No EGO Transformations

06/20/2014

Just put my new roommate through her first No Ego workout. 1275 reps. She's already fit but looking to bring her fitness and physique to the next level.

11/09/2013

Get outside this weekend for a workout...

11/06/2013

Be consistent, persistent, and take daily action and you can achieve anything.

10/30/2013

What retirement plan are you on? Were on plan B!

10/29/2013

What stops most people from accomplishing something? Self doubt.... You can do anything you put your mind too. Give it everything you got!

09/20/2013

Set your goals high. Do everything you can do to hit them. Never give up!

09/17/2013

Choose your habits wisely

You choose your habits. Choose wisely especially when it comes to your health. It's the most important thing you have.

09/17/2013

Don't let failure bring you down. The most successful people have failed many many times. Let failure motivate you to try even harder and dominate your goals!

08/30/2013

You choose your habits. Choose wisely especially when it comes to your health. It's the most important thing you have.

08/28/2013

This applies to everything in life especially working out. Never give up! Go above and beyond at all times.

08/27/2013

Women... Start lifting weights. Be fit and firm not skinny fat. You won't get big and bulky. It's not possible.

08/23/2013

Do think you are doing something right by drinking diet soda, eating sugar free candies and gum containing artificial sweeteners such as sucralose, aspartame, acesulfame K, and neotame, among others?? Think again: "Independent research strongly suggests that when metabolized in the body, these sweeteners can cause health related issues and problems related to metabolism and weight gain, neurological diseases, joint pain, digestive problems, headaches, depression, inflammatory bowl disease, chemical toxicity, cancer and more." Make your health a priority and begin with what you are putting in your body.

08/21/2013

The four main things we follow. Like if you agree

08/19/2013

6 TIPS FOR PEOPLE LOOKING TO GET INTO SHAPE

1. Have a plan. You cannot expect to get in shape without an exercise and nutrition plan. “Failing to plan is planning to fail…”

2. Build your workout into your daily schedule. If you leave your workout until the end of your day it’s likely to get skipped or not given the attention it deserves.

3. Find a reliable workout partner. They will keep you accountable and get your butt to the gym even on the days you do not want to go!

4. Move your b***y for an hour a day!!! You do not need to be in the gym lifting weights every day. Find fun ways to exercise like hiking, biking or walking with friends.

5. Step outside of your comfort zone. Try new things like lifting heavy, kickboxing, yoga, pilates.

6. Set little challenges in your workouts to keep you motivated. Include super sets, dropsets or simply increasing weights.

08/18/2013

Eat for muscle: Follow these 10 simple nutrition rules to fuel your fitness goals

1. CALORIES COUNT- The first thing you need to focus on is consuming adequate calories. Building muscle is a calorie-intensive process. If you’re not getting enough calories for daily bodily processes and repair, your body won’t expend energy on muscle growth. On workout days, most guys will need about 18 calories per pound of body weight just to maintain their muscle mass. To increase that mass, you’ll want to shoot for around 20–22 calories per pound, which equates to 3,000-3,300 calories for the 150-pound guy. On rest days, since you won’t be expending as many calories, you can pull back your calorie intake to about 18 calories per pound (2,700 calories for the 150-pounder); this is mainly achieved by not consuming your pre- and post-workout meals. This will help to keep your mass gain on the lean side and avoid storing fat.

2. PROTEIN IS POTENT- Muscle is made of protein, so to grow lean mass you need to eat protein. Ample protein. Research now confirms that those who train with weights need at least 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight per day to build adequate muscle. And several studies show that bumping proteinup to 1.5 grams per poundis very effective for gaining muscle when you’re following a weight-training program. This is especially true when a good portion of that extra protein comes from whey (for more on whey protein, see the starter’s supplement section).

We’ve seen major gains in lean muscle mass in thousands and thousands of guys when they bump their protein up to 1.5 grams per pound on rest days and 2 grams per calories from protein. For the 150-pound guy that means consuming 225–300 gramsof protein per day. As far as sources go, you’ll need plenty of whey and casein protein (for more on whey and casein protein, see the starter’s supplement section), but also lots of whole-food protein sources like eggs, lean beef, chicken, fish, and dairy.

