Week 1 of The 12 Week Performance Project-A Commitment to Lose Weight and Feel Great

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This 12 Week Performance Project is all about pushing and fighting your way through all the horrible statistics stacked against us and our nation. It is about uniting together in competition for a greater good! This good is us, you and me, driving toward health, healing, wellness, and performance at hurtling speeds. It is about supporting one another in teamwork through positive comments, competitive spirit, and encouragement. It doesn’t matter if you are a client, a trainer, or someone in Iraq, looking to build the confidence you have always wanted through accomplishment of some of these daily, weekly, or monthly challenges.

Dorothea Charges the 10 Incline Hill!

No more excuses. No more reasons. Just good ol’ fashioned HARD WORK!

Repeat after me…I am committing to lose weight and feel great!

My clients and I, (along with some of our IR family: trainers, clients, blog subscribers, Facebook Fans, and newsletter/email readers) are prying into a 12 week performance project.  This project is not about money, fame, lust, or prizes. The prize you get is the body, mind and spirit you create. The body, mind, and spirit you create is going to be reciprocal to the effort you put in.

I will be using the blog for guidance in mindset, nutrition, and recovery. The exercises and competitions will change from day-to-day and week-to-week. Catch us on Facebook for the daily workouts and see us here the Innovative Results Personal Fitness Training Blog for the weekly piece.

It was definitely a spirit-filled session this morning…I pushed so hard, I was on the verge of succumbing to weakness for the last 45 minutes of the workout. It started with testing. We as individuals are to setting a bar, and setting it as high as we can, allowing us the opportunity to support, encourage, and challenge each other as a team to BLOW THAT BAR OUT OF THE WATER!

I trained with an incredible endurance athlete Chris Laskey, and he set the bar HIGH for the run portion. The run portion was a 10 incline on the treadmill at 7.5 mph, and the goal was to run it for as long as you could–he set it at 4 min, and so I gave it everything I had, turning what started as competition with Chris into utter need of the Spirit to reset it at 4min and 47 sec. The 3rd place spot was held by Chris Mora at 1:38.

Now, I don’t know if that was smart, because we still had 4 more performance measurements: push-ups, crunches, pull-ups, and 16 inch box-squats.

Max push-ups in a minute were done modified for women and regular for men, hitting a 90 degree angle at the elbow and FULLY extending in order to count as a rep. Jessica Cadenhead pumped out 53 at 6am, so I blasted 60 during my testing at 7am right after the run of death (yes, you must do these in order and finish it in under 25min)…only to be killed by Marianne with 70 at 9am. (Should of made them do regular.

On to max crunches in a minute. These little guys are made difficult by the having to slide your hand along the mat 6 inches to touch your heel, and then lie all the way back so your shoulder blades and head touch the ground in order for a repetition to be counted. I thought I was the man when I cranked off 76, until Marty came along and blew me away with 89, and once again here comes Marianne with the last laugh at 124! (I got my eye on her now!)

Max pull-ups for males and max 80 pound lat pull downs for the females…wow! A little hard after all of these other strenuous activities…maybe I should have stayed in bed…YEAH RIGHT! I would never miss a Monday! It is my favorite day of the week! The lat pull downs and pull-ups start from a fully extended arm and the bar has to be pulled below the chin. Keep your chest up and shoulder blades together for proper form. Emma impressed herself and everyone with 18, I was smoked with 21, and once again Marianne dominated with 23 (and she says she is not competitive…)

Lastly, 16 inch box squats all the way to touching the box and all the way back up to fully extended for a maximum amount of repetitions in a minute, created a close competition between everyone. Keri started the lead with 59, to be taken by moi with 62, and then MARIANNE with 64 (I think she is on something…hahah…jk).

Post your scores in the comments and see how you rate with your peers.

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Bullet Proof your Confidence

Confidence is king!

Whether you are an athlete, real estate broker, fireman or a weekend warrior looking to drop 10 lbs.  Confidence will make or break you.  I see people struggle with this everyday and it affects every aspect of your life, but today I’m going to talk about how it affects your workouts and the results you get from your efforts.

Confidence comes from a belief in yourself.

If you’ve kicked ass in the past, you were probably chasing something (title, stepping on stage, photo shoot, etc) or you were motivated into action for another reason.  The point here is that the people that kick butt and make things happen usually have a clear, emotional reason to show up.

