"I'm slipping"

My client writes... "I have a hard time when (No name) or (no name) are around because I'm nibbling on what they have and it's rarely good.  I justify by saying that I'm working out so much I can afford it. 

I'm hoping my email will help keep me on track today.  I'll see you at bootcamp today.

And my response...

I appreciate you sharing.

Junk is junk.  Eliminate it.

I remember reading Michael Pollan, http://michaelpollan.com/articles-archive/six-rules-for-eating-wisely/  and he had a good idea..."if you want to eat "junk" food, then only do so if you make it yourself."  Meaning, if you really want apple pie, then make the dough, cut the apples, and bake it yourself.  Take the physical action, and choose your ingredients wisely.  Makes total sense to me.

I see the change in you, in that you are at the point of "enough is enough".  If you are truly dedicated to losing the fat and setting a healthy example for (no name), you have to stick to your guns.

Years will pass, and she will observe your choices and model you.

Be the mom that is strong.  And I mean physically and mentally.  

Eating junk is easy.  Being disciplined and not letting others push you around is admirable.  Your daughter will remember this.

The Morning Boot Camp Workout Video

Here's a quick sample of how we burn fat in the morning boot camp class.

Brace for Impact

"Brace for Impact".

Thanks to my mentor, Todd Durkin, for passing this along.

74 Year Old Female Bodybuilder

Thanks to Francesca Lucioni for passing along this video.

Get inspired, "I'm, gonna kick your a.."

Hat's off to Tim Ferriss for finding this one..

What We Can Learn from World Champion MMA Fighters

Last week I flew down to Boca Raton Florida for my Strength and Conditioning Certification for Mixed Martial Arts with JC Santana. 

I went down there for two reasons. 

The first was a selfish reason.  Having started Brazilian Jiu Jitsu about a year ago, I wanted to learn how to improve my own conditioning. 

The second reason is that I wanted to learn how I could modify the training regimens of these elite fighters and apply them to my boot campers. 

What I didn't expect was that I was going to learn how champions approach training, and how I could use that not only for myself, but also for my clients. 

No matter what your feelings are on the often brutal sport of MMA, there is no question that these fighters are some of the best conditioned athletes in the world. 

Having to fight at precise weight levels the athletes are lean, strong, powerful, and very nimble. 

I wanted to learn the routines and strategies these warriors use, and apply them to my "weekend warriors". 

Juan Carlos Santana, one of the top strength coaches in the world, led us through some sample circuits.

 (Me in all black training on the PowerMax 360)

You can check out a video of us going through a circuit here.  

He gave us a lot of information on how he and his team prepare his fighters to outlast the competition.  (Isn't this what many of us are trying to do in the real world?  Have the stamina to be the best at work, and have incredible energy to spend with our family and loved ones.) 

JC demonstrated both the science and real world application.  Just like at boot camp, smart programming with consistent effort can produce excellent results. 

Probably the most valuable part of this weekend was the question and answer period with the fighters.

(MMA Fighters at IHP Fit in Boca Raton, FL) 

The fighters reminded me what it takes to be champion. 

• No excuses.
• Unrelenting passion, focus, and determination.
• Extreme dedication.
• Commitment to being the best.  

My take away from the weekend was a reminder of how often I feel sad and frsutrated that so many people quit, or sell themselves short. 

I see it time and time again in my clients.

The tools are here to reach the highest levels in health and in life.   

Aren't you in a fight for your life? 

To be the best mom or dad?  To be the best at your profession?  And so on... 

Don't back away...step up and fight.

"Health is Your Wealth" by Robin Sharma

So true...

"HEALTH IS YOUR WEALTH: These were peak-performing CEOs leading 24/7 careers. There was utter silence in the room when I shared this statement: "Health is the crown on the well man's head that only the ill person can see". Why be the richest person in the graveyard? And what's the point of getting to the mountaintop but reaching it sick? Get serious about becoming superfit. Then watch the caliber of your work and the quality of your life fly."

Robin Sharma

Don't Settle. Challenge Yourself to Be Your Best.

"It is not the critic who counts.

Not the one who points out how the strong man stumbled

or how the doer of the deeds might have done better.

The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena

whose face is marred with sweat, dust, and blood.

Who strives valiantly,

who lives and comes up short again and again.

Who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions

and spends himself in a worthy cause.

Who, if he wins, knows the triumph of high achievement

and who, if he fails at least fails while daring greatly.

So that his place shall never be with those cold and timed souls

who know neither victory nor defeat."

Good Monday Morning

As I mentioned on our Facebook page this morning...

"Boot campers, way to get your morning started. To those who skipped... a little message, your body doesn't know that its a holiday...it needs to be challenged in order to improve. Get after it!" 

A great message from my buddy Frank Pucher of Fitness 121 Personal Training...

"Promise yourself to be so strong that noting can disturb your peace of mind. Look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true. Think only of the best, work only for the best, and expect only the best. Forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future. Give so much time to the improvement of yourself that you have no time to criticize others. Live in the faith that the whole world is on your side so long as you are true to the best that is in you!"

More news later today, as I'll give a round up from the Perform Better conference that Marie and I attended over the weekend.

How Our Birthday Girl Lost 18 Pounds in Seven Weeks

Happy Birthday to Nicole.

Nicole recently finished our 7 Week Paleo Challenge and lost 18 pounds, and 26 inches.  I am so proud of her :)

Here's what she had to say...

