KC Bootcamp Challenge

NBC Action News Comes to KC Bootcamp Challenge

2009-02-04T15:35:00.000-08:00

Bootcamp Progress

2009-01-29T15:32:00.000-08:00

I want to hear from the current people in our bootcamp. Describe your daily progress: what did you do today?

Pushup Record

2009-01-26T08:03:00.001-08:00

We have two new pushup records to post.

Women:
Shauna Olson 47

Men:
DeJean McQuillar 70

Turning New Year’s Goals into Results

2009-01-14T09:54:00.000-08:00

Over the last several years, I have helped countless people maximize their overall health, performance, and body composition faster than ever before. Put bluntly, I know how to help people lose ugly, unwanted body fat faster than most people can fathom. Now, make no mistake about it, a big reason for this is because our integrated rapid fat loss training and nutrition system is second to none. I have spent countless hours reading, studying and utilizing what works. But, today I am going to share something more powerful; something that must be set in place before you can even start to think about following a fitness program.

So, let’s just get right to it. What do you think is the real secret behind my client success? Well, if your answer was my aforementioned training and nutrition system, then your answer is wrong. Yep, it’s an incredible program, but unfortunately it’s useless if someone is unwilling to start it AND stick to it, right? The secret to success is finding the MOTIVATION to achieve your goals, and that’s the main focus of this article today. I am going to literally walk you through the initial consult and three step goal setting process that each one of my clients undergoes before they start working with us. This is so important to weight loss success that I now require it for any new client to be considered for joining our program.

Before I get into this goal setting process, I just need to get something off of my chest. I know a lot of people think goal setting is just a cheesy, useless thing. Unfortunately, these people just don’t get it and frankly if you are one of those people, please do us both a favor and stop reading this article and go buy another useless weight loss book or pill because I simply cannot do anything for you. I can only help people who want to learn. I simply cannot help people who already think they know it all and think they are too good to take some time to figure out what the hell it is that they actually want to accomplish. The bottom line is that the most successful people out there, and I mean not just weight loss success, I am talking business, lifestyle, etc., are shamelessly goal driven. They know exactly why they want to do something and harness that super motivation to figure out what and by when they want to go about accomplishing that. Furthermore, they plan and prepare for every possible roadblock they will encounter in their path to success. This is what I want to teach you how to do today, so let’s get to it!

Step One- The Why: Why do you want to do this?

This is where it’s time to get real. In almost every initial consult I do, when I ask why they have contacted me today, here is the typical blanket response that I first hear:

“Well, I just want to get healthy and lose weight I guess.”

Nope, I don’t buy it. Sure, I know they want to lose weight and be healthy, I mean who doesn’t, but really WHY do they want to do this? I mean, what is it that’s going to get them up at 5 am to get their morning workouts in or take a couple of hours on Sunday to plan and prepare their meals for the upcoming week? It sure isn’t “being healthy” because for some reason this just isn’t a very powerful motivator for most people (though it should be).

Let’s face it: everybody, including YOU, wants to look better naked. Stop giggling, you know it’s true and frankly that’s okay because the desire to improve one’s appearance is the most powerful motivator there is. This shouldn’t be such a big surprise since the main life mission of humans, or any species for that matter, is to procreate. This is instinctual. And obviously, looking better makes this more of a reality.

So, after a little digging, I find out the real reason why they want to do this; I find their past or pain and then establish their current and future ambitions. Some people want to be able to mow the lawn in the summer with their shirt off and not feel self-conscious. Others want to get back into their favorite pair of pants that they haven’t been able to get one leg into for the last five years. Then there are those who want to look and feel more attractive to ignite some passion back into their relationships and/or put for their best image at work. And of course, my personal favorite is preparing for big events that have deadlines. Wanting to get as lean and tight as possible to get into that new sleek dress for the high school reunion, or get off the plane in Florida when visiting family you haven’t seen in two years to blow them away with your new body, or being a classic beauty in your wedding dress on the big day, it all works! This is the stuff that gets people jacked up and ready to commit to making some real changes. How do I know? Well, I just shared with you verbatim the exact “WHY’S” of some of my own clients.

So, the first thing you have to figure out is your personal WHY. To make this even simpler for you, just answer this question: what are your physical dreams? Once you establish this, everything else is easy baby.

Step Two- The What and When: What do you want to accomplish and when do you want to accomplish it by?

So we already figured out the obvious: you want to look better and maximize your sex appeal! So, now we need to establish what objective goal(s) need to be accomplished in order to realize this subjective dream.

Well, from a logistics standpoint and keeping things as cost effective as possible, there are three major ways I track “look better” progress with my clients, in order of importance from least to most important:

1.) Scale Weight: This is by far the least important goal, but it gives a number that’s worth tracking. Though body fat percentage would be a much better method of tracking progress, it is simply too inaccurate on a small scale and too costly on a large scale. The key is to taking your initial weight before you start and then not weighing more than every 2 weeks. I have found most people to do better with tracking their weight every month. There are simply too many variables for controlling your body weight and the natural fluctuations based on diet (and for women, their menstrual cycle), means the less frequently you do this the better. And don’t ever weigh yourself more than once per week, this will only lead to major disappointment when you see your weight fluctuate. If the scale is just too de-motivating for you in general, then just skip this one altogether if you must, because the next two markers are far more important.

2.) Dress/Pant Size: This is probably the most simple and effective unused method of tracking whether or not you look better. I think it’s safe to say that if you are dropping dress and/or pant sizes that you will be looking better, right? Your best bet is to also select one dress or one pair of pants that you really want to get into since that is the true end goal in mind. I tell my clients to assess how they are fitting in their preferred dress/pant size tracker on a weekly or bi-weekly basis since our clients that follow our program exactly as outlined typically lose a dress and/or pant size every month (until they get to their ideal dimensions). There’s nothing more powerful than being to literally being able to feel yourself comfortably get into clothes that use almost rip when you put on.

