Yesterday I cut the first tulip from the yard and Vanessa says, “Why are you doing that?  They look so pretty, just leave it” and I replied, “because that’s why I bought the bulbs in the first place.  So I could give fresh flowers to you!”

Speaking of smart investments, having your own equipment is another one.  This weekend I used my lacrosse ball to massage and loosen my feet.  I used my massage stick for tight peronneal muscles and my stretch out strap and exercise mat for some breath stretching.  I’ve got a pair of power block dumbbells, super bands, a jungle strap and valslides in my room for when I want to get a quick workout in.  My desk chair turns into a bench, my bed turns into a plyo box and I have an airex pad and ab wheel for some other cool exercises.

Aside from my normal training routine, I like to bust out a set of something every once in a while.   For example.  When working in the office, after sitting for an hour I begin to get tight so I get up and move around for 5-10 minutes.  It could be a movement prep exercise like deep squats, a strength exercise like push ups, a corrective exercise like wall slides or a core exercise like planks opposites.  If it’s before going out at night for date night or guys night out, there’s almost always a set of push ups.  My favorite “peak” routines are either 1 set of failure of push ups, bench lunge and chin ups or a Tabata circuit (20:10) of the same.

The take home message is to build activity into your lifestyle so you can create habits that become norms for you.  Use boot camp and weekly cardio minutes to get you started.  These comprise your foundation that you build family, work and everything else on top off.   If you put exercise or activity first, it means you’re putting your health first and the benefit, which is a long term one, will mean you’ll feel great and have high energy to give to other important areas of your life.

Now to the recap!

This week’s agenda:

  • Cardio Minutes
  • Quarterly Overview
  • Phase 5 Overview
  • Weekly Themes
  • Rookies
  • Guest Day
  • Nutrition Discussion & Grocery Shopping Tour
  • Post Measurements +
  • Bonus Week
  • Shout Outs
  • NY Times Articles

Cardio Minutes:

Time Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Total
6am 15 20 18 53
9am 20 15 20 55
6:30pm 20 15 20 55

Cardio minutes were tough to earn this week in class b/c of the technical aspect of the exercises I taught.  This week should be better and remember to always skip rope in place at a 1+ second per rep pace.

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 Cardio Minute Goals based on Personal Goals

  • *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, WLyour cardio number min.  This will help me know whether to give you a high five or not.

Quarterly Overview

This quarter the goal is to switch from primarily weight loss based programming to fat loss based programming, but before I explain further we need to establish a baseline understanding of how Change Your Body Boot Camps is structured.  Overall it’s designed to take out of shape, overweight people to their best shape, in the fastest time possible while making it sustainable, fun and safe.

To read the rest, click here. 

Phase 5 Overview

https://bootcampboston.com/phase-overview/2011-p5-overview/

Phase 5 will be comprised of a descending pyramid, (2) – 10 minute continuous circuits and an ascending pyramid.  There will be (1) finisher, shoulders, and the conditioning will be band relays, tennis shuttles and baseball baserunning.  The benefit of the pyramids will be a drop set or down the river effect in which you start with either a more complex exercise and/or a higher resistance and as the time progresses and you get tired, you decrease the exercise complexity (level) and/or resistance to maintain form and speed of movement.  This will result in maximal motor unit / muscle fiber recruitment and yield strong, hard and tone muscles that become pumped up with blood.  It’s a great feeling, at least the after affect,  and something you most certainly will enjoy.

The continuous circuits are excellent for escalating density, which means each week you should more work done within the same time.  This provides instant feedback that you got better (stronger, faster, more enduring…)

The shoulder finisher will help to improve your posture, give you great shoulder tone, while keeping your throwing arms healthy and lay the foundation for the summer when we start working beach muscles.

The conditioning will put instant smiles on your face and remind you that you are young, vibrant and youthful.  It will compliment spring sports you may or may not play and will help to get you cut, quicker.  It will also help you to burn more calories at rest because of the EPOC effect.  EPOC = Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption or the calories you burn after exercise are greater because you’ve disrupted your metabolism by the vigorous and high intensity exercise and it takes a while, sometimes up to 38 hours, for your metabolism to return to baseline.  The best part is the more often you exercise, the more this elevated metabolism gets compounded and this is great for your body transformation!

