MORE MILK STUDIES!!!!

More studies are in to verify the fitness genius I have been practicing for years now: drinking milk kicks ass when it comes to fitness. A new study revealed that women who drank up to 17 ounces of milk after pumping iron gained more metabolism boosting lean body mass and lost more fat than woman who drank a sugar based energy drink. I don't want to call myself a pioneer since my love for milk and chocolate milk preceded my ability to practically apply physiology and bioenergetics into my daily life, but I can't help but gloat every time a new milk study comes out proving just how good milk is for the body!

Here is an excerpt from a WebMD article summarizing the study:

McMaster University researchers in Canada report they found that women who drank two large glasses of milk after weight-lifting exercises gained more muscle and lost more fat than women who drank sugar-based energy drinks.

The finding is published in the June issue of Medicine and Science in Sport and Exercise.

"Resistance training is not a typical choice of exercise for women, but the health benefits of resistance training are enormous," says Stuart M. Phillips, PhD, professor of kinesiology at McMaster University in Hamilton, Canada, in a news release. "It boosts strength, bone, muscular and metabolic health in a way that other types of exercise cannot."

A previous study involving men showed that they gained muscle mass and lost fat after exercising and drinking milk. - WebMD

Once again, milk is king and I am going to run around sharing this information with everyone...If any milk companies are out there looking for a person to endorse milk for a low annual fee, you can reach me at jeff@bombergerpt.com...Haha!

50 Cent Now Just A Nickel?

No I am not talking about such a drastic economic downturn that two quarters is now only worth a nickel...I am referring to rapper 50 Cent's recent weight loss of over fifty pounds for a movie role. The usually super swole 50 Cent typically carries a weight of 210-215 pounds and has dropped to a mere 160lbs to portray a college football star who becomes stricken with cancer in an upcoming film.

The picture of emaciated 50 Cent to the right is compliments Hip Hop Media Training Blog

Apparently 50 went on a liquid diet for three months to be able to drop this weight. I hope he's getting paid some serious cash for this role because the damage he's done to his metabolism and potentially some of his organs is not something to mess around with. Being malnourished is just as bad as being over nourished and obese...

Good luck 50 with the role and unless you're planning on playing an Etheopian in Black Hawk Down 2, I suggest putting that muscle back on quick!

Great Story: Man Walking Across America Just Because...

Here is an excerpt from a great article I read on Yahoo! about a man named Matt Green. In these crazy times of uncertainty, thirty year old Matt decided it would be a good idea to drop his job as a civil engineer and literally WALK across America. Matt's adventure is pushing his comfort zone a little by physically and socially challenging him as he looks to post up in a new town every night. As personally transforming this journey is for him, it is also having an effect on those who cross his path:

Jason Eppink, a 28-year-old assistant museum curator who met Green through the walks he led in New York, says Green's journey is "obviously a personal project, but I don't think it's a one-way street."

Green, says Eppink, is "able to touch people."

Each night before the sun sets, Green counts on that ability, knocking on farmhouse doors to find a place to pitch his small tent.

He doesn't always get a "yes." But night after night, there is always someone who takes an interest in this young stranger and his quest, including Liz and Ron Struzynski, a bank worker and laborer who live outside Milton, Wis.

"I don't suppose you've watched 'Forrest Gump,'" Ron Struzynski said, chuckling as he compared Green — as many people have — to the movie character known for his penchant for running.

Green grinned and nodded, as he went to set up his tent near the couple's newly planted vegetable gardens.

The Struzynskis let him charge his cell phone and fill up his water bottles. He washed up in their barn, and they invited him in for a meal.
"He's more than welcome, heck," Liz Struzynski said. "It takes a lot of courage to do what he's doing."- Yahoo! News

You can read more about Matt's inspiring journey by clicking the Yahoo! link above or visiting his website: www.imjustwalkin.com

FDA To Regulate Supplements?

