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Home to Innovative Results, Costa Mesa is Where its At

For all You Foodies:

Did you know Costa Mesa, CA was named a “Best in Food” Finalist in the Rand McNally/USA Today “Best of the Road 2011” Contest? Competing with 5 other towns around the country Costa Mesa is now a legitimate “culinary destination.” Judges were taken to many Costa Mesa establishments including Mastro’s Steakhouse, Old Vine Café, Eat Chow, and Golden Truffle… Sound familiar?

Get a Taste of Orange County!
Costa Mesa will be home to the First-Ever OC Tastefest on Sunday May 5th! Run the OC Marathon and then get some grub.

Now here’s some trivia:
Guess what was founded in Costa Mesa,CA…

Wahoo’s Fish Tacos – Founded in 1988 by Chinese-Brazilian Brothers Eduardo Lee, Mingo Lee, and Wing Lam. Wahoo’s expanded and can now be found across California, Colorado, Hawaii, New York and Texas.
Hurley – Founded in 1981 by 23 year old Bob Hurley, Hurley International is a Costa Mesa based company with emphasis on skateboarding, surfing, music and fun. In 2002 Nike, Inc took over ownership but keeps the original Hurley brand name

Get Up and Get Out in Costa Mesa!
The Talbert Nature Preserve located right here in Costa Mesa, CA has nearly 2000 acres of scenic landscape! Hike, Bike, Jog or Walk, this preserve is family and pet friendly.

This preserve recreates plant communities similar to those that existed in the Costa Mesa area before much of the land was put to use for agriculture, housing or industry. Enjoy some and get some fresh air and exercise!

Thank you City of Costa Mesa!

New Barefoot Shoes from Zem Gear! These things are awesome!

125lb MMA fighter, Ian McCall sportin his Zem Shoes

Barefoot shoes have taken the market by storm!

Our feet are the foundation of our bodies and strong feet can improve posture, reduce pain and increase athletic performance. At Innovative Results, we encourage people to workout barefoot or using some type of barefoot style shoe.

Typical shoes allow our feet to become weak, lazy and inhibit the natural feedback we get by interacting with the surface below us. Using barefoot shoes during training increases our proprioceptive feedback, strengthens the foot, ankle and legs. Its the ol’ use it or lose it theory.

We stumbled across Zem Gear about a couple months ago and their shoes looked pretty amazing.

Toe box:

At first glance, they look a little like ninja shoes, with a split toe design. This differs from the Vibram style shoe, with individual toe slots. I personally like Zem Gear’s design because it is easier to put on and gives the foot and toes more freedom to move.

Upper material:

The upper part of the shoe is made of neoprene that hugs your foot and is incredibly comfortable. They have a couple styles of shoes, one that is low on the ankle and another that is a bit higher. If you are playing on the beach, this may be a welcomed design difference from Vibrams, by keeping the sand out of your shoe.

Design:

I personally think Zem has done a great job designing their shoes. The stripes, color choices and overall design adds some personality to an otherwise bland barefoot shoe market. New models coming soon add even more cool features and style. You can see new models on their website below.

Soles:

The sole of the shoes is a thin rubber type of material. It is flexible and durable enough to wear in all conditions. My only critique of these shoes, is that the sole is a little slippery when doing agility work or pushing heavy loads. That said, I know that new models of Zem shoes are on their way and they seem to have changed the sole design.

All in all, these things are an awesome barefoot shoe! We have enjoyed training in the gym, running on trails and at the beach. I would defintely recommend checking these out.

For more information, be sure and check out Zem Gear online.

Website: http://zemgear.com/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/zemgear

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/ZEMgear

Product Review – Zippearz Ear Buds

Fitness accessories have been around for years. Everything from hip sacks, heart monitors, Walkman radios, timers and more. I have never really been able to use them, because they were always more of a distraction than anything. Headphones were falling out, cords in the way, etc… So, the people at Zippearz, sent me a pair of ear budz that they said never fall out.

So, here is my test with my new Zippearz:

Bottom line: After you get them formed to your ears and adjusted, these things stay in during a variety of different movements, even tough lifting sessions and explosive exercises. If you are an active person, these things are a must. Sound is great and they do stay in…what a bonus!

For more information, visit their website: Zippearz.com

Stuff We Like – 10 Fitness Products We Can’t Live Without

The world is full of fitness gimmicks and cheap products, but we have found, use and feel confident recommending these products to our clients and friends around the world. Enjoy!

1. VersaClimber – This is probably the baddest, most kick butt piece of cardio equipment that we have ever used. It is simple, safe and useful for everyone from average joes to elite athletes. For more info, check out 5 Reasons We Use Versaclimbers

2. Fat Gripz - These things are incredible for developing grip and arm strength! Most gym goers and athletes lack grip strength, but these simple grips easily attach to any bar and instantly create a grip building challenge. A must for anyone looking to develop strong hands and a more powerful grip.

3. Power Wheel – Developed by Jon Hinds, this thing should have red horns, because it is evil. When used correctly, this thing is the most challenging ab workout that I have ever tried…and believe me, there is so much more than just roll outs with your arms. Each wheel comes with a killer dvd that will challenge everyone that tries it.

4. Jungle Gym XLT - Many of you are probably familiar with the TRX suspension training system, but the Jungle GYM XLT is far superior. It has a higher quality construction, durability, ease of use and is more versatile. We have both products at our facility, but the Jungle Gyms are preferred by all of our trainers. You will see and feel the difference when you try em out.

5. Ultimate Sandbags – Getting stronger doesn’t always mean barbells and dumbells. These sandbags are a very unique type of resistance that challenges your body in ways that a regular weight never will. They are versatile, rugged and an awesome way to change up your workouts. Another great tool to use in the gym, at home or in a park.

6. John Brookfield’s Battling Ropes System®! - John Brookfield and Ingrid Marcum visited Innovative Results twice last year and completely changed our world. These simple ropes have become a foundation for our conditioning and continue to challenge all of our trainers, athletes and clients. Without these, you are missing a huge piece of the puzzle!

7. Kettlebells – Kettlebells have been around forever, but have been neglected from most mainstream gyms. John Buckley and Jason Dolby visited our gym after their trip to Siberia Russia and opened our eyes to how powerful and useful these can be. Kettlebells are ideal for building a solid posterior chain (back, butt and hamstrings), which is vital for athletic performance, aesthetic pleasure and moving more efficiently. An incredible tool to have in your arsenal!

8. Zippearz - I have never worn earphones while I worked out. They always seemed to get in the way, fall our and be more of a distraction than anything. Luckily, a friend recommended Zippearz ear buds. They are comfortable, sound is killer and they don’t fall out! A must for any active lifestyle!

9. Gymboss Interval Timer – stop watches are a thing of the past. The Gym Boss allows us to easily time intervals, work times, rest periods and more. They clip on your clothes and notify start and stop times by noise and vibration. They have become invaluable for running groups of athletes in our facility and the only thing I wish we had was more of them!

10. Perfect Food Bars – Ive tried just about every protein bar out there…some are good, some are bad. As I learned more about healthy eating, I started to realize that most bars are filled with inferior quality ingredients, chemicals, etc. Perfect Food Bars are simple, natural and incredibly tasty. A breath of fresh air in an industry full of chemicals, processed stuff and marketing hype. Simple and good.