Tips to Reduce Chronic Inflammation

Fruit w:measuring tapeAcute inflammation is your body’s natural and helpful immune response to tissue damage. When you fall off your bike and cut yourself, the cut swells, reddens and feels   inflamed. These are all signs that your immune system is busy at work sending white blood cells to the site of your injury to repair the tissue. In this situation, inflammation is a good thing.

Chronic, out of control internal inflammation  is NOT a good thing, however. Chronic inflammation is thought to increase your risk for heart disease and some cancers.  It is also thought to be a deterrent to fat loss.

Chronic inflammation is thought to be caused by a barrage of environmental, physical and mental invaders. These come in the form of things like poor diet, toxic chemicals, allergens, poor sleep habits, and stress.

Chronic inflammation is hard to detect, but it can cause a host of health problems.  If you think you may be at risk for chronic inflammation, it might be worth getting a check up.  There are blood tests your doctor can do to see if you have underlying hidden inflammation in your body.

There are simply dietary changes you can start doing immediately that may help you if you think you suffer from chronic internal inflammation.

Tips to Reduce Chronic Inflammation

1). Include fresh and dried herbs in your nutrition plan.  Basil, chili peppers, oregano, parsley, rosemary, thyme, turmeric, and ginger, too.

2). Eat berries and tart cherries.  Berries and tart cherries have anti-inflammatory properties, not to mention anti-oxidants and fiber. Lots of good stuff in those berries!

3). Take a fish oil supplement or eat fish 2 times a week.  Fish is high in Omega-3 fatty acids which are thought to help decrease inflammation.

4). Cook with olive oil. Olive oil is rich in oleic acid, an omega-9 fatty acid that keeps inflammation down.

5). Drink brewed green tea.  Green tea contains a compound called ECGC that is thought to decrease inflammation (I’m drinking green tea as I write this post!!).

6). Eat dark leafy greens as often as you can.

Making these simple changes will not only have you eating healthier—it just may help you reduce internal inflammation.

For more information on an anti-inflammatory diet, check out Dr. Andrew Weil’s website:  http://www.drweil.com/.

 

The list above gives you ideas of what foods to ADD to your life to reduce chronic inflammation.  We should also discuss a few things we should minimize in our diets to help decrease inflammation.  These include:

1)  Hydrogenated oils

2) Added sugar

3)  Products made with wheat flour

Also, if you know you are allergic to something or just somewhat sensitive to it (soy or gluten, for example), it’s a good idea to minimize it in your diet.  If your allergic or sensitive to it, it’s possible it will create an internal inflammatory response in you.

Always check with your doctor if you think you have a chronic inflammatory condition so that you can be set on the right path for your particular situation.  In the meantime, try some of these dietary suggestions.  Even if you don’t have chronic inflammation, you may find yourself eating just a little bit healthier!

Aside from dietary changes, the two other suggestions I’ll leave you with involve some lifestyle changes.  The two best lifestyle changes to make if you’re not already doing them are:

1)  Get yourself into a pattern of regular, restful sleep.  Lack of sleep causes all sorts of disruptions in your body and can cause you to make poor food choices.  First and foremost—fix your sleep!

2)  Get yourself started on a regular exercise program.  TONS of good things happen when you begin an exercise program!  You’ll sleep better, drop excess body fat, reduce your stress, AND potentially improve a chronic inflammation situation!

 

If you’re in the San Jose, Campbell or Los Gatos area, I invite you to experience a free one-week trial at a lifeSport Fitness boot camp in San Jose so we can show you how to develop an “anti-inflammatory lifestyle” and have some FUN while you do it!

Committed to your success,

 

Becky

Exercise Motivation: 20 Reasons To Start Exercising (Part 2)

Exercise motivationI’m back with the second half of my list of 20 reasons to start exercising.

If you missed Part 1 of my exercise motivation post, you can see it here.

Remember, if you find yourself losing motivation to exercise–print out this list and post it somewhere so that you have a constant reminder of the benefits of exercise.  The hardest part of working out is just getting up and getting started.

