Not too long ago Tobacco companies were using cartoon characters to influence
children into thinking smoking was cool. They got in a lot of trouble for that,
eventually.
Fast food companies partner with Hollywood and have all sorts of action figures from
popular movies at their restaurants.
And corporations do the same to sell all kinds of thing – including vitamins – for
children.
Have you ever taken a good look at the labels of the leading brands of kid’s vitamins?
On there you’ll find:
Aspartame, which is a VERY controversial artificial sweetener.
DiCalcium Phosphate, which is used in the “feed” that poultry eats.
Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, which NOBODY needs to be ingesting.
And all sorts of artificial colors.
Does that look NUTRITIOUS to you???
Ok, I know what you’re thinking:
“Yeah, that’s great. But what other choice do I have? If it doesn’t TASTE good,
my kid’s not going to take it.”
Well, we may just have the answer to your prayers. But your child’s taste buds are
going to have to decide. As a proud Prograde Partner we’re THRILLED to let you know
they have just released an all-natural children’s vitamin. And they’ve gone to great
lengths to taste test it with kids.
But again, your child will have to decide if it tastes good or not. So that’s why
you can try Prograde Essentials for Kids for FREE! (Yes, there is a small S & H
fee)
Just go to this link right now and discover how Prograde Essentials for Kids
delivers the nutrition your child needs and deserves.
Rommel Acda, CSCS and Belton Lubas, NASM-CPT
Your Element 5 Fitness Coaches
PS – Again, we understand, and so does Prograde, that your child MUST love the taste
of their new chewable vitamin for kids. That’s why you can try it for FREE.
It’s mid-week and your energy and enthusiasm to get a workout in is starting to fade. You’ve done well the past two days, but you might have gone too hard and your mind and body are simply telling you to back off a bit.
So what do you do?
Well, you just need that extra motivation and inspiring workout to get you excited again. And, have we got the perfect workout for you. Just follow the advice of our friend from “Beefy’s Gym”, especially when he explains, “That was the pre-warmup, to get you ready for the warm-up, to get you ready for the pre-workout, followed by the workout, which precedes the post-workout, then we’re going into a 60-minute warm-down…”
Ok, better yet, I’ll just let you watch the video and you can follow from there, enjoy
- Don’t be offended. Wait…yes be offended. I dare you
- I included some video links, embedded them, or linked it to my other blog for a point
- It may be a little long so bear with this
- Lastly, the words and phrasing I give credit to where it is due…Pastor Ryan Meeks from EastLake Community Church
So………here goes:
My wife suggested to go to church Sunday evening. I was sort of reluctant. You know, tired, rainy, rough week last week, just kinda not in that mood. It’s kinda funny that every time I resist something I know would benefit me, I do it anyways and I love it afterwards. Ever feel that way?
So we went to church and the topic of the sermon was “Work Hard”. Usually I write a blog from an inspiration of some sort and I found it tonight. Some of you have been missing my emails. Sorry, I haven’t found that inspiration till recently.
Now please bear with me and don’t worry I am not going to get “churchy” on you. I may use some bible verses due to the relevancy of this blog and where it came from. But, my goal is not to force anyone into thinking a certain way. That is your choice and your views and I am ok with that. What you do with this information in this blog is your choice ultimately. In the end, I hope your offended enough to take action and get some work done. So here is what I learned from going to a Sunday evening service at Eastlake Community Church.
LESSON 1
Work Hard
“All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk only leads to poverty.”Proverbs 14:23
This verse hit me pretty good. It hit me from different angles. Definitely from a business perspective and some other aspects as well. Kinda like a “talk the talk well walk the walk” thing too! The premise of this is not to just say your going to do something….DO IT! Action speaks louder than words! We have heard this line that too many times.
Speaking of talking the talk and walking it…Just recently, a bootcamper called me out early in the morning. This person said…”why don’t you do the exercise with us?” Well, my ego took over and so I did. What this person didn’t know was that I blasted my legs the night before with a rigorous Muay Thai workout. I didn’t have to justify myself but I did 30 Split jumps anyways WITH this person (even though it was only 30 step out lunges…I leveled it up a bit).
You know, I do ask the bootcampers to share their accomplishments, setbacks, and workouts as they go through their 21 day rapid fat loss journey. So here is mine as I am being transparent. I will give you a glimpse of the day before. The day of my Muay Thai workout.
