Happy Hump Day to you!

I hope this letter finds you well, recovering and looking forward to Phase 4.  This morning, I hopped out of bed at 5am, was rolling on the floor and doing my movement prep by 5:15am and doing 40yd sprints in the dark at Saunders Stadium in South Boston by 5:35am.  It was awesome, tranquil and energizing.

Anyways, you should already have received your Challenge Workouts.  Marisa and Jackie will be training tomorrow, Thursday at 9am and 6:30pm respectively at the Mackenzie Center if you want to join them and I’ll see you soon.

Lots of good stuff so read on.

This week’s agenda:

• Cardio Minutes
• Recovery Week
• Ask Mike
• Challenge Week
• GD Thank You
• Ski Tickets
• Shout Outs
• Measurements
• Phase 4

Cardio Minutes:

	Day 1	Day 2	Day 3	Total
6am	20	18	18	56
9am	20	18	18	56
6:30pm	19	18	20	57

Rookie Cardio Goals for Weight Loss:

Wk1:  males = 125, females = 190

Wk2:  males = 150, females = 220 * (if weight loss is goal)

Wk3:  males = 175, females = 250 * (if weight loss is goal)

Rookies / Returning Boot Campers

• Weight Loss (WL):  175 males / 250 females
• Fat Loss / Weight Maintenance (FL):  125 males / 190 females; primarily interval sprint based
• Performance:  ask me

Recovery Week

This week is recovery week.  To read why we have recovery weeks click here:  http://mikealves.blogspot.com/2010/07/recovery-week.html

Ask Mike?

Mary Magre asked me a great question about what to do during recovery week.  Check out Ask Mike for my answer.  Click here.

Challenge Week

You’ve heard me talk about “Do Anywhere Workouts” using minimal equipment; well Challenge Week is an extension of that.  I take the programs and exercises you’ve trained on for the last 3 weeks and I turn them into fun (loosely typed) games or challenges that you can do on your own without a coach.  Of course it’s more fun if you train with a buddy so if you can invite someone from class even better.

Click here to view the 2011, P3 Challenge Week

Click here to find a buddy.

Measurements

Sunday, March 27, 2011 from 8-9:30am-ish is Measurements & Orientation at the Mackenzie Center.  If you’d like to be measured, you may rsvp now.  1^st to arrive goes 1^st.  Once everyone present has been measured we’ll start the orientation, so be early.

GD Thank You

I’d like to thank Carol Vaghar (9am) and Cindy Hutter (6:30pm) for introducing us to Andrea Plotkin and Nova Benedicto respectively.  The more people you invite to train with you whether it be walking, yoga, tennis, skiing, basketball, boot camp or whatever, the greater long term success you’ll have with getting into your best shape and staying there.  Invite is the key word.

Ski Tickets

I’ve got 6 tickets left for Cranmore., Mountain, NH.  They’ve got 42 trails open, 4 lifts and this is they’re last weekend open so they have some fun events going on.  I’m giving them away for free in pairs of 2 and you’re welcome to ask for more than 2 or all of them if you’ll absolutely use them and not sell them or let them sit idly.  So just ask.

Shout Outs

• Mr. Hustle:  Todd Heberlein gets the hustle award for the phase for sprinting from station to station.  Coaches love that and hustlers build the habit of being 1^st.
• Finding a Way:  Sally Babigian rearranged her pre-travel schedule so she could make “1” more class.  Laura & Steve Allen, rookies, came to a Monday night class, they’re 6am’ers, so they could keep their momentum.  Katy Coughlin for the same.  Jen Roy for inviting Stella Lee to play tennis.  Carol Vaghar for making brown rice in bulk for the week.  Kim Santilli for thoughtfully planning her St. Michael’s Eve, I mean St. Paddy’s Day celebration by getting a 9am burn & earn training session in.
• P3 Perfect Attendance:  Susan Kessel, Alicia Straus, Bill Weinreb, Katy Coughlin, Kim Santilli, Mary-Alice Tully, Marisa Cimino, Cindy Hutter, Kristina Day, Stella Lee, Krista Kett, Jennifer Roy, Mary Thomas, Leslie Williams, Laurel Britt-Webb, Jan Giglio, Aileen Murphy, Eric Riak, Mike Day and Jack Goldsmith for finding a way to make all of your training sessions.
• Good Bye for Now and Good Luck to Kristina and Mike Day as they are moving to Washington D.C.
• Cardio High Fives for Week 2:  Marc Gromada, Susan Kessel, Marisa Cimino, Jackie Bunt, Cindy Hutter, Deb Rooney, Matthew Sarrett, Kristina Day, Kristen Pepe, Jennifer Roy, Carol Gray, Kathy Krongel, Rachel Viscomi, Mary Magre, Laura Allen and Stephen Allen for matching or beating your week 2 cardio goals.

