Hey whats goin up everybody. I got another awesome guest post from my bud Aaron Nelson. Check it out

Like many americans working the “9-5′er” it can be difficult to stay on track at the office. Many obstacles present themselves in the form of the birthday cake for Pam in Accounting, your Manager Bill’s luncheon/think tank the first monday of every month, or the all too familiar Pot Luck lunch (just because). Whatever the case may be, these scenarios are all too common in the work place and provide an avenue for tempation. These tempations are enough to have you waiver from the thin and narrow line that is your fitness journey. I like cake and pot luck lunches like any other person, and too have found myself in a compromising situation a time or two. By taking the right measures it is easy to keep yourself on track.
 
    What’s the trick you say? It’s real real REAL easy. We humans are easily swayed and influenced by our environment, and we all have a sense of what we SHOULD be doing and what we SHOULD NOT be doing. That said, a solution to fitting in that extra 30 to 45 minutes of exercise in your day is looking at your lunch hour. Think about it, its an hour, and it could be as simple as walking around the block or spending 30 minutes climbing stairs. Whatever your choice of activity is, the point is to GET MOVING! Once you begin this practice watch and see how much of a following you will begin to observe. At first, yes, you may get a strange look or a smart alec remark but I guarantee that Pam in accounting and Bill your manager are probably thinking “I need to do something with my health” along with many other of your co-workers. What are they waiting for? Someone like you to take the reigns and start a routine.

    Let’s break it down a little further. We have established that we could utilize half of our lunch hour, what about the other half? That time is used to clean up a little and eat. What to eat, the remnants of the birthday cake? The scraps from the pot luck lunch? No, why? Because you thought ahead and packed your lunch. Packing your lunch gives you complete control on what you put in your body. You will also find that your are more motivated to make better nutritional choices after your exercise bout. Once you have your personal routine underway, it’s time to “infect” the populace with your good habits. When there is an occasion that calls for food to be present, take it upon yourself to bring a healthier option for yourself and others. By bringing your own Hors d’oeuvres you now have control on what your eating. This healthier option becomes your safety net in case less healthy options are present.

    Once others see you making these healthy choices it will then spread throughout the office. Within two weeks you’ll be walking with other co-workes and discussing your weekend activities over your salad and tuna instead of the local fast food favorites. It only takes one person to make a difference. BELIEVE, ACHIEVE, and SUCCEED! 
 

Mr. Nelson
 
It doesn’t get easier, you just go faster

http://www.trainonwheels.blogspot.com

One lesson were gonna learn today is “Change is good“. You need change. Let me ask you a question, it’s pretty personal. How often do you change your socks and underwear?

Wether its everyday or every 4 days (I have some friends who follow the 4 day rule, I tend to stay 10ft away from them at all times), you have to change them.

My point is if you’re wanting something different to happen then you have to change something. If your struggling with weight loss or toning up and your goal is NOT to be fit then keep doing exactly what your doing.

If you want to have a leaner healthier body then you have to change. Change what your currently doing and change it often. One of the main things I hear all the time is “I workout all the time but nothing changes“. The first thing I ask is how long have you been doing your workout routine, the response I usually get is anywhere from 3 months to a year. So my answer to that is usually change your workout.

Your body gets used to a workout in about 6-8 weeks. If you’re doing your workout any longer than that then more than likely your wasting your time. Changing your workouts keeps the body from adapting to your workouts and causing your body to change in your favor.

Changing exercises or rest time or even training styles altogether will help reach your goal faster. At the same time your workouts never get boring or feel like a chore. For example:

My background is powerlifting/bodybuilding so I like pushing heavy stuff, but when I train like that i’ll be honest I can’t walk up a flight of stairs without getting winded. So every once in a while i’ll change it up a bit. I’ll switch to conditioning workouts so i’ll keep muscle but burn fat and help my cardio.

If you feel like your workouts are burned out, change them. You will need to get out of your comfort zone a bit (i’ll talk about that more later) . If you need help, ask me i’ll be glad to help.