3. CARBS ARE CRITIICAL- While carbohydrates may not be as critical as protein for muscle growth, they’re still of vital importance. As we’ve discussed, your body needs to know it has an energy surplus to grow muscle most effectively. One signal your body uses to determine your energy status is through glycogen, the storage form of carbs in muscles and the liver. Glycogen pulls water into the muscles; the more glycogen you have stored in your muscles, the morewater it pulls in, making yourmuscles fuller. This, in turn,places a stretch on the cellmembranes, which instigatesprocesses that increasemuscle protein synthesisand can lead to long-termgrowth. On workout days you should be shooting for a minimum of around 2 grams of carbs per pound of body weight. That’s at least 300 grams for a 150-pound person. On rest days, to keep fat gains at bay, drop carbs down to about 1.5 grams per pound; foregoing pre- and post-workout meals (because you’re not working out) should account for this decrease in carbs.

4. DON'T FORGET THE FAT- Fat is not the demon it was once thought to be. Men need a good amount of fat, even saturated fat, to maximize natural levels of testosterone. Monounsaturated fat is also critical for maintaining testosterone levels as well as enhancing overall health. And the essential omega-3 fats, such as those found in salmon and other fatty fish, encourage better muscle growth and joint recovery,not to mention all the health benefits it offers. You should shoot for at least half of your body weight in grams of fat. That’s at least 75 grams of fat per day for the 150-pound guy. About 1⁄3 of that should be saturated fat, another 1⁄3 monounsaturated fat, and the other 1⁄3 polyunsaturated fat, with emphasis on omega-3 polyunsaturated fats.

5. EAT FREQUENTLY- We’ve long recommended frequent meals throughout the day for building muscle. Our sample meal plan is composed of seven meals on rest days and up to nine meals on workout days, with most meals spaced 2–3 hours apart. This strategy works well for building muscle, as we’ve seen in hundreds of thousands of guys, if not millions, over the years. This is also how we’ve evolved to eat as infants when our whole purpose in life is to increase mass as rapidly as possible. And one new study supports this concept. Researchers in Australia had subjects perform a leg workout and then fed them a total of 80 grams of whey protein over the next 12 hours in three different methods—either by consuming eight 10-gram doses every 1.5 hours; four 20-gram doses every three hours; or two 40-gram doses every six hours. They reported in a 2012 issue of the journal Nutrition & Metabolism that protein retention (the amountof protein retained from the whey in the muscle fibers) increased significantly more when subjects consumed the four 20-gram doses every three hours. The take-home point here: Consume a minimum of 20 grams of protein per meal and don’t go any longer than three hours between meals to maximize muscle growth.

6. BREAK THE FAST- The 6–8-hour fast while you sleep bloodstream with signals your body to break down glucose; rather, it muscle protein for fuel, which is the takes a direct trip last thing you want when trying to build to the liver where muscle. Your body is very protective of it is converted to the brain and central nervous system, glycogen and is which run on glucose (carbs). When you slowly released sleep, the majority of that glucose is as glucose. Eat a supplied by the liver, which stocks up piece of fruit with on stored carbs in the form of glycogen. When the glycogen levels of the and 5 grams of liver reach a certain low point during BCAAs to restock the night, the liver signals the body to the liver and stop break down more muscle protein to muscle protein convert the amino acids into glucose. The first thing you should do when you wake up is stop this process by delivering a quick dose of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) and whey. You also want to restock liver glycogen. For this, we recommend fruit. Most fruit is low glycemic and made up of half or more fructose, so it doesn’t flood your breakdown. About 30–60 minutes later, eat a second breakfast of whole foods like eggs and oatmeal.

7. BE AN EGGHEAD- When it comes to protein, there are certain ones you should try to include in your diet on most days, if not every day. For starters, there’s dairy protein, as discussed above. But another one that you should highly consider is eggs. We suggest you eat at least three whole eggs per day. Research has shown that men who eat three egg yolks daily while weight training gain twice as much muscle mass and strength as those not eating the yolks. This is likely due to the saturated fat and cholesterol in eggs aiding testosterone production. If you’re worried about the cholesterol, don’t. Research from the University of Connecticut shows that the cholesterol from egg yolks won’t raise levels of bad cholesterol (LDL).