Use reasons 11-20 below to help you get motivated to get up and off the couch!

Ten MORE Reasons to Start Exercising

11. You’ll lose the jiggles: Regular exercise tightens flabby arms, legs and waistlines. So wave goodbye to the jiggles with a solid exercise program.

12. You’ll increase insulin sensitivity: Researchers at Laval University in Quebec discovered that exercise improved insulin sensitivity dramatically. Peak after-meal insulin levels dropped by more than 20 percent after as little as 3 weeks of consistent exercise.

13. You’ll sleep better: Do you toss and turn for hours before falling asleep? Exercise is a powerful sleep aid. Your tired muscles encourage your body to quickly fall asleep so they can get their overnight repair work done.Regular exercise helps you sleep better

14. You’ll lower your risk of heart disease: Regular exercise strengthens your heart and makes it more resilient against disease. A sedentary lifestyle is a major risk factor for heart disease, so rest assured that consistent exercise is your ally against disease.

15. You’ll feel great: Vigorous exercise releases natural endorphins (happy hormones) into your blood stream that dissolve pain and anxiety. You’ve probably heard of ‘runner’s high’, this can be achieved by any great workout.

16. You’ll lower your risk of diabetes: Studies show that exercising as little as half an hour each day can dramatically reduce your risk of diabetes. If you are at risk of diabetes, or already have diabetes, regular exercise is the most effective treatment for reversing the disease.

17. You’ll meet cool people: You could benefit from a group of new, energetic friends, right? Gyms, bootcamps, workout centers and even the jogging trail are all great places to connect with fun new friends.

>>>>>>oh, and there’s always lifeSport Fitness bootcamp in San Jose if you need FUN people with whom to work out  😉 

18. You’ll increase your endurance: Do you ever get out of breath when walking up stairs or through the mall? Regular exercise builds your endurance for everyday activities.

19. Your doctor will be impressed: How many times has your doctor given you the lecture exercising more? Exercise regularly and get your MD off your back!

20. You’ll look amazing: Are you happy with the shape and size of your body? Regular exercise works wonders on your physique. Within a few weeks you’ll see shape and tone in all the right places.

Are you ready to alleviate your anxiety by taking action? Good!

 

Committed to your success,

 

Becky

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Image credits

Exercise Motivation  Quote

Sleeping baby

REST: An important component for strength gains and weight loss

Stretching can be part of a de-load programAs we approach one of our planned hiatus weeks at our San Jose and Campbell boot camp locations, I thought it might be a good idea to address something many folks don’t even consider in their strength training or fat loss programs: REST.  Yes.  That’s right.  REST.

In order to continue to make gains in strength, endurance and even fat loss—-you need to schedule some planned rest time.  All that change you’re trying to create through exercise– bigger muscles, leaner muscles, or a smaller waistline  —creates stress on and in your body.  Working hard and challenging your body to get better is a good thing, but on occasion you need to back off on the challenges you give your body.

In the fitness industry, we often refer to these planned periods of reduced training volume or intensity as “de-load” phases. The term de-loading is often associated with the finely tuned, periodized training protocols that high level athletes do. I think this concept also has a place in our boot camp programs because of the intense nature of the workouts we do.

As many of you know, I am an advocate of doing some sort of exercise 5-6 days a week. But I am NOT an advocate of high intensity training 5 days a week (which is why no single lifeSport Fitness boot camp location operates more than 3 times a week).  My opinion is that the stuff we do at boot camp — high intensity interval training, plyometric moves and sprint work — is too rigorous to do 5 days a week, week in and week out.  I advocate for  longer , lower intensity workouts on off days for campers who are with us 3 times a week.

But I digress–back to the story of why rest is important…………

If we go hard day in and day out and we never take a rest, two things can happen:  1)  Injury, or 2) Lack of progress.  Neither of these things is a good thing for someone who is exercising for results, right?

So, what does a rest period look like?