Did you participate in sports, plays or other groups growing up? If you competed or performed at a high level, the requirements aren’t easy or convenient.  Long hours of practice, performances, tournaments, early mornings, late nights and everything else that’s involved were probably not always what you felt like doing, right?  It wasn’t convenient, but it was important to do well.

The fact of the matter was that you had a coach to hold you accountable and a team or group of people that you respected and were counting on you.  So how does this apply to your life today?

I see hundred of people say that they want to look and feel better, but they don’t have weekly games or performances.  There is no state tournament or local community that is counting on their performance at the big game!  Most people don’t have a support team that is there for them during their ups and downs.  Most adults are less committed to their goals than a high school athlete, but it doesn’t have to be that way!

The reason people lack confidence and never achieve their goals is because they have “tried to do it before” and did not succeed for whatever reason.  Either they didn’t set goals, didn’t have support or they didn’t have the correct guidance to ensure their success.

Have you ever been a part of a winning team or in a room or arena with a winning team?  It may have been in athletics, business, church or other group.  If you’ve been around a winning team, you know what I’m talking about.  The energy is contagious and effects everyone that gets around that team.

Do you remember what it feels like?

Did it inspire you to be better?

In order to build your confidence, you need to make success a habit.  A big goal is important, but sometimes scary and overwhelming.  Break your goals down into bite size pieces that you can accomplish daily or weekly.

Doing it all by yourself is tough, so we need to surround ourselves with like minded people.  Find a local team, group or company that can help support you on your journey

We all need a coach or someone with experience and expertise helping people achieve great things.  You can’t get good advise from someone that lacks experience, period.

So, do you want to bullet proof your confidence?

Then set some goals, find a support team and determine who can guide you along the way.  Open yourself up and do something that moves you.  Then stick with it and be willing to do whatever it takes to achieve that goal.  Wake up early, stay late, practice hard, stay consistent and you will become increasingly confident.  It works every time, you just have to be consistent and persistent long enough to reap the benefits of your labor.

An olympic athlete isn’t born overnight. They sacrifice years of their life, practicing and fine tuning their skills.

A successful business man isn’t born savvy, experienced and full of knowledge about their industry.  They study, work, adapt, learn, change, travel and stress for years to earn their rewards.

Every successful person sacrifices time, energy and usually money to become confident in their craft.

I know you can do it, all you have to do is start and don’t ever quit!

Is it always easy, no.  But if its important enough, you will do everything necessary to improve every week, get better, become more efficient and make consistent progress until your goal is achieved.

Say it with me “I can do it, I will do it and nothing can stop me along the way!”

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I Love Sugar! I Hate Sugar! I Love Sugar! I Hate Sugar! Aaaaah! Leave Me Alone Sugar!

This is not subliminal.

I have seen people in recovery speak of being powerless, and I WOULD LOVE to perform a study on Americans and sugar. Powerless probably doesn’t even describe our addiction to this white-yellow-brown lump of madness.

I feel it every time I bite into a Mile High Mud Pie, or when I have a piece of sweet tangy/sour candy in my pocket–it is powerlessness! I don’t care how full I am! My brain will send fake signals of hunger, and do everything but punch me in the face to get that sugary mess in my mouth.

I literally need a power greater than myself to overcome this issue, called sugar. It is to the point where I cannot have it in my house or around me.

I loath/love when people give me candy or sweets.

It is a love-hate that is soooo deep, I literally think and feel like they are playing with my emotions.

Truth is…they aren’t, but SUGAR IS playing with my emotions. The psycho-chemical reaction that I (and you and our nation) have associated with this drug, ahem, I mean food, called sugar has created a perfectly beautiful transmission of electricity and “feel-good” chemicals on one of my biggest super highway of neurons, that I am rendered all but hopeless when it is near. Sugar! Shame on you. Aaron! Shame on you. Lord help me…

Sugar is not a drug...I swear.