Congress led an investigation into the quality of herbal supplements found on the market and uncovered many of these products have levels of lead, mercury and other heavy metals that are harmful. Congress was also displeased to find that many of these supplement products made illegal claims about the benefit of their use. We all know that supplements can be quacky, but some alternative herbal medicine does hold its water when it comes to dietary supplementation. I am all for holding supplement companies accountable for their products: it needs to be done. My only question is this: Why the sudden urgency to "crack-down" on supplements when the FDA approves drugs that masks symptoms and actually cause other health isssues as side effects and lets the food manufacturing industry produce pesticide laden, processed and practically plastic food?

The levels of heavy metal contaminants did not exceed established limits, but investigators also discovered troubling and possibly unacceptable levels of pesticide residue in 16 of 40 supplements, the newspaper said. - Yahoo!

I'm glad they are paying attention to these red flags when it comes to supplements, so what about the food that everyone eats on a daily basis? Again, I'm all for a quality investigation. We should do what it takes to protect people from clever marketing and poor "health" products. Let's not stop at supplements and get to what's really hurting people: food and drugs. The article does reference a Senate bill that I would love to read regarding new regulations for food manufacturers. This is a good step in the right direction...

This was my next favorite line in this article:

Products that purport to treat or relieve disease must go through strict reviews because they are considered drugs by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. 

The FDA has two problems with herbal remedies and alternative supplementation: One reason is some of these products actually work and will improve your health as opposed to using the FDA approved legal narcotic that cures nothing and in fact should be an illegal and highly addictive street drug. The second is if people find a way to help themselves without drugs, what happens to all the billions of dollars in revenue generated by prescription drugs and pain pills?

Thank you Congress for pointing out that some supplements are quack and others are not. In fact the article says one in four herbal supplements has quality problems. This means that 75% of the products tested don't have issues. Let's look at prescription drugs and see how many of them have dangerous side effects?

Am I crazy or does this all sound just a little fishy?

What Motivates You?

Whether you are a fitness junkie of ten years and counting or just about to take your fitness plunge, I want you to reflect on what it is that motivates you. Knowing the answer to this simple question will serve as your constant reminder for why you train. For some people their motivation may be performance, appearance or to simply stay healthy. The more specific your motivation, the more successful you will be with your program as you can properly focus your energy on that specific goal. Just because you pick a goal doesn't mean you have to stick with it forever. This isn't as challenging for athletes or those who train for performance because each day, week and month is dedicated to becoming better at their specific sport or event. Athletes traditionally follow a program utilizing what's called "periodization" or the use of specific cycles which allows athletes to peak at times of competition.

For those of you who are not athletes and are not worried about  peaking for competition, it is a little easier to aimlessly wander through your daily, weekly and monthly routine. If your motivation for working out is simply for health and fitness, I recommend dabbling with all fitness goals to provide your program with some variety and train your body to be fit in just about any situation. Setting short term goals can effectively move you through your fitness routines, resulting in a lifetime of benefits. One simple way to use a form of periodization is to break up your routines to target short term goals on a monthly basis. For example: One month gear your workouts to be total body and functional in essence. The next month, switch to a four day push-pull split and focus on strength or power, then after that switch your workouts to be high in volume and low intensity to build some great endurance and even sculpt the body a little bit. Breaking up your program into phases will keep the body guessing, reduce monotony and keep your total program well rounded.

Tough Complex

Here's a video of a tough complex trainer Brandon Reina and I completed sometime last week. Before you  try this workout you want to make sure you have solid form when doing the power clean portion of the complex. Popping up out of the Burpee can be tricky and if you don't position your body correctly you run the risk of hurting your back. It is important to practice and emphasize your form with all movements, especially the olympic lifts...

4 sets of 10 reps for this complex:

Fat, Dumb AND Crazy!?

We know that excess body fat puts us at an increased risk for heart disease, heart attacks and metabolic disease. Throw that on top of the fact that excess body fat can be functionally debilitating in some cases and totally unattractive it seems clear that carrying too much body fat is not a healthy state of existence. If all these negatives haven't convinced you to start seriously thinking about your exercise and eating habits, perhaps the prospect of being demented, crazy and overweight will kick your butt into gear:

''The greater the amount of visceral fat, the smaller the brain," she tells WebMD. While she didn't follow the participants to see if they developed dementia, she says that ''smaller brain volume is associated with poor cognitive function on testing and a greater risk of dementia on follow-up.'' - WebMD

A study done at Boston University's School of Medicine explored the connection between deep visceral fat and brain size. Astoundingly, a similar 2008 study found that subjects with the most belly fat were three times as likely to be diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease.