“Be the change you want to see in the world” -Ghandi

P.S. I’m running a referral contest starting monday. It’s not really a contest because everyone wins though. For the next 2 weeks get a free month of bootcamp for every person you refer. Its unlimited so you can actually get a whole year free. Last time I did this a lady got 4 months free within the first 3 days of the contest.

Hey Everybody hope your doing great!

Well before I get into the actual post I wanna announce the winners!!!!

It was a tough decision ( it was supposed to take just 2 days, it took almost a week).  Before I say who wins I wanna say thank you to all the others seriously it was a tough decision.

So the 2 winners are………..Alice and Ian!!!

Ill send you the confirmation email.

Now on to my post. I always get asked about what do people need to create a home gym. What equipment do they need to create it so they wont have to pay $90 a month on a gym membership.

I while back I ran outta gas so I called a friend of mine to help. In return he asked if I can help his aunt with her home gym. She was trying to set up a gym in her garage. When I got there and looked inside I felt like I was in a torture chamber! All these expensive multi function machines and a treadmill. All in all the cost of her home gym was about $6,000!

$6,000 and your trying to cut cost! So the first thing we did is returned it all. Yes even the treadmill, you don’t need it at all.

Instead we got a 2 kettlebells, a stability ball, and a medicine ball. All in all under $100.

To be honest you don’t need any equipment at all. Bodyweight workouts are awesome too! Plus there are tons of things around your home that you can use to workout. For example a pumpkin can be used as a medicine ball. The other day I used a backpack with books and created a workout that kicked the crap outta some of my firefighter friends.

Its everywhere.

But if you do want some equipment then here are my top

1. Medicine ball- This can be used for all sorts of exercises from strength to core.

2. Stability ball- Now even though it’s not a must have, you can get creative with your workouts and use it for different exercises.

3. Kettlebell- This simple old school tool can help you take your workouts to the next level.

4. Dumbells- Everyone knows about dumbells and if you don’t have a kettlebell then dumbells will be the next best thing.

5. Bands- You can make entire workouts around bands.

6. Valslides- Valslides were created by a good friend of mine Valerie Waters. I love these because they are awesome for men and women. Guys can take their workouts to a whole other level with this little tool. Women can do some amazing exercises that hit those trouble areas.

If you have any other things you use at home instead of equipment post it under the comment section.

Hey everybody, Hope yall  had a great week. Ill be honest, I got a bunch of emails and comments that me and my team cant make up our minds on the winners. So saturday were all locking ourselves in a room and making a decision that will be finalized by monday ( I know I said friday but I had no idea how hard itd be to choose).

I wanna talk to you about something I see and hear often. I overheard some one talking the other day about how they burned 1500 calories yesterday.

1500?

When I asked the person how did they know they burned 1500 they repied, the treadmill told I did and so did my heart rate monitor watch.

(stock photo)

I left it at that. But it left me wondering how many people rely on treadmills and bikes for cardio and actually beleiving the stats on it. I remember when the treadclimber came out and everyone raved about how it burned twice as many calories because its like walking on a stairs and a treadclimber. Psssssh! That was funny.

It is possible to burn 1000 calories but the only people I know of that are capable of doing that are top marathon runners.

So while this “myth” isn’t debunked, it’s pretty hard to reach.

Don’t pay attention too much on what your machine sais your burning. Most of the time the readings are off, instead measure on how hard you work.

Try this instead of your 2 hour long walk.

This is based on 20 seconds on 10 seconds off.

Run in place 20 seconds, 10 second break, front to back hops 20 seconds, 10 second break, jump claps 20 seconds, 10 second break, skiers 20 seconds, 10 second break, side to side hop 20 seconds.

Do this, rest one minute then repeat it again. These type of short burst intervals ramp up your metabolism and burn about the same amount as doing 1 hour of cardio.

It’s been a roller coaster ride (sometimes literally) this weekend. My great grandma is really ill so I took off friday to Crystal City to visit. She’s 92 so I’m glad she’s been here this long. So I apologize beforehand if you don’t hear from me much lately.

I got to visit all my family and it was really fun. I have a big family and they don’t like to be gloomy or down so to cheer everyone up we all went bullriding at the ranch. Well they arent like huge bulls but they are bulls. I turned Pro Bullrider for a minute (actually way shorter than that check out what happens 47 seconds into the clip). I chose the smallest one thinking it was gonna be a ride in park.