Not necessarily this:

Rest is an important component in an exercise program

 

A rest week from 3-day a week boot camp workouts might simply mean changing the intensity and the patterns of stress on our body.  For instance taking a Pilates or Yoga class, going for a hike, or swimming.  All of these suggestions are lower intensity forms of movement that don’t have a heavy duty strength component to them.  Therefore, you exercise at a lower heart rate for a longer time, and you move your body through different patterns of movement than you do at boot camp.  Easy peasy.

Although high level athletes often take a de-load week every 4-5 weeks, I think for our purposes a de-load week every 8-12 weeks is a good idea.  With only 5 de-load weeks a year,  we don’t take quite that many weeks off in our program.  However, I figure that most campers miss a week of camp here and there due to vacations and business travel (or hitting the snooze button too many times!), so you’re most likely de-loading yourself from time to time.

If you are a current lifeSport Fitness camper, next week is your week to move in different patterns, decrease your workout intensity, or work on corrective exercises if you’re nursing a sore shoulder, back or knee.  While you’re at it–do a little foam rolling and book a massage!

If you aren’t a lifeSport Fitness customer and you exercise hard 3-4 times a week, have you had a “de-load” week lately?  Consider taking one.  It just might be the break your body needs to come back stronger and healthier in order to keep training hard again and stay injury free.

 

Committed to your success,

 

Becky

 

Image credit:  Sleeping Couple:  www.flickr.com/photos/epsos

 

Common Boot Camp Misconceptions Part 2

Dog Tags in BootAs 2013 kicks in, I’ll list here in Part 2 the remaining 5 common misconceptions I often hear when people tell me why they don’t think they can participate in a boot camp workout. I carefully plan our boot camp workouts so that they are “do-able” for just about everyone, yet challenging for our veterans. So if you see your excuse below, you might want to give lifeSport Fitness San Jose boot camps another look.  We’ll take good care of you……..I promise ;-).

5. I Have an Old Injury

The best way to prevent re-injuring an area is to build up the surrounding muscles for support. Once the area has healed (e.g., from surgery, a cast, or other medical treatment), you need to use it or lose it. You actually run the risk of re-injuring the area by NOT working out. In my boot camps I know how to modify exercises so they help — not hurt — your road to recovery.

NIAMS (National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Disease) recommends not being a “weekend warrior.” They suggest stretching and building up your exercise level gradually — activities that are typically incorporated into a boot camp workout.

4. I’m Too Heavy

Boot camp workouts are the perfect way to lose weight. Studies have shown that adding consistent exercise to a healthy eating regime has a more dramatic impact on losing inches. This misconception most likely stems from self consciousness or self confidence. Finding the right boot camp, one where the instructor is supportive, is an important factor for your success. You may even find a boot camp that fits your weight loss needs. Plus you may be pleasantly surprised at the level of support you’ll receive from other boot camp participants. There is a definite sense of camaraderie at boot camps;  each camper is working on their own health goals.

3. I Need to Be in Better Shape First

This is the flip side of number 4. Sometimes participants are afraid they can’t keep up with a boot camp workout. The point of working out is improve your overall fitness over time. Our workouts are designed for varying fitness levels. A qualified fitness trainer is able to adapt the workout to meet you at your current level, modifying exercises so they present a reasonable challenge. Yes, you’ll experience soreness as that’s an indication muscles and strength are building. When you exercise consistently, soreness diminishes.

2. I’ll Get Yelled At

Fitness boot camps are not military training. When considering a boot camp workout, interview the instructor beforehand. You’ll get a sense if they are a wanna-be drill sergeant or if they are committed to helping you get a well-rounded and healthy workout. As with any profession, there are different approaches and personalities. Find one that fits your needs.  Keep in mind that a great instructor will encourage and motivate you.