Clearly carrying excess body fat is a sure way to develop health issues. With all the known cardiovascular and metabolic effects, more and more research is uncovering that unhealthy lifestyle choices, poor diet and lack of exercise are precursors to other medical issues concerning brain health and even cancer. Just imagine how long our body may last, how functional it may be and how much more youthful it could be longer if we made better preventative choices...

BombergerPT Welcomes New Staff Trainer...

BombergerPT would like to welcome it's new staff trainer and contributor to the blog. I'd like to mention stretching in a fake jungle environment, wearing a jungle hat and tiger print skinny shorts also increases flexibility almost immediately.



Ok, so maybe this is Crocodile Trainer's first and last appearance on BombegerPT. I couldn't figure out why he kept slapping his legs. Did anyone else find that weird???

Pesticides In Your Kid's Fruit

You've heard me mention the importance of switching to eating organic food as often as possible. A recent study is providing more evidence of just how oddly dangerous pesticides in our conventionally grown vegetation can be as it revealed they may be cause for an increased occurrence of ADHD in children. What you must remember is that pesticides are CHEMICALS. You wouldn't sprinkle paint thinner, nail polish or stain remover over your favorite meal would you? Fruits and veggies laced in pesticides are most certainly a recipe for a myriad of health issues and its important to make the right choices for you are your children. Here is an excerpt from a Yahoo! article with the link provided should you wish to read the entire thing:

 CHICAGO – A new analysis of U.S. health data links children's attention-deficit disorder with exposure to common pesticides used on fruits and vegetables.

While the study couldn't prove that pesticides used in agriculture contribute to childhood learning problems, experts said the research is persuasive.

"I would take it quite seriously," said Virginia Rauh of Columbia University, who has studied prenatal exposure to pesticides and wasn't involved in the new study.

More research will be needed to confirm the tie, she said.

Children may be especially prone to the health risks of pesticides because they're still growing and they may consume more pesticide residue than adults relative to their body weight. - Yahoo! News Full Article

Chocolate Gold?

Those of you who may know me pretty well know that I love chocolate milk. Call it childish, silly or just plain dorky, but it is true. In fact, I love it so much that I tried to drink one gallon of chocolate milk in an hour when I was 19 (picture to the left). Let's just say that didn't turn out too well...

Anyhow, on a daily basis I will typically drink between 1-3 glasses of chocolate milk depending on how I'm feeling. I sometimes drink them first thing in the morning, before or after workouts and often before bed. I was pleasantly surprised about two years ago when a study in a strength and conditioning journal revealed chocolate milk might possibly be the ideal recovery drink for post-exercise recovery. This is because chocolate milk has some key characteristics of a great post-workout drink: a balance of carbohydrates which helps glycogen recovery, protein for muscle maintenance and fat for nutrient transport.

Since then I have used my extremely active lifestyle and this study to justify the reason why I drink so much chocolate milk besides the fact that I believe it is truly a little glass of heaven here on Earth. God bless the man who invented chocolate milk you are a saint! Much to my delight, an article was posted on Yahoo! today practically deifying chocolate milk as the holy grail of nutritious beverages:

That’s the crux of what I'm calling "The Chocolate Milk Diet," which isn’t a diet at all. It’s essentially three eight-ounce servings of chocolate milk consumed at key points throughout your day: one when you wake up, a second before you exercise, and a third directly after your workout. Or, if it's your day off, just pattern them for morning, afternoon, and night.- Yahoo! Health

The article uses studies that claim there are four secrets to chocolate milk's fat fighting capabilities:

# 1 - Calcium

Some studies have shown calcium has the ability to block your body from of absorbing fat


# 2 - Vitamin D

Those of you who watch Dr. Oz know how much he emphasizes our need for Vitamin D which helps transport calcium from food to the body. Many people in our country are Vitamin D deficient and symptoms include: brittle bones, weak muscles and even depression. No wonder I love chocolate milk so much I don't have any of those symptoms...