Thursday November 19th:
5am = wake up, 6am = bootcamp, 7am= egg whites and spinach breakfast, 8am = train, 9am = shake, 12pm = Unwich (turkey), 130pm = martial arts client, 2pm = corporate meeting representing Element 5, 3pm = chicken breast salad from subway, 4pm = corporate training Bellevue, 530pm = chicken breast salad, 6pm = bootcamp, 7pm = martial arts class (teach a portion but take as a student and get butt whooped!!), 830pm = cous cous with turkey meatballs and spaghetti sauce. Then comes Friday…blasted legs and all and my little justification act/moment.
And just so you know what the high intensity of Muay Thai or boxing takes look at the videos posted and the link to my other blog (click—>) ”Boxing Mom” workout and check out the first video, read the blog later its cool though! Or to check out the actual video look below. (you can read that blog later about high intensity boxing workouts)
**FYI….this woman has three kids of her own** Now that’s a MOM you don’t wanna mess with!!
Holding pads for these athletes IS A WORKOUT!! Look below!
So yes hard work does pay off and talk is cheap. I hope a look into my day shows you who I am and what I do. Just to be clear, Rommel and myself, NEVER show an exercise we ourselves haven’t done. More importantly, hard work gets you results. I remember working hard to be a great defensive player for OSU’s Men’s volleyball team. I didn’t have the luxury of being 6ft 5in++. I had to work at being fast defensively, responsive, and tactful offensively as a server since the back row line is the most I would probably get to see. Practice and tournaments and games was like a second job to school. Work Hard…
Look, no one ever said achieving great things was going to be easy. You set your goals, aim for it and work hard.
Pastor Ryan said something funny tonight. He said we like to believe there is this thing called Pixie Dust. Just sprinkle it and the problem (fat for us in the fitness world) goes away. Pixie Dust. Just sprinkle it and the magical opportunity comes your way. Pixie Dust, your problems aren’t yours to own, just sprinkle it and it will go away. Pixie Dust…bullcrap. Work Hard.
LESSON 2
Work Hard at What You Do Best:
Colossians 3:23-24 starts out saying “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart…”
Ah this part is good. You see the Michael Jordans of the world have it easy. Tiger Woods? Cmon! what’s so hard about walking in the park and swinging at a ball to a goal? I mean the goal isn’t even guarded! You won’t be tackled either. So, lucky them eh? Just naturally gifted right? WRONG!
You think those great athletes haven’t put in the work? Greatness is easy to see, but we neglect the process behind that greatness.
“I have failed many times, and that’s why I am a success” – Michael Jordan
“I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.” – Michael Jordan
It’s the very same reason why Rommel and myself are in this business. We are good at what we do and we will work hard at what we are very best at doing.
LESSON 3
Work Hard at What Matters Most
One of my coaches Bedros Keuilian asked me a question. He told me to name three things in the business that was successful to us achieving our goals. He had told me to focus on what we are good at, and not to spread oneself too thin. How true, how relevant. Thanks Mr. Keuilian.
Life is temporary people. If you give your life to something you are NOT good at, then you “betray yourself”. You assassinate your character and destroy your integrity, as Mr. Meeks says. Lasting greatness is due to hard work. Your not entitled to it. You want great results in fitness or in life? Work Hard. Simple yet hard to do.
After the sermon was over, (The Pastor said for anyone who he hasn’t met to feel free to come up and introduce themselves), I walked up to the front with Amanda and we thanked the pastor for his message. We then went to Fred Meyer to return a Red box dvd. Amanda went off to look for an item and I was texting my business partner Rommel about the awesome church experience and you know how these grocery stores have banks in them? Well as I was walking and texting with my head down I literally almost ran into one of the banks promo sign. It was a promo sign for the bank and a Disney prize of some sort….it said:
PIXIE DUST………….and so my blog began.
P.S. Please leave a comment with your thoughts
P.P.S. Please subscribe to this blog and forward this to those you think may benefit from it.
Element 5 Fitness is giving back to the Kirkland community and surrounding Eastside communities during this Thanksgiving!
Just bring a can of food and you can workout at Kirkland’s leading fitness boot camp from November 25-28 for free. Belton Lubas and Rommel Acda, owners of Strong and Sexy Bootcamps, calls them “Turkey-Busting Workouts” because they burn off those monstrous calories we all consume on Thanksgiving.