1. I’ll Be Pushed Beyond My Limits

Over the years I’ve heard horror stories about boot campers being pushed to the point of throwing up or serious injury. Again, a fitness boot camp is not military training. You won’t be doing exercises like climbing a rope or scaling a 10-foot wall. At least that’s not we do in our camps. You will be doing a variety of exercises that build stamina and strength to both the upper and lower body. My philosophy is that you don’t have to do embarrassing or overly-grueling workouts to get into shape. Yes, we work you hard, but we honor your current fitness level and use positive motivational techniques to help you improve.

 

I hope after reading my top ten “myths and misconceptions” about fitness boot camp workouts, you’ve realized that just about anyone can benefit from a well-coached and well planned out boot camp workout.

If you want to get leaner, healthier and stronger in 2013, I encourage you to treat yourself to a one-week FREE trial at a lifeSport Fitness boot camp.

You can request a free trial week at the lifeSport Fitness website here:  Yes! I want a free one-week trial at a boot camp in San Jose!

 

It would be our pleasure to make 2013 your best year ever!

 

Happy New Year!!!

 

Committed to your success,

Becky

Holiday Fitness Gift Ideas from San Jose Boot Camp

Christmas hollyHappy Holidays!  It’s that time of year again to begin creating a holiday gift shopping list.

If you have a fitness enthusiast on your list, giving them a fitness/exercise related gift is a great way to give them a very personalized gift you know they’ll use and enjoy.

If you have a person on your gift list who is currently out of shape and wishes to improve their health, what better way to support and encourage them than to give them an exercise or health-related gift!

Just about everyone we know (including ourselves) needs to change up their routine, get some new workout gear, or pamper their hard-working body.

So….. with improved or continued health and fitness in 2012 as the theme, here are 12 holiday gift ideas that will fit any budget:

 

Gifts under $25

Drop-in pass for yoga, pilates  or boot camp class

We all need to “change it up” from time to time.  Giving a  friend a pass  to try new workouts is a great way to encourage them to try new things or simply get up off the couch.  Buy a pass for yourself and make it an opportunity to spend quality time with someone you care about.

Ideas:  Tru-Balance Pilates  www.tru-balance.com,  lifeSport Fitness boot camps! 😉  (shameless plug!!)

Jump rope

A jump rope is one of my favorite go-to pieces of equipment for interval training and circuit training.  It’s also a great travel workout accessory.  It’s easy to pack and can be used almost anywhere.  A jump rope makes a great stocking stuffer!

Foam roller

Foam rollers are wonderful for massaging sore muscles and working out kinks in tight muscles.  You can click the image below to learn more about foam rollers
Foam Rollers at Power Systems

 

Gifts under $50

Medicine ball

Medicine balls are a great addition to someone’s home workout arsenal.  You can use them for core training, strength training and cardio training!

Idea:  www.performbetter.com

Exercise DVD

For people who work out at home, an exercise DVD is a great gift!  You can find DVDs on any type of exercise including strength training, yoga, pilates, kick boxing, and even complete medicine ball workouts.

Idea:  www.collagevideo.com

Gift card for a sporting goods store

If you don’t know what your fitness enthusiast friend might like, a gift card to a local sporting goods or activewear store is an idea to consider.

Ideas: www.SportsAuthority.com, www.lucy.com

A set of exercise bands

Bands are another great tool for a home exerciser’s workout tool box.  They’re also great for travel. You can get 4 bands of different strengths for well  under $50! Click the image below for more information:

Resistance Bands Category

 

Gifts Under $100

Massage gift certificate

I haven’t met a fitness enthusiast who doesn’t love a good professional massage. ‘Nuff said.

Ideas:  Roman Paradigm Massage,  Dana Dobrenz massage therapy, BodyWork by Roger

Cross training shoes

Good shoes are important.   It may be hard to choose the right shoe and size for someone else, but a gift card to a shoe store that offers professional fitting advice is the next best thing

Ideas:  Athletic Performance  (Willow Glen and Los Gatos locations)

 

Gifts under $200

One month at a fitness bootcamp

This is giving a true gift of fitness!  One month of professionally designed, calorie-blasting workouts and personalized attention for the special person on your list!

