90-Day "Commit to Fit" Transformation Challenge!

WHAT: 90-Day "COMMIT TO FIT" Transformation Challenge!!!

WHO: Anyone looking for the ultimate health transformation program. This is not a quick fix weight loss plan. You will have to put in the work, attend boot camp regularly, participate in the nutrition and fitness challenges and be open and ready to Commit to your Fitness. If you want it, we will provide you with the tools to achieve it!

WHERE: Anywhere! You will only be able to attend boot camp if you are in Austin, but anyone can be a part of the Commit to Fit email lists. You will receive a customized health booklet, access to an educated trainer available to answer questions, give advice and tips as well as analyze your food log. WHEN: May 17th - August 21st

Camp Dates: 5/17-6/12, 6/21-7/17, 7/26-8/21


(MAY 16th from 3-6pm at Anderson High School is Assessment day. You MUST be there for pre-assessments to be considered for a prize - or make prior arrangements with Robyn) 

WHY: Because every one has a goal they are looking to achieve. Whether it’s having more energy, getting stronger, getting off medications, obtaining an understanding of proper nutrition, losing weight and/or inches or just feeling better about yourself in general, the 90-Day Challenge is set out to accomplish any or all of these goals. This program provides members of the Boot Camp U Community (as well as potential members) a comprehensive program that supplies the knowledge and incentive to changes their lives/lifestyles by learning body awareness, gaining confidence as well as a better understanding of proper nutrition. After 90 days, the goal is have equipped you with the necessary tools to continue this lifestyle, changing your life as well as others around you. Spread the Health! 

HOW: Get in on this chance to transform your life by going to the BOOT CAMP U WEBSITE. Pay attention for different pricing structures and email Robyn with any questions

BCU Camper of the Month: Teresa Becerra

This woman is truly amazing! Teresa has come EVERY SINGLE DAY for the past 3 1/2 months ready to go with a smile on her face. She is the glue that holds the 6pm indoor camp in Round Rock together. She is always focused, ready to work hard and dedicated to improving herself and her health. She never cheats, never complains and is always ready for whatever is thrown her way.

She is a perfect example of how much you can get from boot camp (or any exercise regimen really) if you are willing to put in the time and effort. She is an inspiration to myself as well as other campers.

Teresa doing elevated core planks with her fellow campers

Here are some of the results Teresa has seen from her efforts at boot camp:

First we'll start with her fitness/strength assessments. She has test 4 times and has improved in every single category, every single time!

Squats -
8/24/09 - 41
9/21/09 - 60
10/12/09 - 61
11/11/09 - 68

It is extremely difficult to maintain your form and depth in a squat and be able to do 60 or more in one minute (that is more than 1 per second people!!!), but Teresa has managed to do just this. Just when I think there is no more room for improvement, Teresa proved me wrong.

Sit-ups -
8/24/09 - 39
9/21/09 - 48
10/12/09 - 51
11/11/09 - 52

Teresa already came into camp with above average core strength. Increasing her sit-ups by a whole 13??? Awesome!

Push-ups -
8/24/09 - 10 regular/20 modified
9/21/09 - 15 regular/ 25 modified
10/12/09 - 25 regular/ 11 modified
11/11/09 - 33 regular!!!

Teresa has been consistent and stayed around the 30-40 push-up mark each time she has tested which show amazing mental toughness. Her improvements in physical strength show through the increase in the amount of regular push-ups compared to modified push-ups (on your knees) she has been able to do.......amazing!


Core Planks -
8/24/09 - 1:14
9/21/09 - 1:40
10/12/09 - 1:57
11/11/09 - 2:18

Like I stated earlier, Teresa came into camp with above average core strength. To be able to hold a core plank (on your elbows and toes with a completely straight body) for more than a minute is good....holding for 2:00 or more is fantastic!

MEASUREMENTS:

Weight -

8/24/09 - 148.5

12/9/09 - 143

Lost: 5.5 lbs

Chest -

8/24/09 - 37.25
12/9/09 - 35.75
Lost: 1.5 inches

Waist -

8/24/09 - 36.25

12/9/09 - 33.75
Lost: 2.5 inches!