“We’re planning on making this an annual tradition here,” says Acda, “because Thanksgiving is such a wonderful family and friends holiday, and a time to show our appreciation for all we have, especially our health.”
Strong and Sexy Bootcamps is open to all Kirkland residents and their family and friends on November 25th thru 28th with a class 6am Wednesday thru Friday and 9am on Saturday. Evening time is 6pm on Wednesday night. The cost of admission is just one can of food (preferably vegetables), otherwise it’s completely free to everyone who wants a great workout with fun people.
“All that we ask is that folks register in advance by emailing info@element5fitness.com with the subject line: Turkey-Busting Workouts, so we can be sure we have enough equipment on hand to accommodate everyone,” says Lubas. “Boot camp is perfect for all folks regardless of age or fitness level – we make everyone feel welcome and customize the workouts so everybody gets what they need.”
Strong and Sexy Bootcamps’ Turkey-Busting Workouts will be held at the Element 5 Fitness Training Center located at 11626 Slate Ave NE Suites 4&5 Kirkland, Wa 98034; The training center is located behind Napa Auto Parts on Slater Ave.
“We anticipate a great turnout because folks enjoy working out with family, friends and friendly people; and lastly because we’re supporting a great cause through The Hopelink Foundation. It’s a great way for us to give thanks for our health, our families, friends and good fortune, and help others who are less fortunate at the same time,” explains Acda.
Kirkland’s Premiere Personal Training Team, Element 5 Fitness, is hosting a “Sexy” Charity Boot Camp to assist the thousands of victims of the recent Philippines and American Samoa disasters.
Rommel Acda and Belton Lubas, co-owners of the Element 5 Fitness Training Center in Kirkland, Wa and creators of the popular “Strong and Sexy Boot Camps” is proud to announce their collaboration with Kri Chay, owner of “Sexy Back Boot Camps” in Kansas City, MO, Sophin Sarin of Des Moines, IA with “Twork It Out Fitness Boot Camps” and Val Fujii of Folsom, CA with “Superwomen Boot Camp”, for the event.
This nationwide collaboration was created in order to raise funds to assist the thousands of victims of the recent Philippines and American Samoa disasters.
“The nationwide boot camp is being held on Saturday, October 31st, so we thought it would be a fun idea for participants to come to the boot camp dressed in their favorite 80’s themed costume since it is Halloween,” Chay says. Chay goes on to mention that camps in New York City, NY; Phoenix, AZ; Omaha, NE; Olathe, KS; Boulder, CO; and Philadelphia, PA are already signed up to participate in the charity event.
This is how it will work: all camps will be doing the same exact workout (written by Belton Lubas, Kri Chay and Sophin Sarin) at the same exact time, regardless of where the boot camp is being held, be it on the west coast or east coast. The start time is set for 9:15 am PST for the Strong and Sexy Boot Camps team in Kirkland, Wa, 11:15 am CST, and 12:15 pm EST.
So, all of you busy men, women, and youth who are looking to have fun burning fat up to 9 times faster than traditional workouts, while also raising money for a great cause, come on out and join us on Halloween. The cost is only $15 per person or family and all you have to bring with you is a yoga mat, towel, and water bottle. We will see you there!
Rommel Acda,CSCS and Belton Lubas,NASM-CPT are the owners of Element 5 Fitness, Kirkland’s Premiere Fitness Training Center located at 11626 Slater Ave NE, Suites 4 and 5, Kirkland, WA 98034 behind NAPA Auto Parts. They have been helping hundreds of clients lose stubborn body fat for over 10 years. Acda or Lubas are available for interviews or to discuss other story ideas related to fitness and fat loss. They can be reached at 425-823-4400 or by email at info@element5fitness.com. For even more information please visit www.element5fitness.com and www.strongandsexybootcamps.com
In the quest to burn fat, build muscle and attain a flat belly right in time to show it off at the park or beach this summer there are many obstacles and challenges that will get in the way. Getting to the gym has become much easier than eating right.
This is where a good protein shake comes in handy.
There are so many options available now that it makes it even more confusing. However, knowing what to look for will make this process a convenient “no brainer”.