Idea:  BootCamp in San Jose (yes, I know, another shameless plug)

A package of personal training sessions

If the person on your list isn’t a “group” person, or  needs one-on-one help, a few sessions with a professional fitness coach may be just what they need to get them started safely.

Ideas:  Personal training in San Jose  (oh, geez, there I go again!)

TRX Suspension Training System

This is one of my all-time favorite home exercise devices!  You can use it at home, at the park, and even in a hotel room.  Click on the image below to find out more about this amazing exercise equipment.

Okay.  So that’s my list of a dozen ideas for great exercise, health and fitness related gifts.

Let’s get some more exercise and health related gift ideas going!

What other items should we add to my list?  Leave a comment here your exercise or health related gift ideas!

 

Wishing you a happy holiday season and a healthy 2012!

 

Becky

How to Stay Fit While Traveling in San Jose

Guadalupe River Park and Gardens in San JoseBusiness and vacation travel can wreak havoc on one’s efforts to lose weight and stay in shape.  Luckily for those traveling to San Jose, there are many venues and opportunities to stay fit while there.

Located in Northern California, San Jose has mild climates that are conducive to outdoor workouts almost year round.  San Jose and surrounding cities (Campbell, Saratoga and Los Gatos) have a large network of paved bike paths and dirt walking trails that offer miles of beautiful scenery for walkers, runners and cyclists.

One of my favorite hiking trails starts in Downtown Los Gatos at Main Street and takes you up to the top of Lexington Dam for beautiful views of the valley.  Another collection of hiking/biking trails worth considering are the trails of Almaden Quicksilver Park. Quicksilver Park offers miles of trails with beautiful scenery.

Business travelers who may not have the option of venturing far from their hotel will find many downtown San Jose hotels,  such as the Fairmont Hotel,  offer well-equipped gyms for patrons.   Business travelers in Downtown San Jose who find themselves at a hotel without a gym can purchase a day pass at the San Jose Athletic Club on 3rd street. The local YMCA on The Alameda and the Southwest YMCA on Santa Teresa Boulevard offer non-local members passes to work out while traveling in San Jose.

Also available to travelers in Downtown San Jose are the paths of  Guadalupe River Park and Gardens.  These paths run through Downtown San Jose and offer several miles of paved, flat paths for walking or running.

For the adventurous types who like a challenging workout, I suggest walking the 224 steps at Communications Hill in South San Jose.  This creates a great interval training workout by challenging you on the way up, and giving you a much needed rest on the way down.

Rain or shine, if you want to stay fit while traveling in San Jose, we’ve got many options for you!

Tips for losing weight at San Jose boot camp

Healthy snack ideas for boot camp in San JoseYesterday I held one of our Nutrition Seminar/Grocery Store tour events.

I took members of our boot camps in San Jose through the Whole Foods Market on Blossom Hill Road.

We talked about how to read food labels, where the highest nutrition foods are in grocery stores, how to spot misleading claims on packaging and how to get the most value when we shop for food.

I always enjoy our Nutrition Seminar/Grocery Store tour because it gives me a chance to really connect with our boot campers and help them sift through nutrition myths, help them to be better consumers, and perhaps open their minds to trying new foods.

If you haven’t attended one of our tours before, I hope you’ll consider attending one in the future. Even if you think you eat well already, you might learn one new thing that helps you improve your overall nutrition.

