Robyn's Supplement Story

Ok, so if any of you know me or follow some of my posts on Facebook, you know I am EXTREMELY skeptical about what I put into my body.  This includes foods as well as supplements.  From the second I learned from my exercise physiology professor in grad school, Dr. Brown, that the FDA doesn't regulate the supplements industry and supplement companies can put anything on their labels and make any claim they want to about their products (even un-true), I was completely against them!  The exact thought that crossed my mind is "I am never taking supplements" and "why on earth would someone take them knowing this?" The word "supplement" to this day, makes me cringe just because of the history behind it. I had the belief that you can get all your nutrients and everything you need from food (I still believe this but more on that later), so why do we need supplements?

So as you would imagine, the first person that came up to me to talk about supplements asking my thoughts on them, didn't get a very good response. This person was a nutrition supplement distributor that, knowing I was in the fitness industry, did his best to convince me that I should sell their product.  No dice.  I didn't even want to hear about it.

I did, however, catch one piece of information from our chat that sparked an interest.  Those were the words "scientific & medical advisory board."  I didn't really know what this meant but I took his materials and went home.  It was probably even a few days before I looked into it.  But more on this later...

That talk was 2 years ago. Today, I still believe that you can get all the nutrition you need from foods.  However, it is my firm belief that doing so is almost as hard as being a professional athlete.  Our foods just aren't as nutritious as they used to be.  Over farming,  mass-production of foods, meat factories, and other discouraging facts about our foods today have led me to believe it is almost IMPOSSIBLE to get all your nutrition from foods anymore. And you cannot believe or trust the claims that even food companies make.  Food companies are regulated by the USDA, FDA, etc and believe me, our health is not one of their main concern. If it was, we wouldn't be the fattest country in the world.  So sure, you can be "healthy" and "skinny" without supplementation, but are you filling in all of your nutritional gaps left by the foods we've eaten (or haven't eaten)?

So fast forward to today.  I now believe in supplements.  Am I still as skeptical as I was before, though?  ABSOLUTELY.  But I am happy to say that, as a fitness professional with her name and career on the line, have found a company in Advocare that I trust and back 100%.  I will put my name behind Advocare any day.  There are 5 reasons for this...

Here are my reasons:

1) Scientific & Medical Advisory Board - Yes, it did turn out to be a deciding factor for me. The board is made up of the top doctors, nutritionists, medical researchers and scientists in their field.  Most of them are associated with a major university (Yale, for example) and their reputation is far too important to be associated with unhealthy, unsafe products that make false claims.
2) Informed-Choice -  Advocare can proudly claim that their products are all "informed-choice."  This means that there are NO banned substances in their products. High school, college, and professional athletes can take Advocare products with confidence knowing that they will pass all drug tests.
3) Their Product Line -   The variety and amount of products offered is amazing.  It covers all the major health areas.  There are products associated with immunity, digestion, weight loss, products for active individuals, sports performance, overall wellness and more. I love this for myself as well as the fact that there are a wide variety of products that I can recommend to my clients.
4) The Support - I have support from one of the most knowledgeable guys in the nutrition industry with the biggest heart out there.  Joel Holcomb, has an extensive background in Sports Nutrition and was the former head athletic trainer of Georgetown High School where he was in charge of 1,800 athletes. After a scare with his athletes taking products from GNC, he researched products that were safe and exclusively recommended Advocare to his athletes from then on.
5) The TRUST FACTOR  - I love love love that I can recommend products to my campers and be confident that they are safe.  I constantly preach how important nutrition is in addition to exercise and now I have a Nutrition Company that I can trust with the health of my clients. My reputation as a fitness professional and owner of Boot Camp U, is far to important to me to be recommending un-safe products that make false claims.

Tell me, what are YOUR thoughts on supplements?  Do you have any stories to share about your experiences with them?  Good or bad. Please share.

For more information on Advocare, click HERE!