8. SLOW YOUR ROLL BEFORE BED- As discussed inRule No. 6, you need to minimize the amount of muscle-protein breakdown that occurs while you sleep. Some bodybuilders have been so adamant about stopping this process that they actually set an alarm to wake up in the middle of the night and eat. Rest assured, you shouldn’t need to go to such extremes if you prep before bed properly. Slow-digesting protein is your friend here. Anything that’s rich in the milk protein casein will provide a steady supply of amino acids for up to seven hours while you sleep, as casein is a very slow-digesting protein that provides your body a steady stream of aminos to help keep muscles intact. Good sources of casein include casein and milk protein powders, cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, and regular cheese such as string, American, and cheddar. Immediately before you go to bed, have one or two scoops of a casein-rich protein powder, a cup or so of cottage cheese or Greek yogurt, or 3-4 ounces of cheese.

9. BEEF UP- Another source of protein you’ll want to be sure to eat is beef. In addition to the quality protein it provides, the saturated fat and cholesterol will enhance testosterone levels for maximizing muscle growth. Plus, beef is rich in B vitamins, zinc, and iron, all of which are critical for growing muscle and maintaining energy levels during workouts. They’ll also help to keep your immune system strong, fighting off colds and other viruses that may force you to skip workouts and lose muscle.

10. EAT YOUR VEGGIES- When it comes to building muscle, a mistake that many make is to focus solely on macronutrients (protein, carbs, and fat). Yes, these should be high on your priority list, but you don’t want to miss out on beneficial micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) and phytochemicals that vegetables are rich sources of. Not only do these micronutrients help to promote better overall health, but they can also help your body produce more testosterone, growth hormone, and nitric oxide (NO) to better promote gains in lean muscle.

08/18/2013

Obesity kills 1 in 5, four times more than experts once thought. Don't become a statistic, change your lifestyle habits now, don't wait until tomorrow. Need help, don't know where to start, contact us!
http://m.everydayhealth.com/weight/obesity-kills-1-in-5-four-times-what-experts-thought-4555

08/06/2013

7 Surprising Ways Junk Food Can Make You Miserable

1. Botox before your time: What's bad for your waist is also bad for your face. Sugars, trans fats (used to extend the shelf life of some packaged foods), and starches can cause insulin to surge and trigger an inflammatory response, the end product of which is called glycation. This speeds the aging process (gives you wrinkles) by deactivating the body's own age-fighting antioxidants, making you more prone to sun damage and premature aging.

2. Really tight jeans: There is a ton of sodium in processed junk foods, and sodium is a big cause of bloating. How? The purpose of sodium is to regulate the amount of blood in your vessels, but it also attracts water. High concentrations of sodium pull water from your cells, causing your body to hang on to extra fluid to compensate. If you're a fan of diet soda, which many body-conscious girls are, it can make matters even worse: The combination of bubbles (which trap air) and artificial sweeteners (which can cause gas) is bloat central.

3. That not-so-regular feeling: White bread, white rice, and other "white" (read: processed) products can cause constipation because they contain little to no fiber, and fiber moves everything through the body. Dehydration can make constipation worse as well, and if you're coupling your white bread with booze-knocking back beers and hot dogs at a Sunday afternoon ball game-you're not looking at a regular Monday morning.

4. A roll of Tums for breakfast: Too many high-fat meals are a recipe for acid indigestion. Foods high in saturated fat take longer to digest; when you haven't fully digested last night's cheeseburger and fries, excess stomach acid can splash back into your esophagus the next time you eat, causing heartburn

5. Crazy lady PMS: Foods alone don't actually cause PMS, but some can certainly make it worse. Sugar and starches can cause insulin to spike and then drop, which affects brain chemicals and may exacerbate mood swings. Sweet coffee drinks are one of the worst things you can indulge in when your hormones are raging-the combination of sugar and the simulant effect of caffeine (and the subsequent crash) can push you over the edge.