What To Look For
First look for a brand of whey protein powder that is 100% All Natural. It should state “no artificial sweeteners”, “no artificial flavors”, “hormon free”, “antiobiotic free”, and “BSE free”. On the ingredient list you’ll ideally want to have 10 ingredients or less on the label. Depending on the brand they may have a combination of whey protein sources, and that’s ok. The flavor protein powder you choose will depend on which recipes below seem tasty to you. For more variability it’s usually easier to go with vanilla.
Shake It Up
Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup
Mix one serving of chocolate protein powder according to directions with a heaping tablespoon of all-natural peanut butter and half of a banana. Blend it with crushed ice cubes and enough water to your liking in terms of thickness.
Banana Split
Mix one serving of vanilla or chocolate protein powder according to directions with half a banana, half cup of chopped pineapples, and four frozen strawberries. Blend it with
crushed ice cubes and enough water to your liking in terms of thickness.
Cookies and Cream
Mix one serving of vanilla or chocolate protein powder according to directions with four to six drops of peppermint extract. Blend with ice for about 30-45 seconds, then add about four low-fat all-natural chocolate wafers, and blend at a slow speed for an additional 10-15 seconds.
Cinnamon Roll
Mix one serving of vanilla or chocolate protein powder according to
directions with half a teaspoon of ground cinnamon. extract. Blend with crushed ice cubes and enough water to your liking in terms of thickness. This one is especially good with skim milk, soy milk, rice milk, or almond milk.
PB & J
Mix one serving of vanilla or chocolate protein powder according to
directions with a heaping tablespoon of all-natural peanut butter and four to six frozen strawberries (or any berry of choice). Blend
with crushed ice cubes and enough water to your liking in terms of
thickness.
Post-Workout Power Juice
Blend six to eight ounces of all-natural orange juice with one serving of vanilla protein powder, half a banana, half cup of plain yogurt, and ice cubes to your liking.
So these are just a few easy protein shakes to get started. Add more or less fruit or other ingredients to suit your taste buds. If you opt for milk as your fluid of choice try to stick with skim milk, low fat soy, rice, & almond milk, or non-fat to low-fat plain yogurt. Keep the juices for ONLY post-workout shakes, but try to keep it between six to eight ounces (gotta still watch out for the excess sugars).
Are you already a protein shake aficionado? Share your recipes in the comments section.
PS – These are my brand recommendations,
MRM 100% All Natural Whey (Vanilla or Chocolate) – for protein only, and can be found in most local health food stores
Having trouble sticking to your fitness routine? Shake it up a little by working out first thing in the morning. It’s a huge mental shift, but with the sun coming up earlier, early morning workouts will help you jump start your metabolism for the rest of the day.
In addition, you can avoid the stress of battling decisions between your workout and possible last minute evening activities that would have competed with your time, you won’t have to think about getting your workout in, and you’ll find yourself getting more work done during the day.
So challenge yourself to get up earlier and in less than two weeks I guarantee you’ll see and feel a difference.
PS, Still need some pick me up help in the morning? Here are two quick dynamic flexibility exercises to get the blood flowing.
You may or may not have heard of the term “TEF”, or “Thermic Effect of Food”. For whatever reason “TEF” isn’t widely discussed. Maybe it’s because talking about good nutrition can be boring, or because there’s so much advice out there that we almost become immune to it.
However, you might want to listen up for this one simple tip, because it’s going to help you (if you apply it) burn an extra 100-300 calories per day.
Here we go.
Every time you eat, at least 10% of your calories is being used for digestion. This is your body’s natural furnace, aka “TEF”, and it represents the calories burned in order to process the calories consumed.
Protein has the highest TEF at 25-30%, with carbohydrates and fats not even being close at 7% and 3% respectively. For every 100 calories (25 grams) of protein you eat, your body burns 25-30 calories to simply digest and use the protein. This is one of the reasons we recommend that you build your meals and snacks around good sources of lean protein, especially if your goal is fat loss.
In comparison, if you ate a meal or snack that was 100 calories of carbs only, such as toast and jam, your body would only burn 7 calories. Obviously, not the way to go if you want to burn more calories so throw away those useless “100 Calorie” snack bags pronto.
So again, if your goal is fat loss then imagine if you combined lean protein with a good carb source that totaled 400 calories and half of those calories came from protein. That’s 50-60 calories burned from protein, and 14 calories burned from carbs totaling at least 64 calories of TEF. If you ate four meals like this that would be an additional 256 calories you burned in a day not including the fat blasting calories from your workout.