# 3 - Increase Your Endurance


Chugging down some chocolate gold before a workout is beneficial because of the simple sugars and electrolytes found in chocolate milk can help properly fuel endurance exercise and keep you hydrated. The Yahoo! Health article refers to one study that was done showed subjects who drank chocolate milk before riding a stationary bike were able to outlast their generic carbohydrate replacement counter parts by 49%! Before you know it chocolate milk is going to be on the NFL's banned substance list and riders in the Tour de France will be tested for chocolate milk content mid-race...

# 4 -  Protein Content

Numerous studies have shown an ideal consumption of protein before and after working out comes in doses of 10-20 g of protein in both cases. Chocolate milk coincidentally can contain anywhere from 8-12 grams of protein in an 8 ounce glass, which fits nicely into the ideal range for muscle building and recovery.

BombergerPT Full Body Workout

This video provides some great ideas for a total body workout. You will notice bilateral and unilateral variations for the Romanian Deadlift, Shoulder Presses, Push Presses and variations for the Pull Ups. For the Pull Ups I typically recommend full range of motion but if you need to build some initial strength you can use the shortened variation shown at the end of the Pull Ups clip. You can actually use this whole routine for a total body workout or just pick the exercise variations you like and insert them into your own program. Should you choose to do the full workout, don't perform each and every variation of the RDL or presses, pick one type and change it the next time you go through the routine! Enjoy!

Post Coach DOS Clinic Interview

Saturday I attended a strength and conditioning clinic put on by College of the Canyons Strength Coach Robert dos Remedios. The day was absolutely awesome. We listened to a few speakers with presentations varying from proper program design, NHL in-season programs to the potential uses of gene mapping to help prescribe workout plans for populations. After the entertaining and informative flashback to school, we went to the nearby P.E. gym for some SERIOUS hands on work. Coach Dos gave use short snippits from his Perform Better seminar he will be presenting this year and allowed us to get our hands dirty by performing his favorite Cardio Strength Training techniques. Here are the different cardio strength intervals we performed:

Work:Rest Exercise

5:25 Pro Agility Run x 10

10:20 Battling Ropes (5 minutes)

15:15 Plyo Push Ups, Jump Squats, Mountain Climbers, Split Lunge Jump (w/ med ball as well, 2 times through...)

20:10 TRX 180s, KB Swings, Ropes, Slams

30:30 Frankenstein Sled Walks/Backwards Drags, Kettle Bell Swings, Dive Bomber Push Ups, Ropes, TRX Rows + W's

40:20 Sled Pulls, KB Swings, Slams, Single Arm Ropes, TRX SL Squat + SL Hop Switch

Circuit: Sandbell Slams x 15, MB Chest Pass x 20, Ropes X 50, Sawing x 20, Atomic Push Ups x 20, Sled Push 50 ft and back?, Resisted Jump Squats x 15, Kettle Bell Swings x 20, Speed Ladders (Icky Shuffle, Icky Crossover, Lateral 2 in 2 out

Tire Flippin Stair Fun

Trainer Brandon Reina and I got some serious cardio work in on Friday over at College of the Canyons. We got there with the goal of creating a workout that would challenge our muscles and our cardiovascular system. What we came up with was nothing short of disgustingly difficult. My quads, calves and even my core felt this little wonder...

INSANE Fitness!

Check out my good friend and fellow trainer Luke Sniewski's youtube video of him doing some pretty impressive exercises. Take notes kiddies, this is REAL strength.



You can find Luke on twitter @Leaflifestyle and he also has a website www.LeafLifestyle.com.

Video Blog: Setting An Example

Today's video blog deals with my passionate reaction to the NBC report on drugs in the Santa Clarita Valley:

An Issue The Santa Clarita Valley Must Address...