Phase 4

Phase 4 begins with measurements & orientation Sunday, March 27, 2011 from 8-9:30am and 1^st classes begin on Monday.  We’re going to be switching the emphasis from weight loss intervals towards more fat loss intervals by introducing more hypertrophy rep ranges (8-12) and less endurance rep ranges (12-30+).  This will look like 20:10 Tabata Intervals (8-12 reps), Continuous 20-min workouts (4 exercises, 10 reps, 2min/round) and a 40:15 tempo (15-20 reps) to bridge the change.

Cheers and wishing you a great week of body changes!

Your coach,

Mike Alves

Newton Boot Camp

Hi Mike,

I know this is the recovery week, but what exactly should I be doing this week - same level of cardio?

Thanks – see you for phase 4!

Mary

Hi Mary,

Great question.

Recovery week is designed to allow your spirit, mind and most important in regards to boot camp, your body, to heal, recover and regenerate so as to return to a stronger and fresher state of being.

I wrote an article about recovery week.  To read it click here:

Recovery Week Plan

Perform the following active recovery workouts if you feel:

Beat Up:

S:  NO strength

C:  (1)  WL = 360 female/270 male of total cardio (can be weight bearing and non weight bearing) sprint intervals and non-sprint.

(2)  FL  =   220-250 females /150-175 males of total cardio (can be weight bearing and non weight bearing) intermittent sports, sprint intervals and non-sprint.

(3) P= ask me

N:  Eat lean & clean

Regeneration:  Roll, stretch, mobility exercises, movement prep, massage, whirlpools, alternative medicine therapies… x 3.

Semi-Beat Up:

S:  50% total strength volume x 1-3 days (do 50% of a challenge workout or do 50% of week 3 of Workout A, B and/or C  from exercise log or 50% of the 4 Week Fat Loss Jump Start Workout);

C:  WL = 250 females / 175 males; FL = 190 females / 125 males; P = ask me

N:  Eat lean & clean.

R:  Roll, stretch, mobility exercises, movement prep, massage, whirlpools, alternative medicine therapies… x 2.

Feel Great:

S:  1-3 days of full strength routines (do full challenge workout or do week 3 of Workout A, B or C from exercise log or full workout of 4 Week Fat Loss Jumpstart);

C:  WL = 250 females / 175 males; FL = 190 females / 125 males; P = ask me

N:  Eat lean & clean.

R:  Roll, stretch, mobility exercises, movement prep, massage, whirlpools, alternative medicine therapies… x 1.

I hope this helps and if you need clarity, just comment below and I’ll answer it for you as best I can.

Your coach,

Mike

Bump, Bump, Bump, Pant, Pant, Pant…That’s the sound of my girlfriend, Vanessa, doing a Burpees paired with Marching in Place 20 minutes interval conditioning workout behind me while I write to you now.  How cool is that and how lucky am I that my girlfriend also likes to train and makes time for it.  J

This week’s agenda:

• Cardio Minutes
• Guest Day
• 7-Day Routine
• ND & GST
• Nutrition Tip
• Active Lifestyle Tip
• Phase 3
• Weekly Themes
• Rookies
• Shout Outs
• Ask Mike

Cardio Minutes:

Time	Day 1	Day 2	Day 3	Total
6am	14	16	14	44
9am	23	17	7	47
6:30pm	18	17	7	42

Yes, this was a tough week for in class cardio minutes.  We’ll chalk it up to the TRX learning curve.  The good thing is that the end result of TRX mastery will be worth it and you’ll still have the continued habit of getting cardio minutes done.

Rookie Cardio Goals for Weight Loss:

Wk1:  males = 125, females = 190

Wk2:  males = 150, females = 220 * (if weight loss is goal)

Wk3:  males = 175, females = 250 * (if weight loss is goal)

Rookies / Returning Boot Campers

• Weight Loss (WL):  175 males / 250 females
• Fat Loss / Weight Maintenance (FL):  125 males / 190 females; primarily interval sprint based
• Performance:  ask me

Click here to review interval training program handout and for examples of workouts

When reporting minutes via email, if you’re using the fat loss / weight maintenance goal, please denote it like this:  FL your cardio number min.  If your goal is weight loss, please denote it like this, WL your cardio number min.  This will help me know whether to give you a high five or not.

*Above minutes are based on weight bearing cardio.  Weight bearing cardio is most any cardiovascular exercise performed on your feet.  (e.g.  speed walking, running, hill sprints, flat sprints, elliptical, roller blading, ice skating, “ball sports”, stair master, step mill, hiking, jumping rope, Burpees, jumping jacks, high knee runs, DB swings…  Skiing and snowboarding count, but only the downhill portion, not lunch or chair lift times.)  Non weight bearing cardio exercises like rowing, swimming, cycling are considered ½ time.  These are great and enjoyable choices for cardio exercise, but they will only count as ½ time.