Here is a random sampling of just a few of the things we talked about:

  • Most Americans eat between 12 and 14 grams of fiber a day. We need 25-35 grams. An easy way to begin to increase your fiber intake is to increase your intake of fresh produce.
  • Just because a package says “made with whole grain” doesn’t mean the food inside is high in fiber.
  • Stay mainly on the perimeter of your grocery store for the freshest, most nutritious food. However, there are certain foods you should venture into the interior aisles to purchase (you’ll have to go on one of my tours to find out what those foods are!)
  • Beef isn’t necessarily bad for you.  The quantity you eat, the frequency with which you eat it and the cut you choose matter. The leanest cuts of beef include round, tenderloin, sirloin, and flank.
  • If you eat yogurt, consider buying Greek yogurt. It’s higher in protein than regular yogurt.
  • Eggs are a great, inexpensive source of protein. Contrary to popular belief, eating whole eggs will not raise your cholesterol (eating a lot of trans fats and some saturated fats will, though!)
  • The golden rule of food shopping: Never, ever shop for food when you’re hungry! ☺

 

I’ll leave you with a quote that is on the final page of my 7-page handout that each participant gets:

“When you change what is on your plate, you will change how your body looks and performs”


If you want to get better results from your boot camp workouts in San Jose, are you willing to make a few changes on your plate?

If you attended our tour yesterday, let me know what change(s) you will make based on what you learned.  If you didn’t attend our tour, but are interested in attending a future one, please let me know what you’d like to learn on your tour.

Committed to your success,

 

Becky

 

P.S. Did you know that the Whole Foods store on Blossom Hill has a Healthy Nutrition specialist that is there to answer your nutrition questions? Her name is Georgia Brown, and she has a workspace toward the back of the store. If you’ve got nutrition questions or special dietary needs, make sure to look for her! Tell her I sent you 😉

 

 

Introducing Sarah King-Downtown San Jose Boot Camp Instructor

I’m excited to introduce one of the newest members of the lifeSport Fitness team, Sarah King.

Sarah is the Head Coach of our Downtown San Jose boot camp  location.   It’s a great location that is not only close to downtown, but very convenient for residents who live in the Rosegarden, Shasta/Hanchett Park or Naglee Park neighborhoods.  It’s also just 1 mile from the Santa Clara University campus.

Sarah King- Dowtown San Jose Boot Camp Instructor Sarah has been a fitness professional for 4 years and has experience in a variety of fitness class formats including Spinning, Body Flow, Body Pump, and Pilates. Sarah is also a certified personal trainer at a local health club in San Jose.

Sarah’s electric smile and warm personality will draw you to get yourself up and out to those very early morning workouts—-but don’t let that smile fool you—Sarah will firmly challenge you to push past what you think is possible to get results you’ve never seen before!

When she’s not teaching our early morning boot camp in San Jose or other fitness classes around town, Sarah can be found at West Valley College where she is working on her degree in Nutrition.

Fun facts about Sarah

Favorite personal workout:  I love working as many muscles at one time as I can.  So I’ll do lunges with a biceps curl or a triceps press, clean and presses, squat presses, and anything that is high intensity!

Favorite “healthy” food: 6-egg white omelette with loads of veggies, whole wheat toast and half an avocado. YUM!

Favorite “occasional indulgence” food: Fresh baked bread with butter

Hobbies: I love to be active.  I like to ride my bike (road and mountain), go hiking, running, and do triathlons. I also love to do NOTHING! I don’t have a lot of time to do that, but when I get the chance, I totally enjoy myself. I love to cook and try new recipes and EAT what I make! Trying new things definitely keeps life interesting!

Certifications:

YMCA Certified Strength and Conditioning Coach

Schwinn Indoor Cycling

YMCA and AFFA Group Exercise Instructor

In Progress: ACE Personal Trainer

If you’d like to experience a fun, fast paced workout on Wednesday and Friday mornings with Sarah King, please go to our San Jose boot camp webpage and sign up for a FREE trial week at her class!

Committed to your success,

Becky

Some Inspiration from “Ben” and lifeSport Boot Camp in San Jose

I got a newsletter from a fellow fitness pro today, and he always finds the coolest videos to share.  Today’s video was especially cool and very inspirational, and I wanted to share it with you.

As a San Jose personal trainer for over 25 years, I’ve worked with many people who are trying to lose excess body fat, tone their muscles and improve their health.  For some people, the changes that need to be made come easily.  For others, it can be harder to make sustained lifestyle changes in order to see dramatic results.

