Max Effort Assessment Workout - Can U improve U?

Yeah, the title doesn't exactly include the best grammar but you get it.  Whenever you do an assessment or any workout for that matter, the goal is to improve your times, score, weight, or whatever you are testing the next time you do it.

Yesterday, at the January 11th camp in the Arboretum camps, we did a Max Effort Assessment workout.  We did 9 exercises for time and then finished with a task focused assessment at the end (how did you guys like that "finale???" :-) ).

You can do this workout at any time and then repeat it again whenever you would like to compare scores.  Always remember to compare "apples to apples" when you do something like this.  For example, do your workout at the same time of day under similar conditions.

We will be doing this workout again at the February 1st camps so we can assess our scores compared to yesterday's.  If you were not able to come to camp yesterday or you are not a member of our camp and would just like to use this as an assessment, feel free to do this on your own.

This workout is all body weight so we are, of course, not testing your improvement in load (weight).  This workout has a strength component to it but mostly we are assessing your muscle endurance, stamina, core strength as well as your mental capacity to push yourself.  GOOD LUCK!  AND PLEASE POST YOUR SCORES OR TELL US HOW YOU DID BELOW!

Max Effort 1/11/12 - 

1:30 Mountain Climbers
1:00 Jack Knifes*
1:00 Body Weight Squats
:15 rest and go right into....
:30 Body Weight Squat burnout phase (add to your 1:00 squat time for a total)
1:00 Push-ups**
1:00 Russian Twists (both hands must touch the ground on each side.  Keep your back straight)
1:00 Split Squat jumps (or lunge jumps.  Back knee must touch ground)
1:00 Modified Pull-ups (if you have access to a bar or railing)
1:00 Up-Downs  (in plan position on hands, go down to elbow and back to hands, that counts as one)
1:00 Plank Jacks (jump feet out and return to center counts as one)

FINALE - Hold a core plank as long as you can. Record time.  As soon as you go down, you are going to run.  At Pillow, we did two laps around the track.  If you are doing this elsewhere, pick a distance that is about a half a mile.  You may also choose whatever distance you want, just remember to do that same distance next time. At the end of your run, get a TOTAL TIME (core plank plus the run).

* Jack Knifes - on your back with your arms out in front and your legs straight out, lift your upper body to meet one knee in the middle (knee to chest) and touch the inside of your opposite foot.  Return back to the ground for a full rep and repeat.  Looks like you are running on your back.
** Push-ups - you MUST lower yourself down to the ground, lift your hands OFF THE GROUND at the bottom and return up to starting position.  This ensures you are going through the full range of motion.

Again, good luck and let us know how you did!

Coach Robyn's Thanksgiving Holiday

Reporting in.... I haven't had a 90-day Challenge update in a while.   Well, overall it has been successful.  Although I might be short of a couple of my goals, the challenge isn't over until the new year and the main reason I started this challenge when I did was to keep me good and to show everyone that you can commit to good health during the holidays.  Since the average person gains 10 lbs between Halloween and New Year's, my goal was to be healthier and fitter going into 2012 than I was at the beginning of October.

My challenge has gotten me over one huge hurdle so far and that was the Thanksgiving holiday.  I sure did enjoy myself on thursday and had quite a few more calories than I have on an average day, but I didn't go crazy.  I made sure I had lots of protein on my plate and since there were lots of carb-loaded delicious sides to try, I tried them all.....just in small amounts.  Our meal consisted of 3 particular carb-loaded side that I really wanted to have...... Cheesy mashed potatoes, corn casserole and stuffing.  I had some of all and they were pretty darn good. However, I only had about 3 spoonfuls of each.  In previous years, I might have had double that. I also had another great Thanksgiving meal yesterday.  Since I over-loaded on carbs the day before (and definitely paid for it a bit), I really didn't even crave any of the carb sides.  I had turkey, ham, a little bit of sweet potatoes and cranberry casserole.

Anyway, Thanksgiving is a great holiday.  Has always been one of my favorites.  You should certainly enjoy your food but enjoy the time spent with family and friends more.