Guest Day

Local Guest Day is the day when you get to invite your buddies to join you in some sweaty low five, back five fist bumps times 3 while introducing yourself and saying back the name of your equally sweaty paddy-cake partner.  Translation:  you can bring a buddy on the following dates:

• 6:30pm, Tues, March 15 @ Mackenzie Center
• 6am, Wed, March 16 @ B&G Club
• 9am, Wed, March 16 @ Mackenzie Center

All guests must complete a registration packet PRIOR to participation.  Guest day is a courtesy gesture from your peers and me.  Please DO NOT put me on the spot by having your guest arrive unannounced without prior completion of a waiver.  Click Here to download and e-mail your guest a registration packet to complete.

Non-Local/Out of Town Guest Day:

These guests are welcome anytime, but must be planned with me.  Please have these guests complete the guest registration packet and submit via e-mail prior to attendance.  You’ll never have to skip a beat when family, friends or colleagues are visiting.  Just bring them with you and create a new bond.

7-Day Routine

Yup.  7-days.  I wrote it.  You may be shocked, you may be intrigued, and you may be thinking no way.  Consider this:

3-days of strength training (boot camp or BC).

3-days of cardio (boot camp + on own)

1-day of rolling, stretching, massage, meditation and/or yoga.

Day 1	Day 2	Day 3	Day 4	Day 5	Day 6	Day 7
BC	Cardio	BC	Cardio	BC	Cardio	Stretch

Another way it could be done:

Day 1	Day 2	Day 3	Day 4	Day 5	Day 6	Day 7
BC + Cardio	Off	BC + Cardio	Off	BC + Cardio	Stretch	Off

Or

Day 1	Day 2	Day 3	Day 4	Day 5	Day 6	Day 7
BC + Cardio	Cardio	BC	Cardio	BC + Stretch	Off	Off

The possibilities are many.  The idea is to plan out your week in advance and have 2 main schedules.  One is your master weekly schedule and the other is your “this week” schedule.

Master Schedule (this is your weekly “DEFAULT” template)

Day 1	Day 2	Day 3	Day 4	Day 5	Day 6	Day 7

Insert:

Strength 1, 2 (if suitable for you), 3 (if suitable for you) or 4 (if suitable for you)

Cardio 1, 2, 3, 4 (if necessary), 5 (if necessary), 6 (if necessary) and 7 (if necessary)

Stretch 1, 2 (if applicable), 3…

Sport 1, 2, 3, 4… (If applicable)

This Week Schedule (this is the week ahead)

Day 1	Day 2	Day 3	Day 4	Day 5	Day 6	Day 7

Insert:

Strength 1, 2 (if suitable for you), 3 (if suitable for you) or 4 (if suitable for you)

Cardio 1, 2, 3, 4 (if necessary), 5 (if necessary), 6 (if necessary) and 7 (if necessary)

Stretch 1, 2 (if applicable), 3…

Sport 1, 2, 3, 4… (If applicable)

*Your training, meals and sleep should be like a kids’ bedtime routine.  You never want to mess with it or be prepared for the consequences.  If you must, you plan ahead by doubling up whenever possible.  Do double sessions (morning & night, morning & lunch or lunch & night), do back to backs (strength, then conditioning), plan to train on your off day or if absolutely necessary schedule it for another week.  When it comes to sleep, schedule planned naps.  You’ll laugh when you see it on the schedule, but if you take it you’ll be grateful.

Once these are written, write in parenthesis (), how many minutes you’ll be doing each workout.  This way you can keep track of and add up your total cardio minutes, strength minutes and total time exercising for the week.  Very cool stuff.  I keep track of my hours slept (56), strength days (4), conditioning days (2), roll/stretch/breathe/meditate days (1), total cardio minutes (175), mantra walks (14) and people I made laugh (28).  Just kidding on the last part.  I also weigh myself weekly and give myself between 2-4 splurge meals.

Nutrition Discussion (ND) & Grocery Shopping Tour (GST)

Save the date.  Sunday, March 13, from 10-12pm @ the Boys & Girls club, 675 Watertown Street, Newton, MA.

Do you like games, results and rewards?  My plan is like a game.  Follow the plan, get results and earn rewards.  Read well?

I’m a big fan of no-nonsense truth and tough love.

For example:  Cleanses for the majority, don’t work.  Their marketing preys on your immediate gratification desires and vulnerabilities and if you’re lucky enough to lose weight, you’re almost always going to relapse due to the self-sabotaging cravings you develop/enhance for liquid calories, sugar and refined carbohydrates which results in you gaining more weight than when you started the cleanse.  Want to change your body?  Come learn the plan and then play the game, day after day, week after week, year after year.  Do this and you’ll win, get results and earn rewards.  Don’t and you’ll stay the same.