The video below shows you the dramatic results that are possible with determination, consistency and support.  It’s obvious that Ben, the young man in the video, had determination, but I also suspect his life changing results came with consistency (in nutrition as well as exercise ) and support.  It’s hard to make dramatic lifestyle changes alone—but the WILL to do it has to start with you.

Clearly, Ben has changed his life for the better.  As he says himself, he’s HAPPY now (as a mom, that part got me choked up a bit!).  Taking the emotion out of it and looking at this from a completely clinical perspective, he’s added years and quality to his life (he’s decreased his risk factors for stroke, heart disease and Type 2 diabetes).

If you’ve hit a road block in your fitness or weight loss program, watch this video.

It might just be the inspiration you need.

In our boot camps in San Jose, Campbell and Los Gatos, my instructors and I work hard to provide you with consistency and support.

If you can supply the will and determination, we’d make a great team :-).

Committed to your success,

Becky

P.S. If you need professional support to reach your fitness goals, we’d love to invite you enjoy a one week FREE trial at one of our fitness boot camps in San Jose, Campbell or Los Gatos.  Visit our boot camp webpage to request your free trial:  www.lifesportbootcamp.com

Boot Camp in San Jose Shows You How to Get More Results in Less Time!

It seems everybody is crazy busy these days.  It’s no wonder that many people say the one reason they don’t exercise is because they don’t have time.

We’re helping people crush that  “I have no time” excuse at our fitness boot camps in San Jose, Los Gatos and Campbell.  We’re showing people how to maximize every minute in their workouts and get MORE results in LESS time than “traditional” workouts at the gym. Many people still hang on to the notion that you need to do hours of cardio workouts every week on top of hours of weight lifting at the gym in order lose weight and be fit. Nope.  Recent research proves otherwise.

Recent studies have found that “metabolic” training, or combining strength and cardiovascular exercises together in a circuit format, are very effective for fat loss.  Studies have also found that interval training (combining periods of high intensity exercise with segments of lower intensity exercise), is very effective for fat loss and muscle preservation.

The cool thing about these types of workouts is that they’re typically SHORTER workouts than the traditional gym workout during which a person does a cardio workout for 30-60 minutes followed by a strength training workout for another 30-45 minutes.  I’m “Crazy Busy” just like everyone else in Silicon Valley.  If I can work out and get the results I want in LESS time, I’m all for it!

What does a “metabolic” workout look like?  Well, the sky is the limit, but here are a couple of examples from some of our recent workouts:

At our boot camp in Downtown San Jose we created of circuit of jump  squats, push ups, hopping through an agility ladder, standing rows and alternating lunges.  We did the exercises at each station for 50 seconds, took a rest for 10 seconds, and the moved on to the next station.  We did this circuit for three rounds.This workout developed upper and lower body strength, lower body power and cardiovascular fitness–in a FRACTION of the time of a typical workout at the gym.

Next week at our evening boot camp in Los Gatos, we’ll put our campers through an obstacle course during which they’ll lunge, jump, push things, pull things, and step up on things while they move around the park we use.  It’s a full body workout that combines strength work, cardiovascular conditioning and includes functional movements (squatting, stepping, pulling, pushing) that we do as humans in every day life.  This type of a workout burns massive calories, boosts our metabolism for hours after the workout and helps us perform and move better on a daily basis.

Aside from the physical benefits that interval training affords us, creating the variety that we do in all our boot camps in the Bay Area keeps the FUN in fitness.

Now, if you like running on a treadmill for an hour, or doing a little “aerobic magazine reading” on the elliptical, well that’s fine.  But if you’re trying to boost your metabolism, shed some body fat, and maximize every moment of your workout, give metabolic training a try!

Want to experience a non-gym workout?  Try a lifeSport Fitness boot camp in San Jose, Los Gatos or Campbell today!

Not sure if boot camp is for you?  To request  a FREE one-week trial, please log on to: http://www.lifesportbootcamp.com

Committed to your fitness success,

Becky