3.) Digital Pictures: Pictures don’t lie, that’s the bottom line. If you want to look better, what better way is there to assess this than pictures? I cannot begin to tell you how important this is. Taking a before picture is essentially you telling the whole world that you are ready to change and that you are ready to do whatever it takes to make those changes. They key is take pictures wearing exactly what you want to look your best in. Now, don’t be sending me nude pictures of yourself, ha (though you can keep these for yourself to track if you’d like). Maybe it’s taking pictures of you in the dress or pair of pants that you are using to track your dress or pant size. Or maybe it’s a sleeveless shirt and tank top that you want to wear during the summer. And if you want to see your abs, then you best believe that you need to take pictures of your abs to track how much more definition you get. Take a front, side, and rear view picture and be sure to note the exact conditions in which the picture was taken (lighting, distance from camera, time of day/week, etc.) to be as accurate as possible in your assessment. The clients whom I’ve transformed that failed to take before pictures in the past have nothing but regret about it. Your before pictures will become your trophy and they are an absolute must if you really are serious about getting results that count. We tell our clients to take new pictures either bi-weekly or monthly until they reach their goal(s).

Step Three- Planning and Preparing for Roadblocks: What are the big obstacles that will prevent you from having the success you desire? What’s contributed most to past failures?

Now that we know what you want to accomplish, it’s time to plan and prepare for any obstacles that might get in your way of getting the job done based on your own personal schedule.

In general, the number one thing I hear is that people are too busy and tired and don’t have enough time to get their workouts in or make their meals. Well, I don’t care how busy you think you are, there is always hidden time throughout the day and week that can be freed up if your re-prioritize. Again, think back to why you wanted to do this in the first place and then examine what’s most important to you. Make your workouts and your meal times just like work appointments. Either you make the appointment or you don’t. And if you want to keep your job (or get your dream body) then you better make that appointment.

Another big obstacle is alcohol. People like to drink and unfortunately alcohol is about as detrimental to burning fat as it gets. Again, what’s more important to you, looking sexy or getting hammered. The choice is yours. Remember, once you achieve your goal(s), alcohol can be added back in with moderation. But know this; lean people just don’t get wasted unless they are genetic freaks. Low to zero alcohol consumption is needed if you want to look your best year round and that’s a fact.

Lastly, many people deal with life through emotional eating or boredom eating. Boredom eating means just that, eating to fill up dead time when you have nothing better to do. The best way to deal with this is, you guessed it, to do something! Find an active hobby to keep your mind off of eating when boredom strikes and you can beat this trend. Emotional eating describes the use of food to cope with stress or to reward for accomplishment. Food is not unlike drugs or alcohol in this regard, it can be very addictive. There is no quick fix for emotional eating other than avoiding trigger situations (bars, parties, etc.) and trigger foods (starches, sugars, fast food, etc.) in the short term to break bad habits.

At the end of the day, whether your roadblocks are very individual or if they fall in line with the general roadblocks our clients encounter on a regular basis, the key is to be honest about them and to plan and prepare for them. And that’s where social support and accountability come into play. The clients who have had the most success with us have undergone their transformation with the support of other friends or family members. This is so critical, especially since most of the poor food and drinking choices that sabotage one’s progress occur on the weekend, when most people hang out with their friend and family. If they are committed with you and your goal to get fit and look better, you can put yourself in a much better position to realize the success your desire and deserve. The last thing anybody needs is sabotage or peer pressure from those closest to you, so get them on board and get them on board early.

Goal Setting for 2009 Part 2

2009-01-13T09:13:00.000-08:00

Your fitness goals are so important that it’s like driving your car at night without headlights. You need to see where you are going.

In part 2, I will share with you two more questions to answer to clarify your goals.

What are your Barriers?
Identify the obstacles that can stand in your way of achieving your goals. One complaint I hear a lot is “ I don’t have enough time”. There is 24 hours in every day. There is time, but what are you doing with your time that keeps you from exercising? You don’t need an hour a day. As a matter of fact there is a new trend of the 20 minute workout.
Another obstacle is fatigue. “I’m too tired to exercise” you say. It’s like this, you don’t get enough exercise, so your body slows down and you get tired. But if I am tired I don’t feel like working out. And round and round we go.
Alcohol can definitely be a hindrance since it is a depressant. And Emotional eating is another. Some people find that food comforts them under stress.

The next question to answer is, What Are You Willing NOT to do?
Sure, you may know what you want-that sexy body. But, you may not want to work out at 5 am or go on a special diet or give up your favorite TV show.
Find out your limits and it will eliminate many setbacks.

What People Are Saying About KC Bootcamp Challenge

2009-01-08T07:58:00.000-08:00

I joined Spencer's Bootcamp in preparation for my 20 year high school reunion. At the time, I was walking occasionally and somewhat watching what I was eating, but knew I needed to do more to achieve my desired results. I had done one other bootcamp with Spencer the previous summer and knew he was the person to whip me into shape. Originally, I wanted to be a certain size and weigh a certain amount, but as each week passed, my goals changed. I saw the changes in my body within the first few weeks, losing inches, my body fat percentage dropping; I was even able to fit into my dress for my reunion that I had bought 1 size too small. Eventually, my goal became not only to fit into that dress, but to do more sit-ups and pushups, to cut 1 minute off my mile on the treadmill, and even to beat the rest of my fellow bootcampers on the obstacle course. I had never considered myself a competitive person so this was a new feeling to me and I liked it. By the end of the 8 week session, I could do 90 full sit ups and 50 push ups! Spencer made the sessions, fun, challenging, and very rewarding. He's also not intimidating, very encouraging, and works with you to achieve the goals you desire.

Amy Lee North

Goal Setting for the New Year

2009-01-07T09:08:00.000-08:00

Part 1 of Goal Setting for the New Year

I am not a big believer in New Years resolutions. But I do set goals and the difference is that I have a process that helps me to achieve those goals year in and year out. I don’t set myself up for failure and then get disappointed when I don’t reach my goal.

I want to share with you over the next several days what I have found to be an effective means of reaching your FITNESS goals for 2009.

1. What do you Ultimately want to achieve? This is commonly referred to as an outcome goal. When it’s all said and done, what outcome do you want? For your fitness I challenge you to dream a little and really get to the heart of the matter.
Some people say they want to lose weight or feel better. But that is not the ultimate answer. What most people want is to look and feel sexy. They want to look in the mirror and be proud of what they see.