The simplest thing to do to burn more fat and increase your energy levels is to increase your protein intake, and not only your meal frequency but the regularity of those meals. Doing this will boost your metabolism quickly and will keep it elevated for several hours. Talk about an easy way to fight fat, especially if your combining the right foods.
Now go chow on some fat-burning protein!
- Rommel Acda, MATS, CSCS
Have questions or comments? Please let me know in the comments section.
With spring in full effect most people are hitting the gym hard to achieve that flat belly. However, a lot of people are also seeking to achieve amazing looking arms to show off during the summer as well. Most of our female clients are concerned with getting rid of the “back-of-the-arm” jiggly wiggly’s, and are tired of it jiggling long after they’ve stopped waving.
Good nutrition will of course help, and interval training will improve the fat burning process, however specific weight training will boost the “toning” effect. (I can’t stand the word “toning”, but hey I gotta use it).
Follow this three exercise “superset” to attack the stubborn “jiggly” in your triceps so that you can break out the tank tops and show off your newly shaped arms!
The Workout
Perform each exercise for the prescribed amount of reps. Make sure to select a weight that will fatigue your triceps for the prescribed reps. Transition between each exercise with little (no more than 10 seconds) to no rest. After you perform the third exercise rest for one minute, then repeat for two more times to complete three sets.
Exercise 1: Narrow hand position pushups – 5 reps
- Use a full range of motion! Don’t wuss out and only go half way down. Your chest should almost touch the floor. If you can’t complete 5 full reps, then do whatever you can and move on to the next exercise.
Exercise 2: Plank to pushup position – 10 reps total
- Start from a plank position on your forearms then transition into a pushup position. You will not perform a pushup though. Do five reps starting with your left hand and the other five transitioning with your right hand.
Exercise 3: Rope Pressdowns/Extensions – 15 reps
- Using a rope attachment from a high cable pulley, hold the ends of the rope with your palms facing each other. Keep your knees soft and slightly lean your upper body forward, while keeping your back flat. Start with your elbows bent at 90-degrees, then straighten your arms as you slightly pull the rope apart. Do not separate the rope too much as this will create too much pressure in your shoulders.
[Photo credit: figureathlete.tmuscle.com]
Here’s a video that demonstrates exercises 1 and 2.
Here are some surefire ways to burn off an additional 100 calories to help you burn extra fat and attain a leaner physique.
1. Raise Your Intensity
It’s a well known fact now that increasing your intensity during your workout will create an “afterburn” effect. If you haven’t heard of the term “afterburn” in the fitness world, it simply means a disturbance in your metabolism causing you to burn more calories after an intense strength training or interval training workout.
2. Ditch The Sugar
One 8 oz glass of juice has an average of 28 grams of sugar and 120 calories. One packet of sugar is 4 grams and 16 calories. Do the math. In one glass of juice you just consumed 7 packets of sugar. Get rid of the white stuff; your body will appreciate it.
3. Ditch The Sugar Substitutes
Research has shown that our body reacts the same way to sugar substitues (sucralose – aka Splenda, aspartame – aka Equal, saccharin – aka Sweet’N Low). Insulin levels still spike, wreaks havoc on our metabolism and causes the body to store more fat.
4. Eat Healthy Fats
Studies have shown that consuming more healthy fats, aka essential fatty acids, allows our cells to burn more fat and shrinks existing fat cells. A supportive diet rich in healthy fats also helps to break down the visceral fat around our organs, which is the dangerous body fat.
5. Turn On The Heat
If you’re into the hot stuff (get your mind out of the gutter) research has shown that adding more spice (hot sauce and chili peppers) to your meals can elevate your caloric burn by 25%.
6. Stand Up and Let Go Of The Handles
If you’re one of the machine cardio goers, let go of the handles on the elliptical already! If you’re stuck on the bike, change it up and get on another machine that has you standing instead.
7. Sleep Well
A lack of sleep and poor quality sleep drastically affects your fat burning hormone, leptin, and your appetite controlling hormone, ghrelin. A good eight hours of sleep will keep these hormones working full-time versus part-time. If these hormones aren’t operating optimally it can cause cravings.
Did this post help? There are a lot of other tips out there, let us know what else you’ve heard. Share in the comments section below.