As you part read the lyrics from this 90’s band for its educational purpose, and leave me a comment whether you agree or not…maybe we can start a support group…

Presidents Of The United States Of America Candy lyrics

sugar’s only sweetness
salt is ocean tears
and you were my only weakness
for years and years and years
you little yellow sweetie
you were hiding in a jar
now my mind is gone completely
take off the lid and there you are
you’re my candy
candy
well the devil she made sweet candy
took 6 days and nights to dream
on the 7th day she rested
woke up early and made ice cream

Seriously...It isn't a drug.

now the devil she must be a dentist
with deep jawbreaker eyes
red rope hair gum drop lips

cotton candy thighs
you’re my candy
candy

chocolate lava stole my body
and aftertaste stole my mind
left me dangling down defenseless
and then sweet candy she said goodbye
now my teeth are worn and useless
my eyes too sunk to see
my tongue swole up to twice its size
and all i wanna do is eat
candy my candy
my candy my candy
suckin’ on my candy

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Are Your Habits Making You Fat?

“Failure to plan is planning to fail”

We’ve all heard this quote before, but how often do you apply it?

It can apply to all aspects of your life.  My brother, Brian, helps people plan their financial futures everyday.  He sits down and assesses their current situation, goals, time-line and then applies a program that fits their situation.  After their initial meeting, they meet and talk periodically to see if they need to adjust their plan.  It is a long term plan of attack.

There are people that fail to save. People that constantly monitor their investments. And people that question the plan of attack. All these people drive my brother nuts.

Why does this happen?

I believe it happens because they have lost focus of the long term goal and are caught up by the bumps in the road.

This situation parallels the personal training plans that I set with my clients.

People come to me everyday and want to improve their health, appearance, and self-image.  It is my job to assess their current situation, their goals, the time line and to lay out a plan so they can reach their goals quickly, safely, and efficiently.  I think of it like a partnership.  I am the guide that helps point the person down the correct path.  It is the person’s responsibility to follow my advice, to show up and to implement the habits we’ve agreed will help them hit their goal. These habits include adjustments to their nutrition, management of their time, additional techniques for their recovery, and additions of gratefulness and affirmations to improve their mindset.

Unfortunately, very few people accept these changes.

They resist change.

“Someone brought donuts into the office!?”

“I was busy”

“I made it for the kids”

INSERT EXCUSE HERE: “…                      “

I do understand. Change can throw us all for a loop.  We are creatures of habit.  Every aspect of our life involves habits.

What do you do when you wake up?

Where do you go for lunch?

What do you do after work?

When I am helping someone reach their fitness goals, it always involves change, but I have a secret that can make change easier.

Want to hear the secret about change?

Here are 3 simple ways to change without suffering along the way.

#1 Your goal has to be important! This part cannot be emphasized enough. Your goal has to be specific, and it MUST stir up your emotions.  Your goal has to be important.  Want to lose 40 lbs?  Great, it better be important or the next time they have a fat-filled lunch like pizza, burgers, or buffets-o-pot-luck/leftover-haven you will falter. Don’t even get me started on when you may be tempted by tasty-treats, sugary-snacks, and candied-creations. If your goal is not important, you are going to indulge, period.

#2 Get organized and plan out your week. You’ve got to be prepared every week, or you will get side-tracked.  Think about your average week.  Do you have good food at-the-ready, or do you react and eat whatever is available?  Do you drink water all day long, or do you hardly drink any at all?  Are you rushing around all day, or are you moving through your day with purpose?  The key to losing weight, and feeling great is pro-actively moving through each day, being prepared and ready for whatever life throws at you. To accomplish this, you will need to set yourself up with good choices. Bring a cooler. Get a water bottle. Do whatever it takes, and these preparations will help keep you more consistent during your hectic week.

#3 Keep your eye on the prize! Life happens, and by this I mean life will always be full of things that side-track us.  Work, bills, sleep, stress, kids, family, tickets, flat tires, taxes, etc…  Everyone has a stuff to deal with, but that’s not going to get you to what is important.  The most successful people, stay focused on the goal what is important to them.  They are laser-focused on the things they need to accomplish daily, getting them a little closer to their goal. Sure you may have good days and bad days, but you adapt, adjusting along the way.  You never quit!

Losing unwanted weight, getting in shape for a race, or developing a show stopping physique all require change. Developing a killer body requires consistent effort, and the ability to plan, prioritize, and navigate through your week. It will not always be easy, but it is what is required of you in order to accomplish the goal.

What is your goal this year?  This month?  This week?

Is it important?

Imagine how great you will feel when you accomplish it!

What will you feel like?

What will other people say?