2. Why do you Want to achieve this goal? This is a very important question to answer because without knowing why, you have no motivation to continue. When your goal is important to you then you are more likely to stick with it.
Again, most people will ultimately come to the conclusion that their reason to be fit is to feel and look sexy. But why do you want a sexy body? Here we delve deeper and we can come up with several answers: to feel confident, powerful, strong, courageous….
Now, can you see how fitness is not just about the physical but it also includes the social, mental and emotional parts of your self?

Great Holdiay Dessert Idea

2008-12-22T09:39:00.000-08:00

The last thing you want to hear is “Don’t eat that” during the holidays. Temptation is EVERYWHERE. Now is NOT the time for those with a sweet tooth to fall off the wagon. So that's why I have a great Holiday dessert ideas for you that won't pack on the pounds.

Grilled Banana Splits
Here's the simple ingredients you'll need:
4 ripe bananas
2 Tbsp chocolate chips
1/2 cup non-fat, frozen vanilla yogurt
4 tsp chopped walnuts

Here are the easy-to-follow directions:
1- Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2- Place each banana on its side on a piece of foil. Cut a slit lengthwise across the top. Leave the skin attached.
3- Push 1/2 Tbsp chocolate chips into the slit of each banana.
4- Wrap the bananas with the foil, leaving the top open. Grill or bake about 15 minutes or until the chocolate melts.
5- Loosen the foil and press the bananas open a little.
6- Top each banana with 2Tbsp of the frozen yogurt and sprinkle with 1tsp walnuts.That's it for a nutritious and delicious treat!

Second, if you like your life even easier, and you're a big fan of Dark Chocolate, you are going to LOVE Prograde Cravers. I seriously cannot even begin to tell you how delicious they taste. You have to watch this video to see for yourself. You'll see fitness professionals tasting Prograde Cravers for the very first time. Yes, fitness pros that have tasted every bar on the planet are amazed at how good they taste.Trust me, you have to see this: http://spencer.getprograde.com/cravers

PS - Seriously, Cravers make the PERFECT holiday dessert. They are less than 200 calories and are made from organic dark chocolate. http://spencer.getprograde.com/cravers

10 Holiday Fitness Gifts

2008-12-08T12:47:00.000-08:00

This holiday season why not share your passion and interest in health and fitness with your friends and family by giving them a fitness gift. This will be something that will last a long time as they join the ranks of us on the ‘fitness journey’. Who doesn't want to look and perform better?

I have 10 gifts that will make great presents.

1. A Foam Roller- these are great for self massage and for injury prevention. Anyone who works out needs to have one of these.

2. Resistance Bands- these are lightweight, take up little space and can be used anywhere. Don’t have dumbbells? No problem, just get the bands that come in different resistance strengths and go at it.

3. A Gift Card to a Sporting Goods Store for Equipment or Apparel

4. Gift Card to a Health Food Grocery- allow your loved ones to try some new items that they can’t find at their local grocer.

5. A Gift Card to a Massage Therapist- there are tons of massage therapists and massage styles to choose from. When selecting a therapist ask questions so you can make sure your gift will be beneficial.

6. Supplements that Work: Protein Powders, Fish Oil, Multi-Vitamin
There is NO way that any person can get all of the vitamins and minerals needed for health and balance due to our hectic schedules. I not only suggest, but I mandate that all of my clients be on a Multi-Vitamin at the very least and then add Fish Oil and Whey Protein. The very best and most economical comes from Prograde. These supplements were created by fitness professionals so they know what is needed. Go to http://www.spencer.getprograde.com

7. Sport-Specific Gift
This requires knowing what sport the person likes and it will be more meaningful knowing you put some thought into it.

8. Fitness Book or Subscription to a Fitness Magazine
There are so many to choose from that it’s hard to know where to start.

9. Wireless MP3 Headset/ipod
Listening to certain types of music during a workout can really be motivational.

10. A Gift Card to a Fitness Boot Camp
Boot Camps are the hottest fitness trend in the fitness industry today and with good reason. They are economical for a poor economy; they are inspirational and motivational because you are working in a group setting and they are effective in achieving your goals. You can get your Gift Card from KC Bootcamp Challenge by going to http://kcbootcampchallenge.com and contacting us.

13 Diet Tips to Prevent the Holiday Bulge

2008-12-04T13:21:00.000-08:00

Local Kansas City area fat loss expert Spencer Shaver, NSCA-CPT, is the founder of KC Bootcamp Challenge, Johnson County’s premier fitness boot camps for men and women. He has helped countless people prevent the holiday weight gain that so many busy Americans succumb to at this busy and stressful time of year.

Spencer says, “There are a number of good eating control strategies that you should employ to best prevent you from going overboard at parties and at the dinner table this holiday season”.

Use the following 13 diet tips below to allow yourself to stay social and to be able to indulge in moderation without splitting your pants before the New Year:

1) Perform high-intensity activity before and/or after a big meal or holiday feast.

You simply cannot go without doing exercise in order to get results. So, even though this is not about food, it’s just as important. Your body is most receptive to higher calorie and/or carbohydrate meals within 30 minutes before and within three hours following high-intensity activity. Ideally you would want to workout out before AND after a big meal, but if you can only do one, that will suffice. It is less important when you do it and more important that you do it. Your best options will be 20 minutes of circuit resistance training or cardio interval training. Even a 20-30 plus minute walk a few hours afterwards can serve as a bit of damage control.

2) Do not fast in preparation for big meal or holiday feast

Withholding food in preparation for a big will not only lead to overeating, but worse: overeating foods that are extremely high in sugar, fat, or both! Your body is a survival mechanism. If it hasn’t had food in a while it anticipates a famine state. This means that the next time that you eat your body will use as much of the incoming food as possible to store as body fat (survival energy) in anticipation that it won’t see food again for another long period of time. Do yourself and your body a favor by eating every two to three hours as you normally should to prevent yourself from becoming a ravenous, fat-storing beast this holiday season!