I just watched this video on NBC's website and was saddened, but not surprised by its reports. Being an athlete, a trainer and just a healthy person in general I cringe at the thought of drug abuse. The body is a resilient, yet fragile thing and we people do this kind of stuff to their body and their lives it is sad to watch. Like Mr. MacNeil states in the video, money won't buy us safety from drugs even in this suburban town. I've lived in Valencia for awhile now and went to high school here and if I was to offer one bit of insight to this drug situation it would be this: calling the SCV "Awesometown" is cute and everything, but there are things that go on in this city that need to be addressed head on. It'd be nice of people in the Santa Clarita Valley would stop hiding behind a false veil of purity and admit that one: the people here aren't perfect and two: sweeping dirt under the rug doesn't make the imperfections go away. And for crying out loud, the parents in this town need to grab a hold of their own lives so they don't screw up their kids by just throwing money at them and letting them run wild. The stories I've heard and or actually witnessed are incredible - from law enforcement selling steroids to high school athletes, parents buying alcohol for their high schooler and even a football coach partying it up with his players. That kind of parenting/mentoring is illegal, irresponsible and ridiculous. Some people that read this article may not like it, but it's not my fault - I'm just being real.

Tips For De-Stressing

After reading yesterday's blog, I know at least one of you is wondering, "How can I beat this stress game?" Chronic stress is an epidemic that runs rampant through American society. There's no doubt this "work till you drop" mentality takes its toll on our personal health and wellness. I am going to share a few tips you should consider if you are overworked, burnt out or just plain stressed. First, let's talk about some techniques you can use while at work:

Take Your Breaks - This may sound ridiculous, but I know a lot of friends, family and people I used to work with that often skip their breaks. In California, it is required by law for hourly employees to get a ten minute break for every four hours of work and a thirty minute meal break for every five hours of work. These labor laws are put in place to protect you the employee from exactly what you're experiencing: long days, with no rest and being worked all hours of the day. To help alleviate stress, take your breaks no matter how swamped you are and remove yourself from your work area for the ten or thirty minutes you are allotted.

Eat Lunch In Peace- Let's face it, when you are overwhelmed at work misery loves company. There's a good chance if you take your lunch to the break room or hang around the office you will likely search out co-workers and wallow in your office-bound sorrows together. I believe a healthy practice is to take your lunch somewhere removed from your work area, in a quiet or more relaxing space where you can just let yourself go for the half-hour or forty-five minutes. Removing yourself from the environment that has you in fight or flight mode all day is a great way to let your mind and body relax just a little.

Here are some tips for reducing the effects of stress outside of work:

EXERCISE - No surprise here that physical activity can help relieve stress. One of the ways exercise helps is by channeling that fight or flight induced response into the physical activity it was meant for. Not only is exercise physiologically beneficial to fighting stress related weight gain, but the release of endorphins and the  body's feel good neurotransmitters are a great way to de-stress the mind and leave you feeling great.

Meditation and/or Hobby - I put these two together because the truth is many hobbies can turn into a form of focused meditation or purposeful action. The goal of meditation is essentially to quietly contemplate or to silently focus the mind on being calm, clear and present. The idea of quiet contemplation is to learn how to be present in the current moment; free of worry, anxiety and fear. Hobbies such as painting, playing musical instruments, knitting or reading are other forms of active meditation if you will, that help bring your conscious mind to be fully present while you complete the task at hand. Learning to focus the mind on purposeful thought and action is a great way to cut through the cloudiness we can find ourselves caught up in during the daily grind.

Working Overtime Bad For Your Heart?

"Hey Boss, it's Jeff...I just wanted to let you know those reports you wanted by the end of tomorrow - yeah, they're not going to happen because that would require I work an extra three to four hours of overtime a day. According to recent studies, that amount of overtime increases my risk of heart problems by 60%. Hopefully you can do without those reports for the next couple days, thanks!"