How will these new changes affect your life?

Think about it, and then get out there and MAKE IT HAPPEN!

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Trouble Losing Weight? Blame it on the Voices in Your Head!

Its not always about the right workout, number of reps, sets, machines vs dumbells, yoga, pilates, classes, gym memberships, workout videos, no carbs, protein, supplements, fad diets, cleansing, surgery or other. If that isn’t it…what is the number one factor for losing weight, getting ripped, and developing the body of your dreams?

It’s about how you think…that little voice in your head…

What does yours say all day?

Is it positive or negative?

Is it encouraging and excited or does it criticize and complain about everything?

How about when you think of losing weight, working out or eating better foods?

What does that voice say about that stuff?

Write it down or just be conscious of it.  That little voice is running your life.  It controls your thoughts, which become your emotions, your actions, your speech and eventually how others view you and treat you on a daily basis.

You have control over your thoughts

Start small. Practice a smile and a happy thought all day. Start your day with an inspirational story, video, prayer or book.

Every time your thoughts go to negative, remind yourself to smile and think of something that makes you happy. Fake it. Force it. Trick yourself. Do whatever it takes to break the cycle that is keeping you from achieving happiness and gratefulness. Once you are starting to take control of your thoughts, begin to speak life into your world. Then it is time to act on those words. After action, watch as the world will begin to see you in a new light. Look for it purposefully, and see that you are gifted, and achieving your desires and dreams.

There are definite actions, goals, and measurements that need to be set in place, but it has to start somewhere. And while it is nice to be able to blame everything else. This only leaves you out of your own life.

Want to lose weight, get ripped, and develop the body of your dreams?  Start thinking, talking, acting and looking at your life and world in a positive way. Your relationship with yourself and those around you are what are keeping you in your current situation. If your relationships don’t change your life, then you need to change your relationships in your life. It all starts with you!

So, smile!

You are surrounded by amazing things, amazing places and amazing people!

Be thankful everyday for the things you have in your life and you will be happier, healthier and have more fun along your way!  Have a great week!

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The Amazing Peanut for Neck and Back Pain

Too many hours in front of the computer?

Hours on a plane or stuck in traffic?

Hunched over all day taking care of the kids?

Our sedentary lives begin in school, sitting all day.  Once we start working, our lives are spent at a desk, sitting in meetings, driving to and from work, and maybe a few hours on a plane.  Then we come home and sit on the couch all evening.

I can’t imagine why 80% of Americans have back pain? (insert sarcasm here)

Here is a simple tool that may help eliminate or reduce some of the pain you are experiencing.

Check out this video:

This is just a simple solution for mild muscle pain and stiffness in your upper and lower back.  If you have major pain, heat, or stiffness that lasts more than 48 hours, then you need to consult a doctor or therapy professional.

PS  I hope you appreciate the shirt and tie… but anything for our amazing clients, fans and friends!

Have a great day!

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Former Model Snaps Back Into Shape

I was a model model for the last 7 years.

When  I retired about a year ago, I discovered a new interest in none other than “food”.  I had never been able to enjoy it before. I developed quite a passion for cooking gourmet meals and hosting large parties.  In a matter of a few months I gained about 10 lbs, which was a lot on my small frame.

I was not happy with my body.

I may not be modeling anymore, but my image is still very important to me.

I have made so many positive changes I don’t know where to start! As soon as I started working out I also changed my diet.  Now that I knew how to cook, I changed a lot of the foods to healthier options, with the help of my trainer, Keri.   I still get to cook, but I am making smarter, healthier choices, and I found ways to do it so that I didn’t have to give up flavor!

It also wasn’t long before I noticed how the training was helping me in other areas of my life.  Sports like, skiing, diving, biking, horseback riding, shopping all became easier, and I could participate for longer.  I had the endurance to go all day!

I have lost all the weight, and then some! I have been able to maintain it.

I’ve lost 8 inches on my waist and hips and have dropped 10 lbs!

The only bummer is that I had to go buy new clothes, because all mine were too big now! I have more energy.  I have never felt so strong or empowered!  I even have been getting offers to get back in front of the camera.  I think I look better now then before, and can’t wait to make a comeback! 

Big thanks to Keri and Innovative Results.  You’ve helped me get back on track faster than I ever thought possible.  You guys are amazing!

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