3) Do not gorge yourself

Eat until you feel slightly full and slightly wanting more and not to the point of discomfort. Remember this: binge eating is not the habit of lean individuals. It is imperative to understand that holiday meals are not a ticket to eat as much as you can in as little time as possible. However, listen to your body and make sure to enjoy the foods you are craving in moderation and only eat when you are hungry.

4) Eat a high-fiber, protein-rich meal an hour before a holiday event

A meal high in fiber and protein before a big holiday meal will help fill you up and prevent overeating. This means eating fewer calories during the ensuing feast. My favorite strategy is to drink a protein shake with a added fiber and healthy fats (e.g. 2-4 Tbsp. flax meal) and 1 liter of water before such a meal to help keep me nice and full upon arrival. This way you won’t lose any friends by eating their entire dinner platter and you’ll save your midsection from a fluffier existence!

5) Eat lean proteins and fruits and vegetables first

Start with the healthier foods that have more nutritional value and try to eat as much lean meat, fish, and fruits and veggies as possible at the start of each holiday event. This will leave less room for the unhealthier, higher calorie treats. At least this way you know your body is getting in some good nutrition and you are not putting yourself at excessive risk for sickness and/or other health concerns.

6) Drink, drink, drink water

By drinking at least half of your body weight in ounces, water will help you feel fuller and you will not be taking in any useless calories.

7) Do not eat again until hungry following a large meal

Eating every 2-3 hours is the general rule except after a huge meal.It is important not to eat again until you are hungry and/or no longer full. If your body is not used to eating such a big meal, then it will take a much longer time to digest all that food and the worst thing you can do is put more food into an already full stomach, unless you goal is to do the stop, drop, and roll drill. Only when you are hungry again should you resume your normal eating plan following a big holiday meal.

8) Immediately resume your normal eating schedule at the next meal

It’s great to have that ‘once in a while’ meal where you can indulge, and as a matter of fact it can be healthy for you as your body craves fat and this will satisfy the urgings as long as you follow a healthy eating plan. Now it is time to get back to your regular eating plan. Remember weekly caloric intake is far more important than daily caloric intake. For example, let’s say that you need 2,000 calories per day to maintain your current body weight. Well, all that you need to do is make sure the average daily caloric intake each week is 2,000 calories per day. This means that you can fluctuate your daily caloric intake and yield the same results as if you ate that same amount each day. So if you have one day of big eating where you eat 7,000 calories (just an example, not a recommendation), but you only eat 1,166 calories per day the rest of the week, you will still end up at the same caloric balance. Again, I am not recommending that you eat in such an extreme manner; rather I am suggesting that you do not have to obsess about being perfect. Enjoy some indulging in moderation at your various holiday festivities knowing that the week in review trumps a day in review, even when you are particularly naughty on any given day.

9) Never eat junk food for breakfast or before bed

Eating a highly refined carbohydrate meal first thing in the morning will make your blood sugar levels go sky high and you will only be hungry sooner than if you had some complex carbs along with some lean protein. Also, you will be training your body to hold onto fat. The rest of the day will result in greater junk food cravings and uncontrollable hunger. On the other hand, eating a big meal before bed will result in a bunch of unused energy that will be stored as body fat and you very well may have trouble sleeping with all of that extra food volume in your stomach!

10) Control your portions

Eat only half of the portions when it comes to the ‘junk foods’. That way you will only be eating half of the calories!

11) Avoid empty liquid calories and alcohol

One can easily consume over 1,000 calories per day from liquid calories alone. This means that in one week, you will gain 2 lbs of body fat from just fluids! Opt for regular solid food calories versus empty liquid calories (e.g. juices and soft drinks), for at least the food will fill you up and provide some nutrition where as liquid calories, particularly alcohol, have no such effect. Rather, sugary and/or alcoholic drinks tend to make you hungrier in general and often hungrier for junk food in particular. Furthermore, your body cannot burn fat until the alcohol is processed out of your body in addition to the fact that alcohol consumption actually lowers leptin levels thus defeating one of the main purposes of this flexible eating (decreased leptin levels increase hunger and decreases your body’s use of fat for fuel). Thus over-consumption of alcohol can prevent the fat burning process from resuming until several days later and/or even cause unwanted fat gain and thus set you back as little as a few days to as long as a full week!

12) Use lower calorie/carbohydrate substitutes whenever possible

Instead of using sugar, opt for zero calorie alternatives like splenda or stevia. They can deliver a similar taste without all of the extra sugar and calories. Even try replacing yeast with protein powder when you bake. The extra protein and reduced carbohydrates will result in a slimmer you while still providing some great tasting treats! Your goal should be to find the minimal amount of calories that can provide the same great taste that makes the holiday treats enjoyable rather than simply overdoing it because you can!

13) Avoid eating meals high in both fat and carbs

The absolute worst thing that you can do is to eat a meal that is high in both fat and carbs. The high amount of carbs will lead to a rapid increase in blood sugar levels and thus large increases in the potent fat-storing hormone Insulin. The high amount of fat will lead to a large increase in free fatty acids in your bloodstream. Since Insulin is already present in large amounts, in addition to there being a large amount of free fatty acids now available in your blood, the stage is set for all those free fatty acids to be gobbled up and stored by your fat cells. This is the equivalent of becoming the next Goodyear blimp, so it is imperative to use caution at your holiday meals when it comes to combining fat (particularly saturated and trans fats) and carbs (particularly starches and refined sugars). In general, it is best to choose one over the other. But since most people crave carbs at their free meals, it is essential to keep the fat low at this meal. Want pasta? Instead of alfredo sauce, opt for marinara sauce with whole grain pasta. Want pizza? Make your own pizza with whole grain crust and fat-free cheese. Want mashed potatoes? Well then be sure to skip the gravy and go easy on the butter. These small changes can literally save you hundreds, even thousands of calories, and more importantly will prevent your holiday feasts from creating the optimal fat-storing environment that will set you back from achieving your health and fitness goals.

According to Spencer, “By taking these simple steps, you will save hundreds, even thousands of calories, and you will prevent your body from becoming the fat-storing machine that will set you back from achieving your health and fitness goals.”