Wouldn't it be nice to tell your boss you're not going to work a overtime because it's bad for your health? The conversation above may not be so far from the truth given a recent study in London:

 In all, there were 369 cases of death due to heart disease, non-fatal heart attacks and angina among the London-based study group -- and the risk of having an adverse event was 60 percent higher for those who worked three to four hours overtime. - Yahoo! News

To anyone who has worked a corporate job, these findings come as no surprise. I can't remember any other time in my life when I was so zapped of energy and run down as when I worked 11-12 hour days as a manager for 24 Hour Fitness. Long days of work and the stress that goes with them are no doubt going to have an adverse effect on anyone's health. The reality is chronic stress is an extremely silent, but prevalent cause of many of our health issues.

Think about what the body does when it perceives stress: heart rate goes up, blood pressure rises, the digestive system shuts down and the hormone cortisol is released to help supply the body with the necessary energy to respond the the perceived threat. In the case of someone in real physical danger, an athlete or someone who is faced with a physical stress, once the threat is removed or conquered the body can return to a resting state. With the stresses that attack us as work, it is often true that they never go away. It's one problem after the next, one production goal to another or dealing with one insubordinate employee after the next. This cycle of constant bludgeoning of stress many people face at work leads to the body constantly being in a state of fight or flight, which can be detrimental to our health. Previously we've known chronic stress to cause high blood pressure, accumulation of fat, digestive system problems, adrenal fatigue and now increased risk of heart issues.

Wakeup Workout: Step-Up + Push Behind the Scenes

Take a look behind the scenes of the Wakeup Workout shoots. In this piece, Joel our cameraman extraordinaire almost dies several times by tripping over and running into equipment...

Wakeup Workout: Step-Up + Push

This exercise is a great combination for total body functional strength. With this exercise you will get leg strength and stability, core stability and shoulder strength. In terms of function and recruiting major muscle groups, you can't ask for much more out of this exercise!

No Knowledge? No Excuses...

One of my all-time favorite excuses for people not working out is, "I don't go to the gym because I don't know what I am doing and am intimidated by all the workout people." If you're this person I have two things to say to you: Number one, you not liking the gym isn't a good excuse to not exercise because you can exercise at home with BombergerPT's Body Basics (more shameless self-promotion), in your back yard or anywhere outside on God's green earth.  Number two, believe it or not 95% of the people you find in gyms don't have a damn clue as to what they are doing, why or what they are actually accomplishing with their workout. I always applaud people's attempt; I'd rather see people trying than not trying at all. Not knowing what to do is the norm and because you are conscious of this you can educate yourself by reading reputable fitness materials, watch a video or DVD (preferably BombergerPT's Body Basics, I know I'm ridiculous) or actually hire a trainer for a few basic training sessions. Get yourself some basic knowledge of the body by studying an anatomy chart and browse the fitness community for good sources of information. Below is a list of great fitness professionals and websites you can use to take better care of yourself inside and outside the gym:

Coach Dos's Site - Videos and tons of useful information on the discussion board
Coach Mike Boyle's Site - Plenty of articles and even some videos to help you out
Precision Nutrition - My favorite nutrition blog
CrossFit.com - A website with all kinds of ridiculous workouts, videos and even a CrossFit journal
National Strength & Conditioning Association - Certifying body for Personal Trainers and Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialists. Has some info on clinics, seminars and some great free resources page

If you're worried about looking dumb in a gym, just make sure you don't end up like this guy who you may have seen on this blog before and you'll be fine...

Wakeup Workout: Tricep Kickback

Today's Wakeup Workout is a great one for building muscle to replace the jiggly wigglies you lose off your arm when you drop some body fat!

Obesity Could Make You Lose Your Job...

Especially if you're JaMarcus Russell of the Oakland Raiders. Notorious around the NFL for lacking a good work ethic, preparing in the off-season and being a committed leader, Russell apparently has been released by the Raiders and his off-season weight had a lot to do with it:

Reports indicated that Russell was tipping the scales at 300 pounds during the offseason, well above the 255 he supposedly weighed when he was selected in 2007. Ask anyone in the NFL to describe Russell and it wouldn't be long before the word "lazy" was peppered into the conversation.- Yahoo! Sports 

Perhaps a team should pick JaMarcus up as an offensive lineman considering he matches in size and probably has more athletic ability than most of the guys up front. Now that he's lost his high paying job, JaMarcus Russell may want to consider being a contestant on NBC's Biggest Loser Season 10.