Hip -

8/24/09 - 41.25
12/9/09 - 39.5
Lost: 1.75 inches

Thigh -

8/24/09 - 22
12/9/09 - 21.5
Lost: .5 inches

Calf -

8/24/09 - 13.25
12/9/09 - 13
Lost: .25 lbs

Arm -

8/24/09 - 12
12/9/09 - 11.5
Lost: .5 inches

TOTAL = 7 inches!!!

Having come to boot camp in good looking shape, within normal ranges for weight and body fat for her age, one would think "she doesn't need boot camp, what is there to improve?" Well, she has improved in every single possible strength and health category there is.....and even ones that I cannot measure. There is no way for me to tell but I bet her HDL's (good cholesterol) have sky rocketed!

Thanks Teresa for all your hard work and dedication!

Gotta love the fresh air!

Campers and trainer at Boot Camp U had a great time out at Turkey Creek Trails. We got a good workout in, lots of fresh air, and good times with friends. Not to mention......lots of teamwork helping sam and his stroller get past all the stream crossings. I think other people were wondering what we were doing and thinking we're crazy, but we were having more fun than them!

Here are some pics

Group Hike This Sunday!

Hey everyone join the Boot Camp U trainers for some fun out on the trails of Austin this Sunday November 22nd!

Where: Turkey Creek Trail at Emma Long Park
When 8:30 AM 11/22/09


Bring family, friends and pets!!!

For more info go to http://www.bootcampuaustin.com/

Know what you're putting in your body...

"The thing that bugs me is that the people think the FDA is protecting them. It isn't. What the FDA is doing and what the public thinks its doing are as different as night and day."~ Hebert Lay, M.D., former FDA Commissioner

THIS IS FROM A FORMER COMMISSIONER OF THE FDA!!!!

.....Someone who knows the ins and outs of the government agency that is supposedly protecting us and "responsible for regulating and supervising the safety of foods, tobacco products, dietary supplements, Medication drugs, vaccines, Biopharmaceutical, blood transfusion, medical devices, Electromagnetic radiation emitting devices, veterinary products, and cosmetics." OUCH!

You cannot trust anything approved by the FDA or the USDA for that matter.....especially meat and dairy products. Here is an excerpt from Skinny Bitch:

"President Abraham Lincoln founded the U.S Department of Agriculture in 1862 - when the majority of people were farmers and needed to exchange information about seeds and crops. In other words, the USDA was created to help farmers.

According to it's website, now, among others things, the USDA is responsible for the 'safety of meat, poultry and egg products.'

Hmm. That's weird. 'Cause many high-ranking staff members of the USDA were employed by, or are otherwise affiliated with, the meat and dairy industries. And if the group responsible for 'the safety of meat, poultry, and egg products' is run by people from the same industries they're supposed to be protecting us from.....well, that would be a conflict of interest. AND IT IS. An enormous, outrageous, catastrophic conflict of interest."

It just goes to show you that you can't trust anyone. READ THE INGREDIENTS. Find out for yourself what you are putting into your body. And just because something says USDA approved doesn't mean crap. I would actually stay away from any meat or dairy that has that label on it. This organization doesn't care about anything but making money.....they don't care about you, your health or the health of the animals that they feed to the American public.

I would definitely recommend reading Skinny Bitch by Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin.

Also, Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer for a more in-depth look into the meat, dairy and egg industry

Heart Rate Monitors and Exercise

Heart rate monitors can be a great way to measure your fitness and useful tool for training. Although they might use it in different way, recreational exercisers all the way up to elite marathoners or triathletes can benefit from the use of a heart rate monitor. Playing with different intensities, keeping track of your recovery time, and working at a rate that keeps you in your "zone" are all great ways to gauge your cardiovascular endurance.

When you first start and exercise program, you may feel like your heart is beating out of your chest at a pace so fast that it scares you. Well, have you ever wondered what your heart rate was at that point? Whether you were truely at your MAX or not? I have found that most people are not really at their true max but panic a little becuase they are not used to their body feeling what they are feeling. So a bit of it is mental.

Not all of it though...your heart rate will definitely be higher on average when you first start an exercise program. As you get more fit and your heart gets stronger, your heart rate will not rise quite as fast and it will recover a lot faster than it did when you first started. These are REAL "in-your-face" results of your heart gettign stronger and working more efficiently. I almost can't think of better exercise results. This means your heart isn't under as much stress and it doesn't have to work so hard all of the time to pump oxygen and nutrients to your vital organs and muscles.