6. An aspirin dependency: Tyramine, a chemical formed in the breakdown of a certain protein in food colorants, dyes, and nitrates (found in hot dogs and other processed meats) is a known headache inducer; experts believe it increases blood flow to the brain, causing vascular changes that result in pain. If the snack you're about to eat has a hue that's not found in nature, you may want to steer clear.

7. A really bad mood: Studies show that people who eat a lot of junk food are more likely to experience depression. Even if you don't fall into a serious funk, pigging out on food that's not good for you will make feel lousy-and when you don't feel great your mood is bound to be lousy as well.

08/04/2013

Eat clean, train mean, with a hint of cardio for ultimate results. Recommend HIIT cardio when you do cardio.

07/26/2013

1000 rep workout for anyone to try this weekend. Let us know if you plan on attempting it.

Complete each 100 reps in as a few a sets as possible then move onto the next exercise.

Goal time is 41-60 minutes

Use about 30% of your max weight

1) 100 pushups (use knees if needed)

2) 100 pullups (assisted if needed)

3) 100 Barbell Squats

4) 100 Dumbell lateral raises

5) 100 Dumbell shoulder press

6) 100 Strait bar curls

7) 100 Bench dips

8) 100 Regular dips (assisted if needed)

9) 100 Decline bench situps

10) 100 Leg raises with stability ball between ankles (Lay flat on floor and hands behind head)

GOODLUCK!!!!! Those of you with heart rate monitors record your calories burned and your time. BEAT IT NEXT WEEK!!!

07/24/2013

Ways to speed up your metabolism.

1. Stay hydrated. Water, water, water!!!!
2.Keep Calcium Levels Up- Current obesity research shows that a dip in calcium levels can trigger the same hormone that causes the body to hold onto fat to be released. Choose low-fat dairy, cheese, yogurt, salmon, tofu, and oatmeal.
3.Ditch the alcohol- Happy hours and late night cocktails can do a number on your metabolism the next day. Research shows that the day after a night of drinking, there is a significant dip in your metabolic rate. Combine this with hangover cravings, and you've got a double disaster.
4.Destress Yourself-Stress raises the amount of cortisol in your body. Cortisol is a hormone that tells the body to hold onto fat in case of a stressful situation (think more natural disaster-level stress, not a bad day at work-level).
5. Decrease Diet Soda- Although it's low in calories and seems like an easy swap for high calorie beverages, diet soda may actually have adverse effects on your metabolism. Water and seltzer are better options, but if you must drink diet soda, limit your consumption to two cans (not Big Gulps!) per week.
6. Get enough sleep- Getting a least seven to eight hours of sleep every night is crucial to a healthy metabolism. Anything less can adversely affect your body's ability to burn calories. Surprisingly, excess sleep may do the same thing. It's best to keep a consistent bedtime and wake up close to the same time every morning
7. Soak up the sun- Research shows that when a person spends long periods of time in a darkened, dull environment, it stimulates the same physiological functions in the body as gaining weight and sleep.
8. Work Out in the Cold- Doing any type of cardio exercise in the cold can increase the ability of brown fat in the body to work at maximum capacity. Newly published research indicates that brown fat helps efficiently burn the white fat in your body, which is the considered that "bad fat."
9. Lift weights- One pound of muscle burns 35 to 50 calories, while one pound of fat burns a measly 5 to 10 calories. Building more muscle can increase your body’s basal metabolic rate (BMR) by up to 40%. There's no need to hit the weights hard, either, simply using light weights at high repetition has been proven to tone muscle and burn fat.
10. Up your vitamin C- Vitamin C and calcium are partners in crime when it comes to your metabolic rate. Calcium speeds up metabolism, while vitamin C helps the body absorb this mineral, creating an overall win-win situation.
11. Vitamin B is Key- Getting in all over your vitamin B, which you can do by incorporating small amounts of nuts, seeds, lean chicken, beef, and fish into your diet, helps maintain a healthy metabolism. Legumes are also a great source of B vitamins; plus they're chock-full of fiber.
12. Drink Green Tea- The polyphenols, specifically EGCG, in green tea have properties that rev up your metabolic rate. However, green tea takes dedication. You have to drink about 4-5 cups a day to see results.
13. Avoid High Fructose Corn Syrup- It's one of the most controversial issues in nutrition: Studies show that HFCS can make the body insulin-resistant. Also, when given the choice, the body stores fructose as fat before it does glucose.
14. Interval Training(HIIT)- Aside from curing workout boredom, interval training allows you to burn more calories in less time and burn more calories post workout. This is a great way for busy people with less time to get in a maximum workout.
15. Eat Spicy Peppers- Jalapenos, chili, cayenne, habanero, etc.. These fiery little guys contain capsaicin, which is why you get a burning sensation in your mouth when you eat them. This same effect is created internally, causing a calorie burn for about 30 minutes afterward.
16. Eat Oily Fish- Fish such as tuna and salmon contain oil that increases leptin, which is a hormone responsible for controlling appetite.