4 Easy Holiday Fitness Tips to Fight the Fat

2008-12-04T07:25:00.000-08:00

We all know how busy the holidays can be - Parties, shopping, eating and drinking. However, do not let yourself get caught in the trap of not working out to make more time for holiday errands or events. It is a big mistake to risk losing the lean muscle mass and strength that you have worked so hard to build and maintain. Why you ask? Losses in lean muscle mass will lower your resting metabolic rate, which accounts for the vast majority (about 60-75%) of your total daily calorie burning. This means that everyday you will be burning less and less calories which will put you at a much greater risk of putting on ugly, unwanted body fat during the holidays. Plus, losing strength will mean that the next time you start to work out your performance will be sub par and you’ll get smacked in the face with that ugly word that no one ever wants to encounter when it comes to their training: regression! Furthermore, there are many clever ways to maintain or increase the number of calories you burn per day, both from exercise and from your normal daily activities, to stay fat-free this holiday season. Use the strategies below to maintain and/or increase your current amount of lean muscle mass and maximize your daily calorie burn to best protect yourself against the deadly holiday bloat!

1.) Perform at least one intense strength training session per week

Studies show that even only one strength training workout per week is enough to maintain your current levels of strength and lean muscle mass. So, to best maintain your strength and lean muscle mass, shoot for at least one good strength training workout per week to stay keep toned during the holidays and to prevent unwanted regressions in fitness. To best prevent weight gain, aim for three total body strength workouts per week. To maximize fat burning, perform three total body strength workouts per week and also perform three cardio interval workouts per week on non strength-training days.

2.) Hit Your Goals

You can trick your body. In other words, your body doesn’t know the difference between 100 push-ups performed all at once or 100 push-ups staggered throughout the day. When you honestly cannot find a five to 20-minute time slot to complete an effective total body workout, look for hidden chunks of time during the day to get in a certain number of daily repetitions for a certain number of exercises that work your entire body. Got a free moment from now until you need to take the turkey out of the oven? Then, bang out 10 push-ups, 10 rows, and 20 squats. Using this method throughout the day will lead to big numbers by the end of the day that will burn the same amount of calories in addition to creating similar muscle building effects as if you did all of the exercises at once during a single workout.

It is important to note that this “Hit Your Goals” routine is merely a back-up option to the ideal 20-minute interval training workouts which are scientifically proven to burn nine times more fat than ordinary exercise. Short rest periods between exercises create the optimal hormonal environment for rapid fat loss and lean muscle gain, where as the long rest periods (full recovery) between movements do not. However, it comes down to effective (“Hit Your Goals”) versus optimal (50-10 Total Body Circuit Interval Training Workouts), so be sure to at least be effective this holiday season!

Make sure to choose exercises that use multi-joint, compound movements that hit as much of your body’s major muscle groups in the shortest amount of time possible (e.g. squats, deadlifts, lunges, push-ups, rows, etc.). Use the plan below as guide to build your own “Hit Your Goals” workout. Adjust the repetition ranges accordingly based on your current strength levels. The only thing you need is your body weight and adjustable dumbbells and/or resistance bands. Perform this plan up to three times per week, resting a day between workouts. Make sure to alternate between Plan A and Plan B for more variety. You can either hit your total by doing one exercise first (e.g. perform push-ups rest-pausing as needed until you get 100 total), or by simply employ circuit style training (e.g. 20 squats, 10 push-ups, 10 rows, repeat 10x throughout the day to hit your totals).

The Hit Your Goal Workout For The Holidays
Plan A-

Body weight Squats or Hip Extensions: 100-200 total
Push-ups: 50-100 total
DB/Band Rows: 50-100 total

Plan B-

Body weight Lunges or Single-Leg Hip Extensions: 50-100/total per leg
Off Chair/Couch Dips: 50-100 total
DB/Band Curls: 50-100 total (feel free to swap pull-ups or pull-downs here if you have access to the equipment)

3.) Rage Against The Machines

Machines, i.e. cars, elevators, etc. have made us an incredibly out of shape and overweight society. This holiday season make it a point to not use them! Now I don’t mean to say that you cannot drive to the mall during the holidays. However, when you get to the mall, try to park further away so you can do more walking to get inside. Avoid using elevators and escalators and opt for the stairs; all those steps truly do add up. Stay on your feet as much as possible and resist the temptation to let a robot or machine do the work for you. Wear a pedometer that measures how many steps you walked per day and shoot for 10,000 steps a day-this equals about 5 miles.

4.) Get Outside More Often

Winter is a great time to have some fun outside. Build a snowman or a snow fort. Take a hike in the woods. Play some football. Work up a sweat. Talk about an awesome way to burn calories without even thinking about it! Once again, all these calories here and there truly do add up and could make a difference between you fitting in your pants or ripping your pants by the time the clock strikes midnight this New Year!

Spencer Shaver is a renowned fitness boot camp instructor and a real world fat loss expert. For a FREE 1- week trial to his KC Bootcamp Challenge in Olathe, KS and to experience the best personal training in the Kansas City area please visit http://kcbootcampchallenge.com

How To Build The Ultimate Circuit Training Workout For Rapid Fat Loss

2008-11-19T08:28:00.000-08:00

In the past, the cornerstone of most resistance training workouts has been performing exercises in a straight set format. Essentially, this means you perform a certain number of reps for a given exercise or you perform as many reps as possible for a given exercise and then you rest anywhere from 30 seconds to five minutes based on your training goals before repeating this set a certain number of times based on your goals. For more of a fat loss and lean muscle gain emphasis shorter rest periods are ideal. For more of a strength or power emphasis, longer rest periods are prescribed.

So, what’s the problem with this format? Well, though straight sets are extremely easy to comprehend for people new to fitness, they are also an extremely inefficient way to order your exercises. In most commercial gyms you’ll typically see someone perform three sets of 10 reps for let’s say the bench press. They pump out 10 reps, go to the water fountain, talk with some buddies, watch a couple of highlights on ESPN, and then gingerly walk back to the bench area to hit up their second set. In general, most people, guys in particular, tend to take about 3-5 minutes between sets. In the case of three sets of 10 on the bench that means it would take up to 15 minutes to complete only one movement pattern (a horizontal push). That means you’d need at least in hour to perform four different exercises!