A FEW FACTS ABOUT HEART RATE MONITORS....

1. TRUE OR FALSE: It's vital to monitor your heart rate during exercise.
FALSE. It all depends on who you are and why you're exercising.

If you have heart disease and your doctor has forbidden you to exercise strenuously, monitoring your heart rate during workouts is a good way to avoid pushing your heart into the danger zone. Heart rate monitoring can also make sense for serious runners, cyclists, and other athletes who are eager to optimize their aerobic fitness.

But otherwise, there's no pressing need to know your heart rate

2. TRUE OR FALSE: Resting heart rate is a good indicator of aerobic fitness.
TRUE. Regular aerobic exercise makes your heart stronger and more efficient, meaning that your heart pumps more blood each time it contracts, needing fewer beats per minute to do its job.

3. TRUE OR FALSE: Maximum heart rate declines with age.
TRUE. As we all know, exertion makes the heart beat faster, and the greater the exertion, the faster the heart rate. But there's an upper limit on how fast your heart can beat, and that limit is affected by age.

4. TRUE OR FALSE: Moderate exercise promotes weight loss more effectively than vigorous exercise.
FALSE. Weight loss is a matter of simple arithmetic: To shed pounds, you must burn more calories than you consume. And when it comes to burning calories, the greater the exertion, the greater the rate at which calories are burned.

Working out at about 60% to 75% of your maximum heart rate (the so-called "fat-burning zone") burns fewer calories than working out at 75% to 85% of your maximum heart rate (the so-called "aerobic" or "cardio" zone).

But caloric burn depends on a workout's duration as well as its intensity -- and it's easier to work out longer when exercising at a lower intensity

5. TRUE OR FALSE: There's a simple and reliable formula for calculating your maximum heart rate.
TRUE. There is such a formula -- but there are two big caveats.

For starters, it's not the familiar 220 minus your age in years. That formula, first promulgated in the 1960s, works reasonably well for people under age 40. But it overstates the maximum heart rate for older people.

A more accurate formula is the one published in 2001 by Tanaka in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology: Multiply your age by 0.7 and subtract that figure from 208. For example, a 40-year-old has a maximum heart rate of 180 (208 - 0.7 x 40

It's possible, of course, to determine your maximum heart rate by running or riding a bike to the point of exhaustion. But because it can be risky, exercising that intensely is not recommended for men over 45 or women over 55, as well as for heart disease patients or people with heart disease risk factors, unless they have been exercising regularly or have been cleared to exercise by their doctors

6. TRUE OR FALSE: Using a heart rate monitor can help boost your fitness level.
TRUE. Electronic heart monitors, typically consisting of a wristwatch-like display and an electrode-studded chest strap, are used by serious runners, cyclists, etc. while training and even during races. By providing accurate, real-time heart rate information, the monitors help athletes pace themselves.

But even if you're not preparing for a marathon or a century ride, using a heart rate monitor can help motivate you to exercise. How? By turning your regimen into a solitaire of sorts: Can your regimen lower your resting heart rate? Can you exercise at the same pace but get your heart to pump more slowly? Can you shorten the time it takes your heart rate to return to normal after a workout?

5 of the Healthiest Foods

1. Greens
Green vegetables such as kale, chard, collard greens, bok choy, broccoli, asparagus, green beans, etc... are packed with vitamins A and C, iron, calcium and phytonutrients, very filling, high in fiber, and low in calories.

2. Whole Grains
They provide antioxidants, contain B vitamins, vitamin E, magnesium, iron and fiber.

3. Berries
They are loaded with Vitamin C, folate, fiber and phytonutrients.

4. Salmon
A good source of protein and omega 3 fatty acids - which has been shown to decrease “bad” LDL cholesterol and raise “good” HDL cholesterol.

5. Soy
Soy beans contain high amounts of protein which comprise of all essential amino acids (the only such vegetable source to do so). Soy beans are also a rich source of calcium, iron, zinc, phosphorus, magnesium, B vitamins, omega 3 fatty acids and fiber.