Ok, now for the exercise part.  I have definitely increased my exercise in the past 2 months (compared to the last 2 years).  I have been so focused on growing a business that I have to admit my exercise has suffered as a result.  Well, times are changing.  I have found a new love for the sport of fitness thanks to Crossfit.  The workouts are as intense as you want/need them to be and I feel accomplished after I finish each session (whether the workout was 7 mins long or an hour).  We will certainly be incorporating a lot more Crossfit aspects into boot camp in the new year so look out.

Here was my Black Friday workout at Crossfit Texas:


Guys vs. Girls (guy team of 4/ girl team of 5) one person working at a time
5 sled runs- 50 m per person
5 sandbag throws - 50 m per person 
250 deadlifts (95/135)
250 push press (65/95)
400 m run as a team together
250 pushups 
250 situps 
500 m row- each person
250 kbs (35/55-Russian)
5 sled runs- 50 m per person
5 sandbag throws - 50 m per person

My Posterior Chain (Hamstrings, Glute, Erectors) are feeling it today!

Post- Turkey Day Workout

Enjoy yourself on Turkey day then get right back at it tomorrow with a great workout that only requires your body weight and about 20 minutes.

10-20-30 reps of 4 different exercises

-push-ups

-squats (hip crease below knee crease)

-alternating v-ups (each leg)

-burpees

Ready....set....GO!

Record your time and post below!

FUEL UP Morning Exercisers!

If any of you have worked with me for any extended period of time, especially in the morning camps, you have heard me talk about how you MUST eat something before coming to the workout (even just a small amount).  You have also heard me ask many people….”have you eaten breakfast?” and then subsequently get on my soapbox after they say "no."  I understand you may not be a “morning eater” but you can certainly change that.  There is no genetic code that says that you will always feel nauseous and not be able to eat in the morning until you have been up for 2-3 hours.   If you have been ignoring your body for a long time (because I bet there was a time in your life that you WERE hungry in the morning and you just ignored it) then you need to start telling your body what’s right again. You may hate the morning protein shake, eggs, bar, toast with peanut butter, etc for a week or so but your body will adapt.  It will soon start expecting it and asking for it.  They don’t say “breakfast is the most important meal of the day” for nothing.  It is important to get some fuel in there and kickstart your metabolism right from the get-go.  What drives metabolism?  MUSCLE!  So make sure your breakfast include an adequate amount of protein (20+ grams). 

Believe me, I wasn’t always a morning eater and HATED choking down something before our 6am workouts in college.   Even though all I had was a crappy little Nutrigrain bar and my choice could have been MUCH better, at least it was something.  In hindsight, I wish I would’ve had a good quality protein shake instead like the Advocare Meal Replacement Shake or Muscle Gain.  This would have been a much better option to feed my muscles for intense exercise.

Ok, so back to the point.  You MUST eat before a morning workout and if you are still wondering why then pay attention closely.  Let’s take a random person named Ed, for example.  Say Ed eats dinner at 7pm the night before a workout.  Ed heads to bed around 10:30pm and gets up at 5:30am for a 6am workout.  He goes straight to the workout without eating anything.  He works out intensely for one hour and then waits to eat breakfast until he gets home, has had his shower and is cleaned up (another hour later).  First of all, he went 11 hours with ZERO input before his workout.  This means that he has NO fuel in his body for exercise.  If any of you have paid attention to my previous posts then you will know that the next source of energy your body uses for fuel is muscle.  So Ed’s body was breaking down muscle to use for energy as he was trying to build it. If that seems counterproductive then you are correct.  The second mistake Ed made was waiting to refuel afterwards.  Your body needs fuel to recover and rebuild after a workout.  I personally drink Post-Workout Recovery immediately after my workouts and then eat a protein-focused meal about 30-45 minutes later after my body has digested the shake and used it to start the recovery process.

If you need EVEN MORE proof that I am right (wink wink), then take this case in point.  One of my campers who has been coming for over a year brought his daughter out to camp this morning visiting from out of town.  As soon as we completed the dynamic warm-up (about 8 minutes long) and I was getting ready to explain the workout, she fell over.  I thought she had tripped on something but turns out that she blacked out momentarily.  The first emotion that goes through your head is worry but my next immediate thought, from previous knowledge, was to ask her if she ate anything before coming.  Of course, her answer was “no.”  Thankfully her Dad was there and knows how adamant I am about eating before a workout and has heard it many times before (I think he finally believes me now).  Since we had only had gone through a light warm-up at that point, there really could be no other reason (barring something more serious) than a lack of nutrition in her body.