Weight Loss: Six Tricks To Beating The Aging Metabolism

It's no secret that losing weight gets more difficult as you get older. Part of this process is the occurrence of naturally declining levels of human growth hormone (HGH) and Testosterone once we reach the age of thirty. These two hormones are two of the most important hormones in our body when it comes to building muscle, burning fat, feeling energized and youthful. Here are six tricks to naturally and safely boost these hormones which will keep you building muscle and burning fat for years to come:

1. SLEEP 7-8 GOOD HOURS A NIGHT - A University of Chicago study found when men were deprived of sleep or were interrupted during sleep (not allowed to get to their deep stage 4 cycle) their daily growth hormone levels dropped by 23 percent. Our stage 4 deep sleep is typically when our body releases it's largest pulses of growth hormone. If you're getting seven to eight hours of sound sleep a night you are probably OK. The quality of sleep is very important here and one of the easiest ways to keep your growth hormone levels up and normal.

2. WORK THE BIG MUSCLE GROUPS REGULARLY AND INTENSELY - Short, intense bouts of heavy resistance exercise and interval style training have shown to be more efficient at boosting growth hormone and metabolizing fat (triglycerides) for energy. Research also suggests compound movements, or movements that require action at more than one joint, are more effective at boosting testosterone than single joint, isolated movements.

3. LOSE WEIGHT AT A SAFE RATE OF 1 TO 2 LBS A WEEK - If you're working the body out regularly and intensely like in tip 2 and you cut your caloric intake by more than 15% than your daily needs then you run the risk of lowering your body's testosterone production. By over training and drastically cutting calories you will in fact lower your ability to burn fat, rather than the opposite effect you are striving to achieve.

4. EAT GOOD FATS -  Good fat and cholesterol are building blocks for Testosterone. Boost your body's ability to produce Testosterone by getting 30% of your daily calories from good fats found in avocados, peanut butter, walnuts, flaxseed and omega-3's.

5. SKIP ON ALCOHOL - Alcohol inhibits Testosterone production and increases Estrogen in the body. As if the aging process wasn't making it hard enough to burn fat and build muscle, alcohol only magnifies some of the hormonal changes that create belly fat and man boobs.

6. EAT WELL, EXERCISE AND USE THESE TIPS EARLY - For some of you reading this now, it may be too late to start "early", but these tips can certainly help you no matter how old you are. Research suggests that taking the proper steps to boost testosterone levels in your 20's and early 30's can help battle the natural decline of these "youth" hormones as you get older.

Wakeup Workout: Core & Back Behind the Scenes

I needed a couple takes of this one. Cameraman and dialogue coach Joel Cooke rocks this segment!

Wakeup Workout: Core & Back

This is one of my favorite row variations for increasing core strength and working your middle back and lats. Have fun!

Wakeup Workout: Strength Cardio Behind the Scenes

Here's a behind the scenes look at some of the antics behind Wakeup Workout. Shooting these thing are a lot of fun and you can now see how the process works!

Wakeup Workout: Strength Cardio at Home

This little routine is great for anyone looking to get in a quick and effective workout. This circuit is a density routine that uses some light dumbbells to help stimulate muscle tissue and combines that with some cardiovascular work by keeping you moving continuously. In the segment I mention to take 30 seconds of rest after one round; this is typically my recommendation for beginners, but in a TRUE density session, you take rest only as needed and try to get as MANY ROUNDS as you can in the 10, 12, 15, or 20 minute period you set aside for yourself.

Wakeup Workout: Behind the Scenes of Cardio Step

Yet another behind the scenes look to the Wakeup Workout shoot. As you can see, it's all fun and games when the little red button clicks off...

Who you calling fat, punk?

As if increased risk for heart disease, diabetes and a shorter lifespan wasn't enough to worry about for overweight kids, a recent study has shown that being overweight increases a child's chances of being bullied by 63%!

