I woke up around 7:00 a.m. with my music alarm to some crazy type of pop music.  It get’s me up quickly because I find this type of music irritating (Country Music too). 

My wife made breakfast with whole grain pancakes/blueberries and soy sausage links.  Also, 1 cup of Colombian coffee using stevia as a sweetner and 1 glass of water.  This kind of high energy breakfast enables me to start my day well.  I can’t imagine not having a good breakfast.

I went to the Fort Bend YMCA here in Sugar Land to teach the 9:00 a.m. Water Fitness Class.  Didn’t know how many people would show up, since it’s a rather chilly morning in the 50’s (this is cold for Houston).  The heated pool was great with the water temperature at 80 degrees making it perfect for a class.  The bright sun enhanced the class environment as well.

For the 5 people who attended, we had a great time.  I played some old Talking Heads music during the brief warm up and then kicked it up a notch playing fast-beat aerobics music.  A lot of cardio and lots of plyometic jumping was part of the routine.  Since it was cold outside, my goal was to make it a little more intense than usual.  We also added the foam dumbbells midway to incorporate some strength training.  Again, more jumping and more jumping.  Then, we finished off with light stretching/cool down and a few yoga-style deep breathing exercises.

After the class, I had a Twin Lab Choline Cocktail Drink.  This is a high antioxidant/high energy drink with a lot of Vitamin C, Ginkgo, Choline, Guarana, and all of the Vitamin B’s.   It gives me the lift I need before starting my own workout.

After a brief warm-up, my strength workout consisted of doing supersets for the chest/back muscle groups, and then doing some core work.  A superset is two exercises performed consecutively, with no rest between them.  Supersets increase workout intensity and, because of the limited rest intervals, heighten fat burning to an even greater degree.  I followed a high repetition scheme, aiming for 15 - 20 reps per set.  This heightens local muscular endurance and improves muscle tone without promoting significant gains in muscle mass.  Rest between sets was 30 seconds, which helped to produce an aerobic effect on the workout.  I did 3 sets of the following supersets:

1. Dumbbell Incline Press and Machine Seated Row
2. Machine Fly and Lat Pull-Down Machine
3. Decline Dumbbell Press and One Arm Dummbell Row

And, the following 3 core exercises:

1. Crunches on stability ball
2. Oblique Crunches on stability ball
3. Planks (3 @ 1 minute each)

The good thing about a superset workout is that it goes quickly.  20 minutes or so.  Very practical.  But, you really feel the “burn,” making this kind of workout “tough.” 

For cardio, I did a 3-minute warm up on the treadmill and then every 2 minutes I did a 25 second sprint at either 7 or 8 on the Speed setting.  The Recovery Interval was at the 3.5 Speed setting.  And then, a 3-minute cooldown.  Total cardio workout time was 16 minutes.

Jimmy Page & Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin

I like to work out to excellent music, whether it’s with a walkman or jamming out loud in my bedroom with my Onkyo/Sony system.  Music lifts you up and can take your workout to a higher level.

I was glad to hear XM Radio devoted a channel for Led Zeppelin music.  Their whole collection, rare live bootlegs, interviews, and the solo stuff by Robert Plant, Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones.  For the hardcore Zep fan, this is great news.

If you like this kind of music, check it out at XM Radio on Channel #39.

Rafa Marquez of the Mexican National Soccer Team and superstar Barcelona player

Tonight as I sit in my living room drinking a Michelob beer watching Mexico get their butts kicked by Honduras in soccer, I was saying to myself, “man, I had a great workout tonight!”  (I did an intense lower body workout of supersets and then took a group fitness class at Lifetime Fitness)

I asked myself the question, “why?”  The answer is obvious. 

It’s how I feel.

When I finish a great workout, I feel awsome.  I feel in control.  I feel better today than the previous day.  I feel a sense of relaxation.   I feel confident.  I feel powerful.  I feel an intrinsic high.  I feel a connection with my body, mind and spirit.  I feel like my problems diminish.  I feel like my mind is clearer.  I feel better about my myself.  I feel on top of world.

I don’t workout to burn calories or fat.  I don’t work out because Lifetime Fitness is a cool place to be.  I don’t workout because it’s the healthy thing to do.  I don’t workout because the American College of Sports Medicine advices you to do so on a regular basis every week.   I don’t workout to maintain my Total Cholesterol Count at 143.   I don’t workout to enhance my appearance.  I don’t workout because it enables me to be more productive at work.

I do it because I want to feel the intrinsic effects of a workout on a regular basis.  And the best is:

I can control having these feelings whenever I want.

This is what makes fitness effortless.   

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When considering RELOAD!, consider two things. Value, and Quality. If you’re currently supplementing or considering supplementing with 5 grams of creatine monohydrate per day, or post workout L-Glutamine . . . it’s in there . . . along with an ideal amino acid blend for protein synthesis, a mix of fast release and slow release carbs to replenish fuel reserves, and a complete profile of vitamins and minerals.