A much more effective and time-efficient approach to ordering your exercises is utilizing the alternating set format. Here you’ll perform one exercise, rest for a short period of time, then perform another non-competing exercise, rest for a short period of time, and so forth. Alternating sets allow you to work different areas of your body when you would otherwise be resting with the straight set format. Plus, by working another area of your body with a non-competing exercise you allow your body to recover from the previous exercise(s). The result is improved training economy and density: more work accomplished in less time, the cornerstone of any sound fat loss program. There are several ways to perform alternating sets outlined below:

1.) Supersets: Alternate between two different non-competing exercises (e.g. upper body and lower body such as push-ups and lunges)

2.) Trisets: Alternate between three different exercises (e.g. push, pull, and lower body such as push-ups, rows, and lunges)

3.) Circuits: Alternate between four or more different exercises

Though supersets and trisets are excellent alternating set options, I believe circuit training is by the far the best option time and time again. To demonstrate why, let’s examine my favorite circuit training template using timed set intervals:

The 50-10 Five Exercise Circuit: You will alternate between 50 seconds of work and 10 seconds of rest for all five exercises in the following 5-minute circuit:

Exercise#1- Squats

Exercise#2- Dips

Exercise#3- Single-Leg Hip Extensions

Exercise#4- Pull-ups

Exercise#5- Leg Raises

Perform this circuit up to four times for a 20-minute total body fat burning workout.

Basically, in the same 15 minutes that it took to get in three sets on the bench you could have gotten in three sets of five different exercise for a staggering total of 15 work sets! Plus, the intensity on each exercise will be just as high as in the straight set format because in this five exercise circuit you will have full recovery with over four minutes before you return to any given exercise (just as you did with the straight set format described earlier).

To recap, the key to creating the optimal hormonal environment for fat loss is to perform each exercise with maximal intensity while separated by brief rest periods in order to accumulate a high volume of total body work in the shortest amount of time possible. Circuit training provides for the best of both worlds and is thus simply unmatched for simultaneously maximizing fat loss and lean muscle gain. Use the following template I use with my many boot camp clients for some killer, yet simple fat loss circuits:

Exercise#1- Double-Leg

Exercise#2- Push

Exercise#3- Single-Leg

Exercise#4- Pull

Exercise#5- Core

I’ll be sharing some more great circuit training workouts from my boot camps in the weeks to come.

Live to the Fullest

Spencer Shaver

http://kcbootcampchallenge.com

The 10 Exercises for Rapid Fat Loss and Gaining Muscle

2008-11-17T12:51:00.000-08:00

I use to struggle with being fat and overweight. I studied what actually works and put it into practice and now I am the “go to” guy for fat loss and getting in shape. I have helped hundreds of people get back on the right track. But, the biggest question I face from people is, “what exercises do I need to do to get into shape?”

I’ll keep this as simple as possible for you. The best exercises for fat loss are also the best exercises for muscle gain and visa versa. These exercises all have one thing in common: they provide a UNIQUE challenge to your body AND involve as many muscles in your body as possible.

Both the scientific research and the real world case studies have shown that total body workouts are superior for maximal fat loss and muscle gain. But let’s take this one step further…

Let’s dramatically accelerate results by preferentially selecting TOTAL BODY EXERCISES within each TOTAL BODY WORKOUT! For example, squats are well known for being one of the best muscle-builders with a serious fat-shredding effect. However, the squat goes from great to UNSTOPPABLE for changing your body for the better when you make it a combination movement by adding a row or press to each squat rep. It’s obvious that you can reap more benefits this way since you have now involved your upper body into the king of lower body exercises.

It’s as simple as the Dream Body Equation below:

Performing Total Body Exercises Within Each Total Body Workout à

More Muscles Involved =

More Calories Burnt + Greater Muscle-Building Stimulus =

Greater Fat Lost + Greater Muscle Gain

The exercise movements that I am about to share with you are not for the faint of heart. They will bust your gut! They are meant to challenge you and to break you. Don’t be afraid; just take my advice- trust me they work. If it was easy then everyone would be doing it and America would not be flushing $50 billion dollars a year down the toilet for diet pills and gadgets that don’t work!

Without further adieu, here is the official top 10 list of my favorite exercises in the world for fat loss and lean muscle gain:

Exercise#1- Any Squatting Combination Exercise-
· Squat Thrust/Burpee Variations.
· Power Clean + Squat to Overhead Press Combo
· Squat to Overhead Press, Squat to Row.
· Squat to Chest Press, Braced Core Squat.
· Single-Leg Squat plus Curl to Press, etc.

Exercise#2- The Swing
· Dumbbells
· Kettlebells
· Med Balls
· or Sandbags

Exercise#3- Any Lunge Combination Exercise
· Alternating Lunge plus Curl to Press.
· Alternating Lunge plus Twist, Alternating Lunge plus Chest Press
· Alternating Reverse Lunge plus Row
· Split Jump plus Jerk
· Split Jump plus Curl etc.

Exercise#4- Any Push-Up Combination Exercise
· Push-ups plus Knee-Ins
· Renegade Rows
· T-Push-Ups
· Spiderman Push-ups
· Squat Thrust Push-Ups
· Four-Way Push-up Crawl, etc.

Exercise#5- The Chop
· Dumbbells
· Kettlebells
· Med Balls
· Bands or Sandbags

Exercise#7- Olympic Lifting Variations
· Dumbbell or Kettlebell Cleans
· Snatches
· High Pulls

Exercise#8- Rear Foot Elevated Deadlift plus Curl to Press

Exercise#9- Med Ball Snatch-Slam Combo

Exercise#10- Dumbbell or Kettlebell Single-Leg RDL plus Row

Well I hope you take my expert advice and jack up your training with these 10 deadly total body combination exercises. I guarantee you better results in less time by regularly employing these movements into your workouts. Of course it’s now up to you to take your workouts, and your body, to the next level.

I’ll be sharing some more great exercises for those specific trouble spot areas (e.g. legs, butt, abs, chest, arms, etc.) that are holding you back in the days to come.

