2011, P3, Week 1 Recap

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:

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.

Another way it could be done:

Or

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)

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)

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