I now have Reload available for online ordering.  Click here for more product information and to place an order.

On Wednesday night I decided to be a little spontaneous and try a new class at Lifetime Fitness, the Barbell Strength Class.  I figured it would do me well by totalling surprising my body with a new workout.

The Barbell Strength Class is a full body, strength training workout using barbells and dumbbells.  You spend about 5 minutes working each of the major muscle groups focusing on muscular endurance.  This means you really feel the burn.  Squats, lunges, bicep curls, tricep extensions, dead lifts, shoulder presses and a few core exercises made you really sweat and feel this intense workout.  Even though there was no cardio movements, your heart rate still got up there because of the intensity of the workout.

The next day I had a good case of DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness).  You will get DOMS within 8 - 24 hours after a new, intense workout.  This is good because it let’s you know the workout is really effective and surprising your body with something new.  This is how you get progressive results.

The instructor, Regina, was awesome!  She gave clear directions, was upbeat and positive, had great music and made the class fun.  I will definitely take it again as a form of crosstraining.  I highly recommend it.  Try it.

Eat Pro! Meal Replacement Shake

I now sell the absolute best meal replacement protein shake on the market, Phil Kaplan’s Eat Pro! 

EAT stands for Exercise Advantage Technologies and the product was designed to provide a supportive blend of nutrients when a regular meal is not accessible or convenient. In 2003, the newest version of EAT!, EAT! Pro! was released. It has the same blend of high quality proteins, the same slow release carbs (13g per serving - to be burned as fuel allowing the 32 grams of protein to be used for tissue maintenance, repair and growth), and the same complete vitamin and mineral combination as its predecessor. It also contains added L-Glutamine for muscle preservation in the form of glutamine peptides (pure L-glutamine is destroyed by stomach acids . . . peptides ensure optimal cellular delivery). The newest version also has added L-Taurine which is the second most abundant amino acid in muscle, phosphtidylerine, which limits cortisol production (cortisol is a muscle-eating hormone), and L-tyrosine for enhanced alertness and performance. It is not only an alternative to a supportive meal, but for athletes, exercisers, and weight trainers . . . it’s pretty close to the perfect blend of nutrients.

Click here to read more product information and place an online order.

I came across an interesting personality profile quiz to determine which fitness and leisure activities fit best into your way of living.  It’s based on the latest book called “The 8 Colors of Fitness” by Suzanne Brue, MS, a longtime Myers-Briggs practitioner.

I’ve taken these types of psychological quizes before and highly recommend them.  You learn a few things about yourself you didn’t realize before.  Another one is called MAPS, which you can find in my Exercise Library Section of my site.

But, in the meantime, check this one out.

The 8 Colors of Fitness is a personality-based approach to a physically active lifestyle based on 8 sets of preferences each corresponding to a Color – The 8 Colors. By identifying your Color – and each of us falls into one of the 8 Colors, readers get a snapshot of their exercise personality. Whether you’re trying to include physical activity in your basic wellness program, an exercise enthusiast, or training for peak performance–this book can benefit you. 

The 8 Colors of Fitness begins with a short personality assessment to guide readers in discovering their Color-Coded Fitness Personality. By identifying these preferences, readers will be well on their way to achieving their fitness goals in the most enjoyable and effective way possible. Each of the 8 color chapters includes an overall description of the personality, and follows with the approach, motivation, focus, preferred environments, roadblocks, tips and favorite activities.

Want to take the quiz?  Click here.

If you begin to adopt new habits, if you’re willing to strength train 3 times per week for around 30 minutes, if you’re open to doing cardio workouts 4 - 6 times per week for 20 - 40 minutes, and if you are willing to eat differently with more supportive foods and get rid of the junk, you can have a super sexy, fit body.

What does it take to do this?  First is a change in mindset and the decision to want to change.  A “YES I CAN” attitude.  This only takes 1 second.

When was the last time you made a decision to get started on a major project and completed it?  Going to graduate school, learning a foreign language, starting a new business, learning a new skill, etc.  I’m sure you made a decision to get started, and then you put your full effort with a plan of action, made a few modifications as you went along, and then you completed your goal.  This decision was instantaneously and took no more than 1 second.  It gave you comittment. 

You can do the same by making your mind to achieve a higher level of health and fitness.  After you do this (which most people don’t), all you need is the right information and the destination becomes simple.

The Build A Better Body e-book contains a simple, step-by-step plan to achieve optimal health and fitness and to look and feel your very best.  It’s all layed out for you in simple directions.

Marianne Williamson

Here is a powerful quote by Marianne Williamson, Author of “Return To Love.”

Our Deepest Fear
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness
that frightens us.

And as we let our own light shine,
we consiously give other people permission to do the same.
As we’re liberated from our own fear,
our presence automatically liberates others.
by Marianne Williamson