If you want that ‘ultimate’ beach body, building a little lean muscle will help you get there.

There are two main reasons for this:

1. Muscle is what gives you body that lean, sleek, sexy look.

2. The more muscle you have, the more calories — and ultimately body fat — your body will burn.

Now if you’re a woman reading this, I know what you might be thinking … “I don’t want to build muscle and get big and bulky.”

Rest easy. It’s not easy for women to build that degree of muscle. What’s more, building muscle for a woman is what gives her that toned, tight, sexy look.

So don’t worry. Even if you do put on a few pounds of muscle, you won’t look like some pumped up bodybuilder!

So what can you do to build muscle?

Easy. Start with these simple exercises you can do in the comfort of your own home:

Hindu Squats – place your feet shoulder width apart. Straighten your arms in front of you, palms facing down. Inhale and as you do pull your hands straight back. Now bend your knees and squat. As you do this exhale and let your arms fall to your sides and touch the ground. Now straighten your knees back to the starting position: standing straight up with your arms extended in front of you.

Jump Squats — Start in a crouching position, knees bent and in a full squat. Now quickly straighten your legs and jump upward as high as you can. As you jump, look up and extend your arms towards the ceiling. Soften your landing by landing toes first, then placing the heel on the ground. Now squat back down to the starting position.

Pushups — Lie face down. Place your palms flat on the floor, a little more than shoulder width apart. Extend your legs behind you and make sure they are together. Keep your back straight and lower yourself until your nose almost touches the ground. Now push yourself back up to the starting position.

There you have it. Three exercises you can do today (even as soon as you’re done reading this!) that will help you build more lean muscle and burn fat.

If you want, you can do these in rounds. Start by doing 20 Hindu squats, take no rest and move straight into 20 jump squats, and then immediately go into 20 pushups.

(if you can’t do that many, then do as many reps as you can for each exercise. Then gradually build up.)

Once you’re done with this superset, rest a minute or two. Then repeat 2 – 4 more times.

Do this, and I guarantee you’ll be huffing and puffing in no time. But best of all, you’ll be on the path to creating the “beach body” you’ve always wanted.

Oh and by the way — if you haven’t already, make sure you claim your FREE fitness consultation (an $87 value)

You’ll meet one-on-one with a highly-trained health professional. You’ll discuss specific nutrition and exercise techniques you can use for YOUR body to start seeing amazing results in just a few weeks.

Click here to get started.

Avoid This Common Diet Mistake

You hear it all the time …

“To eat healthy, you need to stay away from fat.”

This couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, if you want to lose weight, keep it off, and look great year-round, you’ve got to eat fat.

The truth is your body NEEDS fat to survive (About 66% of your brain is made up of fat!).

But there is a catch –

You can’t just eat any kind of fat. You’ve got to eat more healthy fats.

See, there are “good” fats and “bad” fats.

Bad fats make you sick. Good fats heal your body, protect your heart, reduce inflammation and boost your metabolism.

So what foods contain good fats?

Mainly, it’s any food that’s rich in omega-3 fatty acids and oleic acid.

Here are a few you can start putting into your diet today:

Almonds — great to snack on and good source of omega 3.

Avocados — high in heart-healthy oleic acid.

Egg yolks — despite what you’ve heard, eggs (including the yolk) are good for you! They’re rich in omega-3’s, contain the full spectrum of amino acids, and have plenty of vitamins your body needs.

Grass-fed beef – Beef that’s been grass-fed is very high on omega 3 fats, which are incredibly good for you.

Fish — make sure it’s wild-caught, to avoid mercury contamination, among other things. Wild-caught salmon is a great choice.

Walnuts — another great choice for snacking.

In addition to these, use healthy oils as salad dressings whenever possible. Good choices include extra virgin olive oil and Sacha Inchi oil.

So there you go. You have permission to eat more fat. But make sure it’s the good stuff.

And as with everything, don’t over do it. Even though good fats are healthy, they’re still high in calories. Aim for 50 – 80 grams of good fat per day, depending on your calorie requirements.

Good nutrition accounts for 80% of your fat loss success. The other 20% is knowing how to workout properly and effectively for your body type.

That’s why if you haven’t already, I highly recommend you take advantage of your FREE Fitness Consultation (normally $87).

During this consultation, you’ll receive detailed nutrition and workout advice that’s specific to YOUR body and metabolism.

What’s more, you’ll get actionable tips you can use right away to put you on the path to a healthy, slim and fit YOU!

To get started today,click here.

]]> http://www.optcfitness.com/optc-updates/avoid-this-common-diet-mistake/feed/ 0 http://www.optcfitness.com/optc-updates/personal-trainer-warns-rockland-county-residents%e2%80%a6-fitness-boot-camps-are-dangerous/ http://www.optcfitness.com/optc-updates/personal-trainer-warns-rockland-county-residents%e2%80%a6-fitness-boot-camps-are-dangerous/#comments Mon, 09 Aug 2010 15:52:14 +0000 optc http://www.optcfitness.com/?p=2092 It seems as though there is a new fitness ‘craze’ going on around town. Fitness boot camps! I’m sure you been noticing the growing number of fitness boot camps. They have become more and more popular, but do they live up the “hype”?