So do you guys finally get it?!?!?  I always feel like I’m talking on deaf ears when I tell people they need to eat before a workout.  That pre-workout food is not meant for pleasure.  It serves a very distinct purpose……FUEL!

~Coach Robyn

90-Day Challenge Update - The Future is Still In Front of You...

Ok, so it’s time for me to re-visit my 90 day challenge goals.  I have to admit, my 90 day challenge is going mediocre at best.  The reason I say this is that my exercise has been OK but not as consistent as I would like.  My nutrition has also been OK.  I give myself an 8 out of 10 on most days but there have been too many 6 out of 10 days recently.  I also know that I actually ENJOY eating a 10 out of 10 lifestyle (meaning nothing fried, processed, dipped in butter, packed with preservative, etc).

I have let stresses a busy schedule get in the way and have caught myself eating out more than I’d like.  So I would say I have been “convenience” eating.  I know exactly when it’s happening and there isn’t a lot I can do at the moment when I’m starving and I’m out and about.  My decisions become limited to what’s around me when I am in that situation (do you feel this happening to you a lot as well?).  So the lesson learned here is PREPARATION.  When I have properly prepared myself with a container of left-overs, healthy grab-and-go snacks like nuts then I can feed my muscles, keep my metabolism up and hold off hunger until I can make a better and non-rushed decision on what food I will eat.  So again, being prepared is so important.

One other point I would like to make is about motivation and analytical measurement.   When I say measurement, I mean anything from stepping on the scale and getting your weight, doing your body fat % or taking circumference measurements.  I am going to do some measurements this week to see where I’m at even though I would guess they aren’t where I want them to be.  Taking measurement and seeing where I am, extremely motivates me. This is because I know it’s in my power to improve.  The numbers does not drive me by any means but I look at it with an athlete’s perseverance and mentality.  If I make an error or mess up, the game isn’t over.  I need to pick myself up and get back in the game.  A perfect example is the MVP of the World Series this year, Brian Freese.  He made a crucial error in game 7 by dropping a fly ball early on.  He could have hung his head, pouted and thought “man, I messed this up for my team.”  But he didn’t.  He got right back in there, didn’t let the past affect his future and hit the game-winning homerun.  He chose his own fate. You can choose yours as well.

Measuring, however, can be de-motivating to some people.  If you think that taking your measurements will cause you to be upset, cloud your goals and vision of what you are trying to accomplish……..then DON’T DO IT!  You need to know yourself on this one and you know yourself best. 

If you’ve made mistakes and aren’t happy with where you are at right now, don’t feel bad or hang your head.  Your future is ahead of you and you are in control.  If it is a lack of knowledge and you just don’t KNOW what to do next or what goals you should have then seek counsel.  We would be happy to answer any of your questions at Boot Camp U whether it’s about exercise, nutrition, motivation, energy, goal setting, etc.  Just talk to your trainer or ask me by emailing robyn@bootcampUaustin.com.  My passion is helping people realize a healthy lifestyle of activity and proper nutrition…..so FIRE AWAY!

~Coach Robyn

Running is Not a Beginner's Exercise

I come across a lot of people that tell me “I haven’t exercised in a long time but I picked up running a couple times a week” or (I love this one) “I started training for a half marathon to get back in shape.”  More often than not that is also followed by “but I'm having knee problems" or "I got shin splints,” or something of the sort.

I’ll repeat the title of this blog post….running is NOT a beginner’s activity.   Each time your foot hits the ground, you are putting 3-4 times your own body weight of stress on your joints (This is 450-600lbs of stress for a 150lb person).  Of course everyone is different and everyone has a different grasp upon the knowledge of his or her own body.  But in my experience, the mind-body connection for most people has been lost somewhere in the countless hours sitting at a desk, watching TV or just complete lack of movement in general.  If you’ve been a runner before, an ex-athlete or just have a great awareness of your body and know when to back off and when things don’t feel quite right, then I am not necessarily talking to you in this article (although I believe my upcoming recommendation still holds true).  If it’s been 6 months or more since you’ve regularly exercised and/or you are 20 or more pounds overweight, then I highly suggest holding off on the running routine until you have complete at least a month of body weight, low impact strength training followed by a gradual increase of plyometric activites (like burpees, squat jumps, speed skaters).  At Boot Camp U, we start everyone at his or her own level.  Since we do most exercises for time, this allows you to do every activity at your own level and pace.  We can modify all activities to your own fitness level as long as you communicate your fitness level and/or any injuries to your trainers before the first class.  Every single high impact exercise has a low impact modification.