Boot Camp U - Austin Fitness Camp Testimonial 2

Shirley has attended boot camp for about a year. She could barely use her left leg when she started because it was so week for a hip replacement and years of pain. Now, through lots of hard work strengthening her legs(among many other body parts), she can do everything that is asked of her and the hip doesn't hold her back at all! We are proud of you, Shirldog!

Check out more testimonials on our website! Also, read reviews on Yelp!

Saving the Breasticles

As a fitness community, Boot Camp U participated in the Komen Race for the Cure today.  I personally love events like 5K's and the atmosphere surrounding them but the Race for the Cure seems just a little more special.  To see survivors of breast cancer out walking and celebrating their victories is inspiring.

We had a good group participate today of runners and walkers.  We were all wearing BCU shirts that said "Can U?" on the front and "Save the Breasticles" on the back.  We seemed to have gotten lots of comments on them.  I even think that Bobby Bones from 96.7 said "Can U?" as we walked past the start line.

It was awesome to get together as a group outside of camp and do something fun and healthy together....especially for a good cause.

Check out the photos of our event on Facebook!

Globo Gym Rules :-)

1.    First, never have a goal or a conscious strategy regarding what you are trying to accomplish- just go in and basically do what everyone else does.

2.    Never seek professional assistance, even if you've never been in a gym before...just watch others and copy what they do.

3.    Whenever possible, perform your arm curls in a power rack. If the gym has bumper plates, use them for the curls instead of regular metal plates.

4.    Always drink Gatorade before, during and after your "workout." After all, if you let your glycogen stores become depleted, your body might actually have to start accessing fat stores for fuel.

5.    A walkman or iPod with headphones is mandatory- without this important device, you might have to actually become conscious of what you are doing.

6.    Avoid the "Evil 5:" Squats, dead lifts, dips, chins, and Olympic lifts. Of special importance: even though many gyms feature a stylized pictogram of the snatch lift as part of their logo, NEVER perform a snatch in a gym. NEVER.

7.    Instead, concentrate on the "Golden 5:" Bench presses, arm curls, behind the neck presses, lat pull downs behind the neck, and dumbbell side bends.

8.    Always leave your weights on the apparatus you just used- you may risk burning an additional 6 calories if you replace them.

9.    To impress others with your dedication and expertise, always bring in a copy of Men's Fitness, and emulate the latest midsection workout by leaving the magazine open on the bench next to you, and carefully study the photos between sets to make sure you're doing it right.

10. Lastly make ample use of wrist wraps, belts, knee wraps, elbow wraps, you name it- really go for that "mummy" look that's so in vogue these days.

"10 to 100" Workout

We did a workout in class this week at the Arboretum and North Austin Locations called "10 to 100."  Sounds awesome, right?  Well, it is.

Here's the deal (and OF COURSE you can "steal" these workouts and do them at home on your own)..... pick 10 exercises of your choice.  Write them down on pieces of paper or notecards (split them in half to save paper!).  Take the cards, shuffles them and pick the cards one by one.  The first exercise you pick you will do 10 reps, the second card you picks means you will do 20 reps of that exercise, the third card 30 and so on..... alllllllll the way up to 100.  Yes, 100.  You may or may not regret picking burpees as one of your exercises but then again, I doubt any of you actually CHOOSE to do burpees unless forced to somehow.  As far as your exercises, I suggest mixing it up......legs, arms, cardio, core, etc

Need a few ideas?  Watch our the video on the homepage!

Questions?

boot camp hike push ups.AVI

About once per month, we host a group hike at one of the local Austin trails. It's fun to get out, meet people from other camps and enjoy nature. You can bring your dogs (and friends but they can be unleashed). As a rule, everyone on the hike has to shout out "BOOT CAMP!" At that time, there person who stopped the group gets to pick an exercise for everyone to do. Here is a video of some push ups we did along the way. Good times! Join us on our next hike!

Follow Boot Camp U on Facebook and Twitter (BootCampUAustin) to get the updates on when the next hikes will be!

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