RSVP now, if you’re tired of spinning your wheels.

Nutrition Tip

Dr. Tom Halton wrote recently on his blog about how often you could eat egg yolks and why.  Basically he said you could have 1 whole egg per week or 7 whole eggs per week.  To read why, click here.

Active Lifestyle Tip

Sometimes you need to look at things through the window or lens of a 1 year, 2 year or 5 year time frame.  If you choose to introduce, develop and implement the habit of building in extra walking or moving, you won’t see changes in the short term, but over 1, 2 or 5 years you can expect to see some extra weight loss, strength gains and/or body changes.

Example 1 (weight loss)

1. Always park in the farthest spot from the entrance.
2. Get off 1 or 2 stops early on the train and walk a bit further to your destination.
3. Take the stairs vs. the escalator or elevator.
4. Go 2 stairs at a time vs. 1.
5. Go for a 3, 5, 7, 10 min walk before you leave home or before going inside when arriving home.

Example 2 (strength gains)

1. Do pushups, pull ups, hand stand pushups, bicep curls, inverted rows, lunges, step ups, 1-leg squats…most every day depending what you’re trying to accomplish.

a)      You can do them for max reps each day, trying to get 1 more.

b)      You can do 10, 20, 50, 100, 150, and 200… reps total per day.

Example 3 (body changes)

1. Push the plate away
2. Put your fork down in between bites
3. Drink a full glass of water before starting your meal
4. Eat until your content
5. No seconds
6. Follow up big splurge meals with burn & earn workouts.
7. Follow up big splurge meals with lean protein, good fats and veggies to flush your systems.

Phase 3

Phase 3 is the introduction of the TRX, 5 minutes of all foam rolling and candle lit slow dancing music during strength training (joke).  We are on our 3^rd phase of progressions for many exercises so returning boot campers should feel you’re gaining mastery of movements and have less inhibition.  This decreased inhibition will allow you to train at a higher intensity and thereby increase your potential for results.

Weekly Themes

Each week we’ll have a different theme and even some days we’ll have a different theme.  Themes make your experience more fun and remind you of how your body will be feeling or what you’ll be doing.

Week 1: Intro / Measurements & Orientation / Cardio Progression Week for Returning Boot Campers / Less Sets, Reps, Rounds and/or Load.  Perfect form.  Very Sore Week for All

Week 2: 2^nd Exposure / Regular reps, sets, rounds and/or load / Perfect form / Less Sore

Nutrition Discussion / Grocery Shopping Tour

Week 3: Record Week / Increased reps, sets, rounds and/or load / Perfect form / Sore / Post Testing

Recovery Week: Challenge Week / Individual Challenge Week / on own, max reps, sets, rounds and/or weight in same time or less / Perfect form / Very Sore, but loving it /

/ M&O

Rookies

Please welcome rookies, Laura Allen, Stephen Allen, Rachel Viscomi, Hillary Ashton and Mary Magre and please welcome back Kim Coney and Walter Piescik.

LEADERS or all-stars and sophomores, would you please take a rookie(s) under your wing and serve as a mentor.  I have been told that boot camp is a bit intimidating because everyone is so fit.  Thank you!

Shout Out

1. Matt Sarrett for helping out rookies Hillary Ashton, Mary Magre and Rachel Viscomi.
2. Sally Barbarian, Marc Granada, Susan Kassel, Jeff Evil, Susanna Fantasize, Maria Dacca, Marisa Camino, Jackie Bunt, Cindy Hotter, Lisa Griggs, Anker Verbal, Kristen Pepe, Jameila Haddawi, Kathy Krongel, Scott Timmins, Eric Riak, Deb Rooney and Fred Hollister for matching or beating your cardio goal.  High Five!
3. Perfect attendance after 1 week:  Ellen Kelley, Chrissy Thurmond, Linda Riak, Helen Rousseau, Susan Kessel, Jeff Evaul, Alicia Straus, Katy Coughlin, Richard Goren, Bill Weinreb, Maria Vacca, Kim Santilli, Mary-Alice Tully, Carol Vaghar, Marisa Cimino, Jackie Bunt, Cindy Hutter, Lisa de Lima, Lisa Griggs, Dana Dornbusch, Matt Sarrett, Kristina Day, Jameila Haddawi, Amy Hennessy, Stella Lee, Krista Kett, Carol Gray, James Glanville, Mary Thomas, Leslie Williams, Laurel Britt-Webb, Jan Giglio, Todd Heberlein, Aileen Murphy, Eric Riak, Mike Day, Jack Goldsmith, Laura Allen, Stephen Allen and Walter Piescek. Great effort.  The easiest way to get straight A’s is to do show up and do your homework.  You’re on track.

Ask Mike

Got a question, ask me.  Want to see past questions, check here:  Ask Mike

Your coach,

Mike Alves

Newton Boot Camp