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: 2nd 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 Cathy Devoe, Susan Demoor, Sharon McKechnie, Christine Dunleavy, Sharon Russo, Soorena Farboodmanesh, Pam Wright and Mimi Borden.  Please welcome back Katie Doyle, Carol Meyer, Shari Krasnoo, and Jen Mendelsohn.  Returning boot campers would you please help your new teammates to feel comfortable in class, recognize their efforts, encourage them when they need it and show them the right way to do exercises by being good models.  J

Guest Day

Local Guest Day is this week.  You are welcome to bring a guest to class on one of the below dates.  Local guest day builds your support circle and lets your friends understand better what you do to look and feel so great.

  • 6:30pm, Tues, May 10 @ Mackenzie Center
  • 6am, Wed, May 11 @ B&G Club
  • 9am, Wed, May 11 @ 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.  Send your guest here to complete the registration packet:  https://bootcampboston.com/guest

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 found here:  https://bootcampboston.com/guest.

Nutrition Discussion & Grocery Shopping Tour

Is Saturday, May 7, 2011 from 10-12pm at the Boys & Girls Club, 675 Watertown St.  Come learn what to eat, when to eat and how often to eat for weight loss, fat loss / weight maintenance and performance or muscle building.  Learn what the strengths and weaknesses of each body type are and what you need to do if you want to change or stay the same.  Learn the big 4 macronutrients to have at every meal if you want to stabilize your blood sugar and your hunger.  Learn how starches can help you recover from intense exercise and gain weight / build muscle if you so desire.  Lastly learn how the program provides flexibility, aka, splurge meals as a reward for your discipline.  Thursday I’ll ask you to RSVP and the Nutrition Handout goes out Friday.

Post Measurements

Will be not be held at the end of this phase and will be held in conjunction with Phase 6’s Measurements & Orientation at 8am on Sunday, May 22 @ Mackenzie.  Please schedule this on your calendar now so you can track your progress and efforts from this phase.

P4, Bonus Week

Thank you to Kristen Pepe, Louise Civetti, Cindy Hutter, Scott Timmins, Laura Allen, Steve Allen, Marc Gromada, Hillary Ashton, Alicia Straus, Mary Magre, Laurel Britt-Webb, Aileen Murphy, Marisa Cimino, Susanna Fantozzi, Leslie Williams, Stella Lee and Sally Babigian for joining us, building your momentum and habits further and for learning and doing challenge workouts.

Facebook

If you’re on facebook.  Become a fan and like us:  https://www.facebook.com/changeyourbodybootcamps

Shout Outs

Perfect Attendance:  Chrissy Thurmond, Linda Riak, Helen Rousseau, Susan Kessel, Jennifer O’Leary, Alicia Straus, Katy Coughlin, Susanna Fantozzi, William Weinreb, Carol Vaghar, Charlotte Vanlier, Marisa Cimino, Jackie Bunt, Cindy Hutter, Lisa de Lima, Lisa Griggs, Jonathon Otting, Thomas John, Deb Rooney, Eva Chittenden, Kristen Pepe, Kathleen Lowney, Stella Lee, Krista Kett, James Glanville, Leslie Williams, Laurel Britt-Webb, Kathy Krongel, Candace Crabtree, Aileen Murphy, Rachel Viscomi, Mary Magre, Laura Allen, Stephen Allen, Walter Piescik, Louise Civetti, Ceci Dunn, Hillary Ashton, Shari Krasnoo, Cathy Devoe, Sue Demoor, Jen Mendelsohn, Sharon McKechnie, Sharon Russo, Soorena Farboodmanesh, Pam Wright and Mimi Borden.

Cardio High Fives: Susan Kessel, Marisa Cimino, Jackie Bunt, Cindy Hutter, Lisa Griggs, Deb Rooney, Kristen Pepe, Kathleen Lowney, Krista Kett, Kathy Krongel, Mary Magre, Stephen Allen and Ceci Dunn.

Thank you Laura Otting and Hillary Ashton for the NY Times articles you shared below.

To everyone who attended a week 1 workout.  These workouts were tough and you did them.  You should feel really good about yourselves.  Remember, when you do tough things, you get tough and when you get tough, life gets a bit easier.  J

NY Times Articles

What’s the Best Exercise? Want to know what the NY Times thinks is the best exercise.  We do 3 of the 4 exercises they named.  Click here to read it.

Is sitting a Lethal Activity? Want to know the answer?  Click here to find out.

Your coach,

Mike Alves

Newton Boot Camp