So to sum it up, before you throw on your Asics, head out the door to start your exercise journey, please consider starting with some low impact strength training such as (squats, push-ups, lunges and LOTS of core exercises). This will help you build up leg, hip and core strength so that you have a strong enough base for running.  Muscles are your body's "shock absorbers" so make sure you have strong enough ones to keep the stress off your joints.

Do diets "work??"

Ok, I must rant a little on diets.  Do they work?  Most of them....YES!  (yes, my answer was affirmative).  Let's ask that question again in a different manner.  Do they work long term???  Most often....NO.

My point?  Well, let's take the Atkins Diet specifically.  Does it work?  Well, that depends on how you define the word "work."  If by work, you mean lose weight?  Then your answer is YES.  The diet is designed to put your body in to Ketosis which is when the glycogen level in your liver are depleted.  This then causes your body to to use fatty acids as an alternative form of energy (it will usually pull from the glycogen stores in your cells).  So by design, this diet does exactly what everyone seems to want.  Weight loss (more specifically fat loss).

If by "work" you mean healthy?  Then I say NO.  In my opinion, if you are not going to do something long term....why do it?  Should you do the Atkins long term?  Absolutely not (again, in my opinion).  Your body NEEDS carbohydrates and the Atkins diet has been shown to put a lot of stress on your liver.  One of my grad school professors used to always say "fat burns in a carbohydrate flame."  You need carbohydrates to burn fats healthily.

To further my point, I have a client that is currently doing the Atkins diet (not by my recommendation) because he's done it before and it "worked."  Not sure how long ago it was he did it but he has since put the weight back on and is using it again to lose weight.  Since he started, he has done about half as much during the workout as he used to.  Constantly stops to catch his breath.  Is dizzy and needs breaks often. That should be a sign right there.

The other point I'd like to talk about with weight loss is....what KIND of weight are you losing.  Not all weight is created equal.  Remember, your body has lean muscles mass weight, bone weight along with fat weight.  Some weight loss diets (especially very restrictive ones) cause you to lose a little of the "right " kind of weight (fat) along with some of the wrong kind of weight too (muscle).  There is almost never a case in which you want to lose lean muscle mass.  And if your diet is restrictive, doesn't include enough protein and you aren't eating the proper amounts often enough, your body will break down your muscle to use for energy. Not good.

You wanna know what diet works?  ......ALL the time, for the rest of your life, and provides the right amount of fuel for activity and exercise?!?!?!  A "diet" that focuses on eating the right things to keep your metabolism up.  That is the healthiest way to burn fat.  You should shoot for a complete and balanced diet in that is protein-focused (but still includes good carbs) which your body gets the right amounts of vitamins and nutrients from clean foods.  These foods should be unprocessed, not packed with preservatives and as close to their natural form as possible.  If you are not getting a complete amount of vitamins and nutrients from these foods, then add supplementation to fill in the gaps (and by supplements, we means vitamins, nutrients and protein....not fat loss pills).

Do you guys have any thoughts on this?  I know there are differing opinions and even research showing both sides of the story.  This is just my opinion.

~Coach Robyn

Love Your Muscles...

Check out this video to see why I was so sore last weekend.  It's from the event I went to called Barbells 4 Boobs benefitting Mammograms in Action.

It's really fun to throw heavy weights around :-)  I hadn't really done a clean since my days as a college athlete.  Not because I don't like it, but mainly because it's not often you come across a barbell and some weights.....especially when you refuse to purchase a gym membership.  Barbells run rampant at Crossfit Boxes so I am going to hang out there a bit more.  My 90-Day goal of gaining lean muscle mass requires proper action to achieve it (just like reaching any goal).  If I remain doing body weight activities, it will keep my cardio up and I will MAINTAIN muscle mass.  But if I am looking to increase muscle mass, then I must INCREASE LOAD.

