograde Cravers sale.

Organic Dark Chocolate Prograde Cravers have no preservatives, only 180 calories and they come in three delicious flavors: peanut butter, almond butter and spirulina.

The even better news is they are on sale for Valentine’s Day.

Here’s everything you need to know:

- Again, because it’s Valentine’s Day, the sale is 14% off all purcahses of Prograde Cravers

- When you checkout you will enter this coupon code to save the 14%:    vday0909

- Shipping will take 3-5 days, so while WE HIGHLY
recommend you jump all over this sale.  Buy them as a
healthy gift for yourself or others.

- Sorry, Prograde Cravers are not available overseas

- The offer cannot be combined with others from Prograde and it ends this Saturday, February 14th at 11:59pm EST.

- Prograde Cravers are NOT available in stores anywhere.

You can only find them online here: Prograde Cravers

By now you’ve heard that our Olympic champion Michael Phelps has gotten into a lot of trouble over his bong pics.  There are lessons that can be learned from this mishap.

First, we must always remember we are role models in some way.  There is always a client, a family member, or a colleague somewhere looking to us for guidance.  Michael Phelps screwed up, and it’s a shame, but what’s done is done.  However, it reminded me that as a fitness professional, I MUST lead by example.

Second, forgiving yourself after a mishap.  I believe in forgiving yourself after recognizing “fitness faults”.  I’m talking about “cheat” days versus a “cheat” meal, or a less than stellar workout week.  After working with hundreds of clients looking to change their body, there’s no doubt you WILL screw up along the way.  When it comes to burning fat, or simply improving your fitness, it’s VERY important to recognize your mishaps, forgive yourself, then move on immediately towards positive action.  If you don’t, you’ll easily be one of those that gives up their fitness goals soon after the mishap.

Third, really has nothing to do with Michael Phelps recent actions, however I was simply reminded of working hard for your fitness goals.  Regardless of his actions, you have to agree that he worked super hard for his six-pack abs and to achieve such a high level of fitness.  He set goals and he tackled them with such ferocity.  You don’t have to be an elite athlete like Phelps, but I encourage you to work hard at becoming the best you can be in relation to your fitness goals.  It’s not easy, so don’t be fooled that losing 20lbs in 12-weeks is going to be a walk in the park.

With that said, have you revisited your “Resolutions”?  It’s been almost 6 weeks into the New Year, and you should have seen some decent changes and results.  If not, it’s probably time to take a hard look at what’s holding you back from achieving the body or fitness level you dream of.  If you want amazing conditioning you need proper nutrition AND proper intensity in your workouts.  Period.

Anyway, anytime I see a story like Michael Phelp’s recent news, I always try to look for the lessons that can be learned in relation to fitness.  Please share your comments on what you learned.

Dedicated to your fitness success,

Rommel Acda

PS – If you’re serious about your training and want the best nutritional products, then use what I use – Prograde Nutrition