Live to the Fullest,

Spencer Shaver

http://kcbootcampchallenge.com

Meal of the Week

2008-10-21T12:51:00.000-07:00

Pump-Up Breakfast

1/4 cup Oatmeal
1/4 cup Cream of Rice
Non-Fat Milk
Whey Protein
Vanilla
Artificial Sweetener
Cinnamon

Bring 1/2 cup milk to a boil. Mix in oatmeal and cream of rice. Remove from heat and stir until it is of a single consistency. Mix in whey protein powder and flavorings. Sprinkle cinnamon on top.

How Consumers Are Misled, Ripped-Off and Manipulated

2008-10-16T11:11:00.000-07:00

It’s been reported by The American Heart Association, The American Medical Association and the Center for Disease Control that Americans have successfully cut fat significant amounts of fat from their diet.

The Truth: While surveys indicate that fat has declined from about 37% to 34% between the 1970’s and 1990’s, this is not a real decrease.

Let’s look at some numbers. The National Center for Health Statistics reports that the average adult caloric intake has increased by about 300 calories.

In the 1970’s, Americans averaged 1,970 calories per day. If 37% of those calories were fat, that would mean the average American was consuming 728 fat calories. This turns out to be 86 grams of fat.

In the 1990’s, the average was 2,270 calories per day. If 34% of those calories were fat, that would mean the average American was consuming 771 fat calories. That is 86 fat grams!

So where is the decrease?

The research quotes a “decrease” by taking a “percentage” of fat. Actually, fat intake keeps going up! We are being duped!

Why would our “protective” organizations lie to us? Because the food industry is extremely powerful. Fat is cheap. Americans love to eat fat.

The FDA allows loopholes in the labeling laws that permit food companies to blatantly lie to us—Example- selling pure fat labeled as “Fat Free”.

This is just one example of many where the FDA is not being clear to the consumer.

There are a great many products on the market being touted as great weight reducers that carry the nonsensical line, “not to be used as a weight loss aid”.

So, the bottom line (no pun intended) is this: You and only you are in control of the way your body looks and feels. Take a weight loss product and you may end up with a destroyed hormone system or worse. It is ONLY through the Synergy between the Right Nutrition, Moderate Aerobic Exercise, Resistance Training, and taking the Right Supplements that you can develop the body you want.

KC Bootcamp Challenge provides you with the Right guidance in all of these areas. Don’t be misled any longer- take charge of your body. Go to http://kcbootcampchallenge.com and register for the next Fitness Bootcamp.

There Are No Accidents

2008-10-07T11:56:00.000-07:00

My brother-in-law is an undercover police officer and he deals with some really bad dudes. Just the other day he was on a stakeout and he got an urgent call from his young daughter. She was scared and told him that nobody was home when she arrived back from school. Being a good dad, he left the stakeout to be with his daughter. But not 5 minutes after he left the stakeout, two shooters unexpectedly shot the car seat he had been sitting in. He would have been killed.

This was a close call and seeing him on Sunday was better than usual. The whole family told him how much we cared about him. I have great respect for our law enforcement officers and our military fighting overseas. I can’t explain why some good people get hurt in the line of duty and others don’t. But one thing is certain—if it had not been for that one phone call from a daughter to her dad, we would be mourning a terrible loss today.

I believe there are no accidents. Everything happens for a purpose. It may not turn out the way we wanted initially, but there is a reason why certain things in life occur. There is a reason why you are reading this newsletter. I don’t know what it is but I can tell you that our lives cross for a reason.

My life’s purpose aside from being a husband and a father is to help people like your self to improve their health and get in the best shape of their lives.

Fitness is much more than seeing how much weight you can bench press, it’s also about how you can handle the stresses and challenges that come your way. You see, I use fitness as a way to help people deal with life on a daily basis.
Bootcamp Challenge is designed to get you into the best shape of your life and to help you to deal with what life dishes out.

There is a new camp starting this Monday on October 13th. I have 3 different camps to fit your time and place. Go to http://kcbootcampchallenge.com and take a look at what I offer.

Please remember to thank a police officer or someone serving in our military this week.

Live to the Fullest,

Spencer Shaver
KC Bootcamp Challenge
http://kcbootcampchallenge.com
913-378-3391

Meal of the Week

2008-10-06T12:02:00.000-07:00

Fish and Chips
Flounder, tilapia, or white fish fillets
Fat free Italian dressing
Whole grain bread crumbs or wheat flakes
Potatoes
Egg whites

Cut fish into strips. Marinate for several hours in fat free dressing. Roll in whole grain bread crumbs (or wheat flakes-chopped to crumbs). Punch small fork wholes in potatoes and microwave on high for 1 minute. Cut potatoes into strips. Submerge strips in egg whites. Place potato strips in non-stick pan. Cook until brown and turn until brown again. Place fish strips and potato strips on separate baking sheets. Bake at 425 for 10-15 minutes (potatoes may need to cook longer).

Workout of the Week

2008-09-30T11:03:00.000-07:00

Legs and Lungs

No breaks on this workout. Do each exercise for 60 s and repeat 3x.

Prisoner Squats
Jumping Jacks
Alternating Lunges
Mountain Climbers
Alternating Jump Lunges
Mountain Jumpers
Jump Squats
Squat Thrusts

Take no more than a 60s break between cycles. If you get too tired to finish, use a 20s rest between sets.

Meal of the Week

2008-09-29T08:52:00.000-07:00

Curry Flavored Turkey

4 Turkey Breast Cutlets
1 Onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
1 tsp Curry powder
1 tbsp Oat bran flower
1/2 cup Fat free Low sodium Chicken broth
1/4 cup Skim milk

Spray pan with thin coat to non-stick spray. Heat pan for 2 minutes on medium heat. Cook turkey cutlets 5 minutes on each side. Remove turkey from pan. Put onions in pan, still on medium heat, sprinkle with curry powder. Stir in 1 tbsp water and simmer until water evaporates. Stir in broth and skim milk. simmer for one minute, then add flour and mix slowly until thick. Place turkey back in pan and cook for 1 minute on each side.

Serve with any type of whole grain and vegetable.