Fitness boot camps seem to be much more affordable than personal training. They also offer more camaraderie and social support, are much more exciting, and have many more convenient time slots than personal training while still providing expert supervision.

Jason Zaretzky founder and owner of Optimal Performance home of the Optimal Fitness Express warns Rockland County residents to be careful when choosing a fitness bootcamp.

“With the eruption of these fitness bootcamps, you have to be careful when choosing a class to participate in. Unfortunately, not all boot camps are created equally. Many fitness instructors want to jump on the lucrative boot camp bandwagon without having any of the skills or experience to design custom workouts for the wide variety of fitness levels typical in large group training.” says Zaretzky.

Zaretzky has provided 10 tips on how to select a boot camp that will get you results and keep you safe at the same time:

The Top 10 Boot Camp Safety Checklist

1.) The Instructor(s) must Be Certified with Nationally Recognized Institutions such as the National Strength and Conditioning Association, the National Academy of Sports Medicine or Higher Learning Institutions like the Chek Institute. There are many online pay-for-certifications where people can get a certificate with little or no knowledge of proper training methods. This is a big part of what gets people hurt and gives fitness a bad name!

2.) The Instructor(s) Must Look The Part And Walk The Walk. If the trainer takes physical fitness seriously and is on the cutting edge of new training methodologies, they will be fit themselves, plain and simple. After all, who wants to take advice from someone who is in worse shape than they are! Or Better Yet how do you expect to be instructed on how to perform an exercise correctly, when the instructor his/her – self cannot even perform it correctly.

3.) The Instructor(s) Must Be Experts With Exercise Progressions. Every exercise has the appropriate regression and progression based on your current fitness level.  If you ask your trainer if he/she can show an exercise modification that better suits your particular situation and they give you a blank stare, leave the class on the spot!

4.) The Instructor(s) Must Make Themselves Available 10-15 Minutes Before and After Every Session. Although a good trainer can effectively train the group as a whole and still give that personal touch, he/she must be willing to speak with clients before AND after every workout to address any personal issues that might arise within the scope of your training or in related to other very important topics like nutrition.

5.) The Program Must Emphasize Body Weight Before External Resistance. There should be no added weight to any movements until you have mastered the key foundational body weight exercises in full ranges of motion like push-ups, squats, lunges, etc. A red flag should be raised if you are being instructed to add weight to a movement that you have yet to master with your body weight alone. This one’s important because it’s not a matter of if you will get hurt… it’s a matter of when!

6.) The Training System Must Focus on Body Weight Circuit Training and Cardio Interval Training. High-Intensity Interval Training is scientifically proven to burn 9x more fat than the aerobic training alternative, so it is critical that both the resistance training AND cardio programs provided incorporate intervals since the goal of 99% of fitness enthusiasts is fat loss. Furthermore, most people are seeking for the lean, athletic look of a men’s health or women’s health cover model respectively, and this is easily accomplished with 2-5+ body weight resistance training movements organized in a circuit fashion with the proper pre-programmed work to rest periods between exercises. Plus a truly skilled trainer has mastered the art of intensifying movements without the need for extra loading. Not to mention you want to make sure that your workouts are always changing. Who wants to always do the same routine over and over again?

7.) The Program Must Provide Nutritional Information. Nutrition is 80% of the weight loss battle. Without it, you are joining an incomplete program and wasting your money since there is no amount of exercise that can compensate for poor dietary habits. People are too busy, and frankly too lazy, so the nutrition program needs to be clearly outlined and easy to follow.

8.) The Program Must Have A Website AND An Interactive Web 2.0 Social Networks. Bottom line, if the boot camp program in question does not have a website in this day in age it is not worth your time and money. Personal training is not just about “training,” it is a business and it needs to be approached that way. Furthermore, social support must extend outside of the boot camp workout. There are several web 2.0 interactive social networks (e.g. NING) that offer member profiles, blogging, and a forum where trainers and clients can interact with each other for FREE, so there is no excuse not to set this up for boot camp clients.

9.) The Program Must Have Social Proof And Raving Fans. If the program works, there should be proof in the form of client testimonials. Their previous clients should have results and be raving about all of the benefits that they have received from the program. Ask for before and after pictures and written or video testimonials of their services before signing up (again, this should be made available on the company website). And remember, it’s NOT just about the weight loss. Benefits should include, but not be limited to, increased energy levels, dress/pant size reduction, improved health profiles, increased strength and flexibility, less joint pain, etc.

10.) The Program Must Offer A FREE Trial or Satisfaction Guarantee. If the program is confident about what they have to offer, then they will let you come in and try it for free or they will guarantee your satisfaction or your money back to completely eliminate the risk on your end. A results-based programs looks to minimize barriers of entry for prospects into their boot camps because they know that once the prospect experiences the benefits of the program firsthand they will surely buy!

