Are you interested in changing a behavior? Do you have 21 days available to be a better person? I have these cool wristbands to help. These say EAT CLEAN TRAIN HARD because this is about fitness. But you can correct any type of problem and you can use a simple rubber band if you like.

Here is the deal, put the wristband on. Choose a behavior to change such as stop eating processed foods or chips or stop cursing. Only choose one behavior to change at a time or it won’t work. Let’s say you are a diet pop fiend so every time you drink a diet soda you must move the wristband to the other arm. The object is to keep the wristband on the same arm for 21 days. Presto! Behavior changed. Of course it isn’t easy and at first expect to change arms a lot. But after you get the hang of it and in this case drop weight from dropping the soda. You will feel great.

reprinted from Readers Digest, here is original.
from Kitchen Cabinet Cures

That innocent-looking can of soda pop-no matter what it’s sweetened with-may be taking a toll on your immunity. Here’s why:
1. People who drink sodas instead of healthy beverages (think low-fat milk and pure fruit juice) are less likely to get adequate vitamin A, calcium, and magnesium. What’s more, soda contains phosphoric acid that depletes calcium and magnesium. These two nutrients help keep your immunity operating at peak efficiency.
2. Sodas containing high-fructose corn syrup (check this out here, they want to rename high-fructose corn syrup. First they tried to hide the product in every processed food and now that people are wise to the term they are trying to change the name to corn sugar.) also contain high levels of free radicals linked to tissue damage, the development of diabetes, and diabetic complications.
3. Plastic soda (and water) bottles contain a toxic chemical called bisphenol A (BPA) that can leach from bottles into soda…into you. Emerging evidence links BPA to a myriad of maladies, including immune system depression. Public health experts recommend that we protect children from exposure to products containing BPA-especially those they consume or use every day.
4. Diet soda actually contributes to weight gain. A study of 1,550 people concluded that people who drink diet soda have a 41 percent increased risk of being overweight or obese-for every can or bottle they drink per day! Turns out, any sweet taste signals body cells to store fat and carbohydrates, which makes you hungrier. Sweet tastes also promote insulin release, which blocks your body’s ability to burn fat. The hard truth: No published study has ever proven that drinking diet soda will help you lose weight.

Don’t make me get up on my soapbox! For box jumps..

Are you feeling fit and looking better than ever? Christmas parties are here and New Years resolutions are right around the corner. Do you make resolutions every year? Do you keep them?

I don’t make resolutions each year. I keep a journal and write down goals and aspirations regularly. Also as a personal trainer I have been living the lifestyle since I was about eleven. Though I do continue to make fitness goals for myself on a daily basis. Sometimes it is just getting two more reps in an upcoming set, sometimes it is working a new exercise into my routine for a few weeks.

Calling all GEMs (Glen Ellyn Moms). It is time to look and feel even better. Try training with Stanimal the personal trainer right in Glen Ellyn. Lose those last few pounds and get in shape. You won’t regret it! Send your questions to my email on the right. The blog has moved here.

Your close-up is calling you..

Saw a great article about the benefits of exercise, even for the oldest of people. Tell your parents and grandparents, it’s not too late to start.

From yahoo health.

This is from their last workout with me (so far). Rita finally rocked the Hard. Not Easy shirt and everyone enjoys doing burpees with a side leap. Hope you enjoy. Keep a safe distance from the mountain lions. See you.

The new address for the blog is http://trainwithstanimal.com/blog.

There are many types of swings and presses available. I am especially interested in the single arm movements. The off-center weight of the bell make these movements really good for core development. The cardio demands are great as well so your metabolism will be tuned up. Keep the rest as low as possible.

The new address for the blog is http://trainwithstanimal.com/blog.

So there is a new RSS feed as well.

Thanks for looking…

Just got back from vacation, a little recharge of the batteries. Colorado is very pretty. Besides all the hiking and walking I only managed one workout. I went to a place called Planet Fitness. It was an interesting step back in time, late 80′s early 90′s maybe. There were a good selection of equipment, new cardio gear and Free Motion machines as well as free weights and plate loaded machines. All very good.

The step back in time was by the patrons. I should mention there were no balls, bosu, disks, bands or any equipment for training balance, stability or flexibility. There were guys with very oversized mid-sections working set after set of arms even though they are racing toward heart problems or diabetes. There were only single joint exercises.

I don’t want to belabor the point but my expectations were different. This gym is within a few miles of our Olympic training facilities yet a lifetime away from the types of exercise people need to be functional, healthy and fit. There was a personal trainer working but he was only leading two clients through some rows of machines.

We need to work on the whole body by training movement patterns and developing overall fitness and agility.

This is an update on a post I wrote a while ago. Updated for variations available to use this concept for total body workout or leg workout indoors or out.

I use this workout for legs and use it for a total body workout. Here we go. This is a sample used as a leg workout.

3 min. walk warmup
Interval 1 – 3 min. walk 8 incline, speed depending on your fitness level, 3.0 -4.5
jump off treadmill, hands on head, 20 prisoner squats
10 jump squat
Interval 2 – 2 min. jog 4 incline, speed 5.0-8.0
jump off, 20 walking lunge with dumbells
15 squats on bosu or other balance equipment
Interval 3 – 1 min. run 2 incline, speed 6.0-10
20 ball bridge
20 single leg deadlift (10 each leg)
Interval 4 – 30 second sprint 1 incline, speed 7.5-15 again depending on your fitness level
30 crunches and 1 min. of plank (core hold)

Repeat

That should take almost an hour and you should be ready to sit down for a while.

To make it total body substitute your favorite upper and lower body exercises on the breaks, e.g. squat presses, push ups, chin ups, dips, etc.

Let me know what you think.

A new study suggests that at the current rate of increase, 86% of Americans will be overweight or obese by the year 2030. Are you going to join me in the other 14%?

What do you intend to do to make it happen? If you add only two pounds per year in 22 years (let me do the math) that is 44 pounds of fat. I don’t know about you but I would be overweight.

Obesity is already a public health crisis now. So let’s make some positive changes starting today. Are you going to workout today? How are your eating habits? Talk to me if you need suggestions.

And check out the study here.