Bring a Friend Day

2008-09-26T13:13:00.000-07:00

We had a great turnout for our "Bring a Friend" day at Boot camp.

Blackbob camp brought 4 new people- that's almost a 100% increase! Wow! Way to go.
Renee - you rocked in briniging in 3 people.
Theresa- you brought a friend.

Lighton Tower - we had 8 new visitors and it was a rockin'. We had a fun time in playing Boot Camp Baseball. Way to go LT group!

What Time is the Best Time to Build Muscle?

2008-09-25T14:12:00.000-07:00

People ask me all the time what I use for post-workout nutrition and I tell them Prograde Workout

The most important time for your body to make the most advances in strength gain and in fat loss is not during the workout itself. The most important time is within 60 minutes after the workout. Why? The reason is that during a high quality training session your body has used up its glycogen stores that is used as energy and the muscles are now depleted of valuable fuel stores and are in need of positive muscle response.

Post workout shakes provide a foundation for accelerated recovery and serious muscle growth. The post workout formula in the ProGrade Workout Shake supplies a blend of high quality proteins, with rapidly digesting carbohydrates, free form amino acids, vitamins, and essential minerals including antioxidants to help maximize post-workout recovery. This post workout shake is made of the finest quality on the market.
If you want to optimize your training, improve your recovery time, and accelerate muscle growth then ProGrade Workout drink is vital to your training routine.

ProGrade Varsity contains:
 A formulated 2:1 blend of quick digesting carbohydrates to protein.

 It is only 200 Calories per serving when taken with water.

 The protein is made up of Whey Protein Isolate which has a concentration higher than 95% protein. Whey Protein Isolate has a very high biological value which makes it great to take before and after workouts because it is so readily digested, absorbed, and used by the body.

 The Carbohydrates consist of dextrose and maltodextrin to facilitate quick
absorption and utilization by your muscles.

 Contains the essential B vitamins necessary to provide the energy to your cells to start the recovery process or to fuel the cells with energy for an upcoming event.

 Essentially has 0gms of fat to make sure that you are not consuming any
unwanted calories.

Research and scientists have proven that recovery of muscle nutrient stores can be enhanced by consuming a specified mixture of carbohydrates and proteins. Significant glycogen (carbohydrate) storage greatly reduces the recovery time from exercise. Consumption of protein immediately after exercise is essential to repairing the muscle tissue that has been damaged from exercise and providing the essential amino acids needed to repair the muscle tissue for the next workout.. These two ingredients are vital to repairing and preparing your body for the next workout. Athletes should consume a recovery drink as soon as possible after exercise or competition, and should wait no longer than one hour to do so. This is the most critical period for the replenishment of muscle glycogen and amino acid absorption.

ProGrade Workout is formulated to maximize recovery for both strength and endurance athletes for the anabolic phase and rebuilding phase that takes place after exercise. The longer you are in an anabolic state can result in increased muscle mass and strength for athletes and greater energy storage levels for endurance athletes. Recent research has found that after engaging in near maximal exercise for a short time, that we do in fact see the transient glycogen "super compensation" in ALL muscle fiber types.

Your performance will suffer the next time you train and you may even lose some muscle along the way if you don’t replenish the glycogen and protein quickly. Achieving the most rapid replenishment of muscle glycogen stores is especially important.

Did you know that ProGrade Workout can be used as a pre-event meal?
Yes, it is true ProGrade Workout is ideal as a pre-game or pre-workout meal. The same nutrients that you need to replace after a workout are the same nutrients that you need to be topped off before a workout or event. This is ideal for those that may have many events over the course of a day or maybe skipped a meal or don’t want to eat a big meal to close to an event. The ProGrade Workout is designed to be absorbed quickly so that you don’t have a full stomach when you are ready to compete yet you are full of energy (nutrients) needed to compete at your best.

How can you get Prograde Workout? Only through a certified fitness trainer such as myself. Go to http://www.hpifit.getprograde.com/ and click on the Athletic Performance tag.

Train Like An Athlete

2008-09-24T12:28:00.000-07:00

Most of us are not of the ranks of a professional athlete. But, our lives are very demanding and we have to perform at our best to get ahead, to meet deadlines and to excel in our jobs, in school, and with our families.
I am just like you. I find it challenging to balance everything and still take time to train. Here are some suggestions and I would like to hear from you as to what you think-please post your comments.

Cardio- get outside and get at least 30 minutes of steady cardio three days a week and let the endorphins (the feel good hormones) start to kick in.

Lift weights three days a week- by allowing your muscles to grow through resistance training, you are increasing your body’s ability to increase its metabolism.

Always include some functional movements in your workout like side lunges and rotation exercises. We are not one-dimensional and so we need to train for the real world.

Eat to win- this means choose foods that can take you to the finish line and have you feeling energized throughout the day and ready for tomorrow

Get enough sleep. Most adults need 8-10 hours of sleep per night. Studies reveal that obesity rates increase as sleep decreases.

Workout

2008-09-24T08:23:00.000-07:00

Baseball Boot camp - Friday, Sept 26
Score a run for your team.

First Base - Bent over alternating rows x10
Second Base - Mountain Jumpers x10
Third Base - Db high pull x10
Home Plate - Push ups x10

Meal of the Week

2008-09-24T08:12:00.000-07:00

Ginger Chicken and Rice
Ingredients:
Boneless Chicken breast Cutlets Trimmed of Fat
Lite Soy Sauce
Honey (optional)
Garlic cloves finely chopped
Ginger
Brown rice
Onions
Salad greens and vegetables

Mix soy sauce, honey and ginger. Dip chicken in mixture and add garlic. Refrigerate and marinate for 2-3 hours. Cook brown rice. Place chopped onions in non-stick pan and cook over medium heat until brown. Mix in rice and add soy sauce. Bake chicken at 350 in baking pan. Serve chicken and rice with side salad.

Workouts

2008-09-24T08:09:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, Sept. 24
Engine 8 - Perform each exercise for 60 seconds and move on to the next without rest. Do 3 rounds.
1. Db swing
2. Push-ups
3. Db Row
4. REST
5. Mountain Jumpers
6. Push Press
7. Jump Rope
8. REST