 New research suggests that just being overweight increases the risk of being bullied. And factors that usually play a role in the risk of being bullied, such as gender, race and family income levels, don't seem to matter if you're overweight -- being overweight or obese trumps all those other factors when it comes to aggressive behavior from other children. - Yahoo! Article

Let's be honest, we all went to elementary school and it's no secret that overweight kids get bullied. Not saying that you and I were the ones doing it, but it happens. Kids can be mean, which is debilitating to someone's self esteem, but biology can be just as cruel. Life gets much more complicated than it should for children who develop heart issues and metabolic disease at a young age. On top of the physical reasons why we need to get our kids more active and eating better, we can now add psychological and emotional reasons for doing so. I'd hate to keep beating on the same drum here, but the bottom line is a healthy diet and exercise simply make life BETTER. It may also help out our little friend in the picture...

Wakeup Workout: Cardio Step Routine

Today's Wakeup Workout is all about mixing up your cardio and something different to get your heart rate up. This step routine is great for agility, conditioning and building a little bit of leg strength. The key here is to be quick, deliberate and under control. Due to the quick nature of this exercise, you will often find your intervals seem to go by pretty quick. I promise you 15 minutes of intervals performing the quick step will not seem like 15 minutes on the treadmill. On top of that, the explosive and agility benefits out weigh slowly trudging along on the dreadmill.

Wakeup Workout: Drop Lunge w/Step-up

This exercise is a fun little variation I came up with one day when I was really looking to work my legs hard without needing a lot of weight. I'm in no way claiming to have invented this movement, since it's simply the combining of a drop lunge and a step up (two of my favorite leg exercises). This routine is great for building endurance, strength and functionality in the lower body. You can get some serious cardio in if you do these for timed sets anywhere from 30-90 seconds on each leg or you can really get deep into the quads, hamstrings and glutes with some dumbbells and repping them out for your normal rep count. Just remember, both legs are getting work on EACH side in a different manner. Therefore you want to alternate which leg you start with so one leg isn't always totally wiped out when it's time to switch legs. Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Panda Puffs!

I promise you all I'm not obsessed with cereal, but I do like eating it rather than cooking all morning every once in awhile. Boy have I found two good choices for you and your kids! How many of you like Cap'n Peanut Butter Crunch but think the Captain is kinda creepy and the cereal has little nutritious value? Fear no longer, EnviroKidz brings you Peanut Butter Panda Puffs! Sounds funny, but you have to remember the cereal is made for kids. Seriously, this cereal taste JUST like peanut butter crunch, except that it's made from all organic ingredients. This means no hydrogenated oils or preservatives, which means its better for your health! The stats are as follows:

130 calories for 3/4 cup serving
2.5g of fat (real organic peanut butter mind you)
24g of Carbohydrates
2g of fiber
7g of sugar (less than 10g for a kid's cereal? Nice!)
2g protein

Now for those of you who like Kix and want an organic alternative; my girlfriend bought and LOVES EnviroKidz Gorilla Munch. If you can get passed the gorilla oddly staring back at you while you eat, you're on your way to eating a healthier, more nutritious version of the popular Kix cereal. Here are the stats on Gorilla Munch (try to say it without smiling or laughing):

120 calories for 3/4 cup serving
0g of fat
27g of Carbohydrates
2g of fiber
8g of sugar (less than 10g for a kid's cereal? Nice!)
2g protein

Both of these cereals can be found at Trader Joe's and are Gluten Free as well! Give them a shot and let me know what you think!

Congratulations Chris!

Photo courtesy of Rich Cruse | richcruse.com

Iron Newsman Chris Schauble tackled the AVIA Wildflower Triathlon this Saturday. Chris completed this "half-Ironman", which is considered to be a one-of-kind course for both it's difficulty and scenery, with a final time of 7 hours 49 minutes and 58 seconds. Chris has worked extremely hard inside the gym, outside running, biking and swimming himself into shape as he continues to prepare for a second Ironman challenge. Congratulations Chris on a great race and good luck in your preparation for your next event!


Video courtesy of Rich Cruse | Rich Cruse YouTube Channel

For those of you who are runners, I suggest you check out Schauble's running coach, Craig Moss and his blog. He's a great Coach with an inspiring story. Read Craig's blog at Thank God I Was Fat.