On my way back home I got to thinking about all the things I’m grateful for. I’ll let you know what they are without getting all teary eyed.

1. My health- Im grateful that I have that
2. My family and girlfriend- They are my higher purpose. They are the reasons I do what i do.
3. My clients-They really are awesome and have awesome energy!
4. My blog readers- That’s you!! This blog wouldn’t be here without YOU.

1. God
2. Rock songs- Got me through some nasty workouts during powerlifting
3. MySa-For giving me the opportunity to blog for you guys.
4. My friends- Always there when I wanna get outta “hemi” mode for a little while
5. Internet- You can learn anything you wanna learn. Or watch dumb videos on youtube.
6. The fitness industry- It gives me something to do
7. Blogging-and especially the fact that people read mine.
8. The mind- youll be surprised what the body will do if the mind is motivated.

I can go on and on….

Now because I’m really grateful for everything I wanna do something to make you grateful. Im running a contest here and give 2 people free bootcamp (the works, the camp, nutrition, everything to reach your goals) . I’ll anounce the winners on friday.

Here’s all you gotta do and it’s only gonna take a few minutes.

In the comment section below leave me a comment answering “What I have done to help you either personally or through my blog, and why getting free training would finally help you get to your goal and finally get where you wanna be”.

I’d love to hear any specific way being fit or healthy would help you live the life you truly deserve.

Whoa before I start id like to tell you guys thanks! I had an amazing response to my last post. Some of the tips yall shared were awesome too!

I get asked all the time whats my secret. How do all my clients get great results?

While most of it is hard work and dedication on their part, I do have some secrets up my sleeve. This is one of my all time favorites. It’s funny how simple it is yet nobody ever does it anymore. This one exercise can transform your lower body completely. With all the gym equipment out there most people tend to forget that some of the best exercises are done with just your body weight.

This one exercise can boost your strength, balance, speed. That’s awesome for men, but women also get great benefits from it. Stronger toned thighs, firmer butt, tones hamstrings (back of the leg that is usually the hot spot for jigglys).

So here it is:

The One Legged Squat. Now I didn’t invent it, I just want to make that totally clear. But for some reason nobody ever does it anymore. I got this move from an old strength coach in my powerlifting days and it stuck with me ever since, for good reason too. Ive seen people squat 1000 pounds but couldnt do 1 one legged squat. Its tough. Heres how to do it.

Stand on a bench or chair (anything thats about knee height). With your arms out in front of you and your right toe pointed to the ceiling, slowly lower your self till you barely touch the floor. Then come back up. Thats one rep.

Now don’t be fooled, it looks easy but it’s not. If you can’t do one yet start off by just concentrating on the negative portion. Just work on lowering yourself as slow as possible then just step back up and lower yourself again. Shoot for 6 reps each leg then rest 1-2 minutes and do it again.

This is killer for lowel body strength and development.

Try it out for about 4 weeks. Once you improve you’ll be able to add weights. That’s where the real fun happens.

P.S. We cover alot of these “secret” exercises in our bootcamps. We just launched our 21 day rapid fat loss 2.0 program ( it was such a success even other people used my 21 day model, just check out craigslist). Were making it better this time by just accepting 12 people instead of 21 and lowering it to $97 instead of $157.

I hear it all the time, ” It’s too expensive to eat healthy thats why I eat this way“. I’ll be honest, eating full blown healthy can be pricey. But there are ways to eat healthy and keep the money in your pocket.

I have a friend of mine who eats really healthy, but also spends about $150 a week on groceries. That’s 600 a month! That’s like paying someones rent!