The same goes for all of you guys.  If you have been brining out 5 lb dumb bells to boot camp and the exercises aren't as hard as they used to be, that's a good thing because your muscles have adapted (gotten stronger).  But keep increasing that weight to keep increasing your results.

So why would you want to increase your lean muscle mass?  Good question.  A few reasons.  Muscle drives your metabolism, fat does not.  So if you want to burn more calories, then you need more muscle.  Muscle also takes up 3 times less space than fat does.  So if you want to be smaller, then you need more muscle.  CHeck out this pic below for a visual.

But remember, you can't just build muscle with exercise.  A bi part of growing, building and repairing muscle is your nutrition.  Make sure you are eating protein-focused meals and snacks throughout the day.  If you are not getting 100 grams of protein with the foods you are eating, consider using a protein shake to help meet your body's requirements.  Also, consider an amino acid supplement.  Amino acids are what your body use to make protein.  I have increased my Catalyst (amino acid) intake and can tell a big difference.  It may sound strange but my skin feels tighter and I look more tone.

At the end of this month, I will do a one month check-in and see where I'm at as far as body fat %.  I am curious to see what my change is so far.  Thanks for reading and feel free to leave a comment below!

Don't Forget to Dream a Little....

So I will get to my 90 day challenge updates here at the end but I had something else on my mind.  Last week was a rough week for me.  Lots going on...good, bad, stressful...the whole she-bang.  I think I felt every emotion in the books this week. Everything going on led me to do a lot of thinking.  I tend to think and analyze on a regular basis (some times too much) but I tend to do so even more when something is bothering me.  Anyway, I was thinking about what I do for a living (which also happens to be closely tied with my personal life as well).  I love what I do.  And it might sound like a complaint that I work every waking hour but it's not.  It's the nature of my profession and I love that I get to do what I am passionate about and get to surround myself with amazing people. Every waking day is an opportunity for me to impact someone's life in a positive manner.  Doesn't get any better.

I digress..... So when I analyzed what I do every day of my life and what things make me a good entrepreneur, what things I can improve upon, what things I do well, what assets I have, etc....  I realized that the most important thing I have going for me is that I am not afraid to dream.  Not only am I not afraid to dream.....but I am not afraid to chase after my dreams. When I want something, I go after it.  Not in a malicious manner and without knocking down everything and everyone in my path, but I go for it big time.  I don't let much stand in my way. I dream every day.  Sometimes they change, sometimes they evolve, sometimes it's more of a "vision,"  but I am always thinking about what I want, what I'd like my future to look like, what makes me happy and then ultimately....HOW do I achieve that? (<------ that is the most important step!)

I could probably ramble on but I doubt you all wanna hear it :-)  It's just been one of those weeks where I feel like my decisions and actions could affect the rest of my life.  I LOVE LOVE LOVE having control over my life and my career and having choices/options are good.  But some times they are scary. So this leads me to my conclusion and my favorite quote that I try to live by..... "FEEL THE FEAR.  AND DO IT ANYWAYS."

So I encourage all of you to dream a little.  And don't just dream to dream and then say "well, it won't ever happen" or "well it would be nice if that maybe happened....some day...."  Make it a realistic, obtainable and concrete dream and then start making steps towards achieving it.  Even small ones...

90 Day Challenge Updates for the week:
-Eating is SPOT-ON.  I had a cheat day where I had some pizza and a beer (and consequently paid for it), but other than that, it's been lots of protein, lots of veggies, fruits (trying to incorporate more), and nuts.  I've been good at staying away from wheat, soy and dairy (minus the pizza).
-Exercise - not as much as I would have liked.  I could give the "too stressed out excuse" but it's not a good enough one.  Honestly, I wasn't mentally motivated at all for a few days.  However, I turned it around and the end of the week.  Friday was my first chance to relax all week and after kicking it for a few hours, I decided that going for a run to clear my mind would be fun.  And it was.  Then today I did a crossfit workout which was 30 clean and jerks with 65 pounds for time (5:15).  Great overall body workout using every muscle in the body.

~Coach Robyn (written 10/15/11)