For more information on the bootcamp solution, visit www.optimalfitnessexpress.com and see how a real results based bootcamp type workout is properly conducted. Jason Zaretzky has developed the fitness bootcamp antidote – the Optimal Fitness Express! The fastest, most efficient way to look, feel, and perform your best guaranteed.

Simple Summer Smoothie
(Serves Four)
1 banana
1 cup frozen strawberries
1 cup frozen blueberries
1 cup frozen cherries
4 ice cubes
1/2 cup orange juice
3/4 cup vanilla yogurt
1/2 teaspoon honey (optional)

1. Place the banana, strawberries, blueberries, cherries, and ice cubes into a blender. Pour orange juice, vanilla yogurt, and honey. Puree until smooth.

Prep: 10 mins
Ready: 10 mins

Amount Per Serving – Calories:140 / Total Fat: 1.3g / Cholesterol: 2mg / Sodium: 33mg / Total Carbs: 31.3g / Dietary Fiber: 3.6g / Protein 3.5g
Recipe from AllRecipes.com.

Want More Great Recipes like this – that are fast and easy to make????

Now that the holiday’s over, it’s time to get back into a healthy mindset. That’s why if you’ve been wanting to lose a little fat around your belly, you’ll want to pay special attention to today’s article.

Lose Your Belly Fat Before The End of Summer

Want a slimmer waistline in a few weeks’ time?
It’s certainly possible. And easier than you may have thought.

When it comes to losing that bulge around the middle, most of the advice you’ve probably heard is completely wrong.

It’s not surprising. There are quite a few myths out there when it comes to getting a flat stomach.

For example:

* “You’ve got to do 100s of crunches to lose that belly”
* “You need to diet (i.e. starve yourself)”
* “All you need is XYZ brand’s diet pill.”
* “Do hours on end of traditional low-intensity cardio, like walking on the
treadmill.”

The truth is that it’s not that complicated to lose your abdominal fat.

Here’s all you need to know:

Eat right. This means eating properly to fuel your body, boost your metabolism and burn more fat. Avoid all junk foods, including fried foods, soft drinks and heavily processed foods. Stick to foods that have one or two ingredients max. That means good protein sources (like chicken, fish and eggs), plenty of fruits and vegetables, and healthy fats (nuts, olive oil, flaxseed oil, avocados, etc.) Also, try to eat 4 – 6 small meals
evenly spaced throughout your day.

Train with weights. This one’s a given. Train 3 -4 times per week. Focus mainly on compound
movements. This means the “tough” exercises like squats, deadlifts, bench presses, barbell rows, etc. These are effective at building muscle and priming your metabolism to burn fat like nobody’s business. Plus, these kinds of exercises are more functional and will provide the strength you need to go about your day-to-day life.

Do cardio smartly. Once you’re eating healthy and working out with weights, it’s time to add in a little cardio. But not the kind of cardio you see everyone else at the gym do. The goal isn’t to see how long you last walking on the treadmill.

Instead, you’re going to do High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT).

Simply put, this means alternating between all-out exertion and resting. For example, if you’re on the treadmill, you’d warm up for the first 2 minutes, then sprint as fast as you can for 1 minute. Then rest the next minute. Do this for 9 more sets of 1 minute exertion followed by 1 minute rest. Doing cardio this way burns more calories in less time, since you’re “upping” the intensity factor.

So there you have it. Follow these three tips starting today and you’re bound to lose some belly fat before Summer’s out.

And if you’re truly serious about changing your health and fitness once and for all, take
advantage of your FREE Fitness Consultation (an $87 value).

During this consult, you’ll receive detailed information on how to get fit that’s tailored to
YOUR body.

Get Your FREE Consult Here

This means that you’ll be on the path to burning
fat and getting the slim body you’ve always wanted
in no time at all.

There’s no obligation and it’s totally and
completely free. To sign up,  click here

lets start today with (2) 40/20 time interval of :

a1)barbell squats

a2)alt lunges

b1) toe touch

b2) barbell twist

finish off with a killer leg circuit

spl sq’s x 8 ea

rev lunge x 8ea.

sl stepups x 12 ea.

sq jumps x 24

@ 3rds

a) x band walk(bear crawl)/ lat lunge

b) sandbag shouldering/ Croc drag

c) step up + curl/ rev lunge ->press

d) 1/2 getup/ Flr press+ tri ext

turkish getups = awesome

DB Cleans x 20

Box Jumps x 15

Db Cln/Press x10 ea

plank-pushup x 20

jump rope x 50 skips

1)DA KB swing & CLN

2) Ab wheel

3) Sandbag Shouldering

4) side to side pushup

5) 1 hand MB slam

Well this morning I woke up and saw the Origianl terminator was on TV…started watching it and realized ” Oh Snap Im going to be late” gotta run…hence the Terminator workout….

 Circuit 1)      Floor Press x 5/5/3/3/2

                          Plank+ shldr Touch x 10 touch’s

                          front+ side raise x 8 ea.

 Circuit 2)  Chinup @ AMAP

                      TRX “T” Rows x 15

                       Curl to Press x 10