07/22/2013

Fitness isn't a hobby, it's a lifestyle!

07/21/2013

If it doesn't challenge you, it won't change you. Need help with the challenge part??? Let us know.

07/19/2013

12 Unhealthy Fish To Avoid Eating - Prevention.com

12 types of fish you shouldn't eat. Surprisingly wild caught salmon and imported shrimp(90% of americas shrimp) made the list.

http://www.prevention.com/food/healthy-eating-tips/12-unhealthy-fish-avoid-eating?cm_mmc=Yahoo_Blog-_-PVN_Shine-_-18%20Foods%20That%20Boost%20Metabolism-_-12%20Fish%20To%20Stay%20Away%20From

Our oceans have become so depleted of wild fish stocks, and so polluted with industrial contaminants, that trying to figure out the fish that are both safe and sustainable can make your head spin. "Good fish" lists can change year after year, because stocks rebound or get depleted every few years, b...

07/18/2013

If you tell yourself you CAN'T then you won't. The word CAN'T shouldn't be in your vocabulary.

07/17/2013

You have to want it to achieve it! Why wouldn't you want it? Your health is the most important thing you have. No better feeling than being fit and healthy.

07/16/2013

If you quit you'll never know what you can achieve. This relates to all aspect of life. Don't quit! Ever!

07/12/2013

Solution to all your problems

07/10/2013

No secrets to losing weight or being fit. Eat clean, train hard.

07/09/2013

Don't compare yourself to others. Focus on being a better you each day.

07/06/2013

What is your favorite time of day to workout? Morning, afternoon or evening? Morning for us. This is my Saturday morning workout while Rob is out riding 50+ miles.

Give this a try at your own risk, no equipment needed:

Warm UP - Walk/Jog 1/2 mile
Sprint 50 meters, walk back to start - Repeat 3x
30 jumping jacks
10 push-ups
7 burpees
25 crunches
10 jump squats
Sprint 50 meters, walk back to start - Repeat 3x
10 push-ups
15 crunches
10 push-ups
10 jump squats
Sprint 50 meters, walk back to start - Repeat 3x
Wall Sit to failure
10 Burpees
Run 25 Stadium Bleachers Repeat 5x (if you have access)

Rest 1 minute and Repeat circuit 3x (Do what you can at your current fitness level)

07/04/2013

Timeline Photos

06/25/2013

You don't need prescribed drugs to fix your problems. Drop the excuses. Eat healthy and workout. Here is a list of all the benefits.

06/21/2013

Shocking Facts: Nearly 70% of Americans are on at least one prescription drug, and more than half take two. 20% of patients are on 5 or more prescription medications. Do you know the side effects the prescriptions you are taking?

06/20/2013

The AMA (American Medical Association) announced today that obesity is a disease. This may lead to more insurance companies paying for weight loss surgeries, Doctors giving more nutrition and exercise advice covered by insurance plans What do you think? Agree or Disagree that it is a disease??

06/11/2013

June is Men’s Health Month: Prevention Tips to Stay Healthy
It’s not just good luck and good genes that lead to a healthy life. Men tend to smoke and drink more than women. They don’t seek medical help as often as women. Some men define themselves by their work, which can add to stress.
• Get routine exams and screenings.
• Get enough sleep
• Eat healthy
• Stay at a healthy weight
• Get moving
• Be smoke-free.
• Avoid heavy drinking
• Manage stress