So for starters, make a list of things you need to eat healthy. Now after you’ve made your list go down each item and find out if there is an alternative. Meats, poultry, and fish are always the most expensive but what most people don’t know is they can also be the cheapest. Now the way most people know of is going to a Sam’s club or Costco and buying in bulk. Last time I went there were packs of 8 big steaks for $11. That’s usually the price for one ribeye steak. Those 8 big steaks should last you a week or 2. What most people don’t know is usually your local grocery store like H-E-B don’t let the beef stay out overnight, they need to be fresh. So what they do is after a certain time (usually 7 or 8p.m.) they get all the ground beef and other fresh beefs they didn’t sell that day and put it into a clearance section. So instead of getting it for 3 or 4.99 a pound you get it for .99 or 1.99 a pound. There have been times where I actually bought 10 pounds of bison for 15 bucks. As for chicken there are some occasions that they do the same thing but rarely. People like different kinds of fish. Take salmon for instance, it’s really popular and tastes great but it also breaks your bank. Try orange roughy or tilapia in bulk. You can get a pretty good sized pack for the price of 1lb. of salmon.

Greens can be pretty pricey, so try looking for a vegetable market. Local growers usually put more care into their crops and are cheaper than the stores. Plus it helps the economy locally.

There are somethings that you just can’t get around. Like multivitamins and other things. Those you just have to pay full price for. When you are able to get them make sure you get them from a trusted place like G.N.C or Alamo City Sports Nutrition. Now a days there are too many people making supplements in their bath tub then selling it for an insanely high price.

But there are things you can find alternatives for. I love olive oil, it’s one of my top choices for healthy fats. I love cooking with it and using it as a dressing. But it is pretty pricey so instead try a healthy butter like Smart balance butter. I choose the one with olive oil. It’s not 100% healthy but it’s pretty damn close. I know this is supposed to be about low cost but this one is so good I had to throw it in there. If you’re a bacon or sausage fan try switching to turkey bacon or turkey sausage, they taste the same but are way healthier. If you’re a brown rice fan like I am then you should definately check out Pei Wei. Im sure you’ve been there before but what you may not know is you can just order a side of rice for 50 cents. 2 bucks worth of rice can last you a week.

This trick I learned from my friend Craig Ballantyne and I tested it out myself. Protein powder can be pretty expensive at times, but if there is now way you can get one (I reccomend everyone who works out to have some sort of protein after their workouts) then all is not lost.  You should only do this before and after your workout, if you had to choose only one then choose after. Drink chocolate milk. With this one you do need to get the organic pricey one but $3.50 comes out way cheaper than $48 for protein. You will get a good amount of protein with this.

There are always ways to get to your goals without putting a dent in your wallet. If you need help or had any questions shoot me an email or leave a comment, I’d be glad to help.

(stock photo)

Real men wear pink! You’ve heard that a million times but it’s never had as much meaning as it does now. Now there’s a purpose to wear pink. If you don’t already know October is breast cancer awareness month.

I know this is supposed to be a fitness blog but this is important to me because I have 2 people very near and dear to me that have battled this. You see if I had never had anyone close to me go through this, I wouldn’t have taken it very seriously. You don’t realize how much of an impact it makes until it hits close to home.

When you think about pink you either think about the singer or a girly pink purse that paris hilton is always wearing. Pink has taken on a whole new form. Now pink represents strength, courage, and some of the toughest women I know. I know some pretty tough people. I have a friend that can squat up to 1,000 pounds, a friend that tosses boulders 50 yards, a friend that pulls cars faster than most people can run. But that is nothing compared to what a woman with breast cancer has to go through. To this day I still consider these 2 women stronger than any of my knuckle head gym buddies.

Recently I participated in the Susan G. Komen’s race for the cure because my Aunt flew down from Nebraska to also run. You see my aunt is a survivor and not only is she a survivor but she’s a winner. She beat it and never let it get her down. She’s a successful doctor up there in Nebraska and if you met her now you’d never know anything happened. That’s what it is to be strong. There she is again the superwoman with the cape, next to my cool dad with his cowboy hat.

(stock photo)

(stock photo)

Another person very near and dear to me is my girlfriend’s mom. One of the nicest and sweetest women I know. Again if you meet her today you would never know anything happened. She never lets anything get her down considering what she’s been through. It’s funny cause I complain when I have a bad day, but all I need is a small talk with her and it opens my eyes. She is the rock of her whole family and that is amazing.

(stock photo)

I am truly grateful for these women!

Im sure you have amazing people close to you. You never know true strength till something happens that shows it. So this month have every woman close to you get checked and be grateful they have been there for you this long. And remember ….

(stock photo)