"Hi Stephen and Marie,

For too many years I’ve struggled with my weight, and not until my husband happened upon www.bootcamppasadena.com did I find any success.  I’ve done the lemonade cleanse, Nutrisystem, Herbalife, Jenny Craig, Atkins, and none of them worked.  But I know for sure you’ve got the winning formula: boot camp + Paleo diet.

For the first 5 weeks, I was tracking 100% on the diet and getting 8 hours of sleep, and only missed a couple of boot camp sessions.  The last two weeks I slipped up on a few days by eating a few bites of cheesecake, a ½ slice of pizza, some bread while dining out, ate a spicy chicken sandwich, and nibbled on my son’s curly fries.  I didn’t fall too far off the wagon during the entire 7 weeks, though, I’m happy to say.  The best part was having my family’s support in my getting to bed by 10:00.  I’m usually running around doing last minute chores or catching up with paper work, but everyone pitched in to make sure I got to bed by 10:00.

One of the best parts of the diet for me was that I could satisfy my sweet tooth with fruit.  That was what really saved me.  I completely swore off desserts which has been a weakness.  I eliminated rice and pasta, which had been the primary portion of my family’s dinners.  We replaced the white portion of our meals with deliciously cooked fresh vegetables and had a large salad at each meal.  Cutting back on eating out has saved us hundreds of dollars!  Another unintended benefit of the Paleo Challenge was my husband losing 20 pounds and my son losing 6 pounds.  But, the direct benefit of the challenge was my losing a total of 26 inches in my target areas and 18 pounds (so far).  I’ve gone from a size 12 to a size 8, and I think I need to get smaller shoes, too. I’ve attached before and after photos (scary!) and my target area chart.

I’ve gotten compliments from family, friends, coworkers and boot campers - and it feels wonderful!  My son told me that he used to have trouble giving me a hug around my waist, but now it’s easy.  That really moved me to tears.  I’m looking forward to continuing until I reach my healthy weight of 125-130 pounds – and then maintaining a healthy level of fitness.

Thanks so much for the Challenge!"

Speaking of Incredible Before and After Pictures...

I've been working on the before and after pictures from our Paleo Challenge, and I'm also editing some other pictures.

I know that some people tend to think that fat loss "just happens' and that some people are "just lucky".  In my 17 plus years as a trainer, I've seen very few people who have this luck.  I'd say that about 5% of the population have this luck.

The rest of us work hard for results.

There are no shortcuts.

It takes a commitment to clean eating, training, and getting the proper rest and recovery.

I can vouch for this boot camp client below, that she deserves these awesome results.  She puts in the hard work.  I can remember there were times when I first started the boot camp, and some days there were only two people in my class, her and Vanessa (who has also gotten incredible results.)

What can you take away from this?

Get inspired...and know that you can do it too.

Day 9 of the Paleo Challenge

Ellen Sue's Paleo spaghetti with spaghetti squash with homemade "bolognese sauce".

Paleo FAQ's

Question:  What about ghee?  Even though its a butter product, as far as understand it isn't technically dairy because its all been skimmed out.... I haven't used it yet, but your thoughts?  And are certain meats, like bacon and sausage okay? 

Answer:  Ghee is technically 'illegal' as the preference would be to use coconut or olive oil instead.  If you are going to use ghee or butter look for products that are made with the milk of grass-fed animals in order to improve the Omega-3 content. from Amy Kubal, R.D.

A couple of you mentioned that you like the motivation videos on my site.  I've just added another here:

http://www.stephencoopertraining.com/blog/2010/9/21/need-motivation.html

Leaving things undone.

"Besides the noble art of getting things done, there is the noble art of leaving things undone. The wisdom of life consists in the elimination of non-essentials."

Lin Yutang 

Art of War

"Can you imagine what I would do if I could do all I can?"

Sun Tzu

Inspiration from Will Smith

Inspiration from Georges St. Pierre

You'll notice that GSP, Georges St. Pierre uses the ropes and the TRX like we do in boot camp.  Of course he is a fighter and goes to the extreme, but we can still get a great, fat burning workout using the same "tools".

8 suggestions for succeeding from john wooden

Winning wisdom from the great John Wooden, as sent to me from my coach and mentor, Todd Durkin...

8 Suggestions for Succeeding

1. Fear no opponent. Respect every opponent.

2. Remember, it's the perfection of the smallest details that make BIG things happen (ATTENTION TO DETAIL)

3. Keep in mind that hustle makes up for many a mistake.

4. Be more interested in character than reputation.

5. Be quick, but don't hurry.

6. Understand that the harder you work, the more luck you will have.

7. Know that valid self-analysis is crucial for improvement.

8. Remember there is not substitute for hard work and careful planning. Failing to prepare is preparing to fail.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

9 Promises That Can Bring Happiness

1. Promise yourself that you will talk about health, happiness and prosperity as often as possible.

2. Promise yourself to make all your friends know there is something special in them and that you value it immensely.

3. Promise to think only of the best, to work only for the best, and to expect only the best in yourself and others.

4. Promise to be enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own.

5. Promise to be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind.

6. Promise to forget the mistakes of the past and press on to greater achievements in the future.

7. Promise to wear a cheerful appearance at all times and give every person you meet a smile.

8. Promise to give so much time to improving yourself that you do not have time to criticize others.

9. Promise to be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear, and too happy to permit trouble to press on you.