For today’s post, I thought I’d share some exceprts from Dr. Ben’s (Eniva’s Vice Chairman & Chief Medical Officer) March newsletter.  It’s perfect timing actually, since today is kind of a gloomy gray MN day…imagine that. ;-b

But, Spring is just around the corner!!  So, let’s talk about Vitamin D: “The Sunshine Vitamin.”

Vitamin D is often referred to as “The Sunshine Vitamin” because your body produces it in response to being exposed to sunlight.  You also know Vitamin D is important for helping promote healthy bones and teeth in the body through facilitating calcium absorption.  What you may not know is Vitamin D is critical to regulating over 2000 genes in the body involved in multiple areas of health.  Vitamin D plays a critical role in supporting a healthy heart, healthy cellular replication, a healthy immune system, a healthy mood and mental health [giving it another nickname, "The Feel Good Vitamin"], comfort within muscles, and even promoting healthy blood sugar levels – to name just a few!

So, what makes Vitamin D so unique in how it works?

Most vitamins and nutritional substances work by acting as co-factors for pre-existing body reactions – meaning they don’t actually direct what happens, but simply “help” to accomplish body processes that have already been started.  Vitamin D promotes health in a very different way by acting like a hormone.  It can both start and direct specific reactions in the body – including at the DNA level.  Vitamin D actually works as a promoter to help “turn on” multiple genes in the body in various organs critical to daily functioning.  Plus, research indicates that every single cell in the body has a Vitamin D receptor – even stem cells!

How important is Vitamin D?

Just think of this:  in 20-30 minutes a full body without sunscreen exposed to direct sunlight will produce 10,000 to 50,000 international units of Vitamin D – that’s amazing! It also speaks to the importance of Vitamin D in the body.  Your body wants to make it as soon as possible and in a large amount because it is critical to health.  Unfortunately, studies have clearly shown the majority of individuals in modern societies are deficient in Vitamin D, even if they live in a sunny climate.

The U.S. Government is currently re-evaluating the RDA for Vitamin D and an increase from the current 400 IU is expected at some time in the near future.  Most health professionals agree the RDA should be 1000 – 4000 IU.

Wow!  I always knew Vitamin D was important, but I had no idea it was involved with so much in the body.  This is one supplement I’m excited to have in my nutrition program.

You can learn more about Vitamin D and try out the one Dr. Ben designed by clicking HERE.

By the way, I’ll be putting together a post soon about how I’m incorporating various Eniva products into my nutrition plan which will absolutely continue to include Prograde Nutrition products, and some others.  I’ll share a day in the life of Justin – meal by meal, workout(s) timing and nutritional supplements.

Have Faith & Take Action!

Justin Yule, B.S., CPT

Your friendly neighborhood Chaska / Chanhassen boot camp instructor and online personal trainer.

Burn 9x more fat at a fraction of the cost of other personal training programs.

P.S. – For a FREE 2-week Trial to the area’s number one weight loss & fitness boot camp visit www.LookGreatAtTheLakeBootCamp.com

P.P.S. – For a $9 30-day Trial to the first and number one Online weight loss & fitness boot camp visit www.OnlineVideoBootCamp.com

Before I share the FREE Look Great at the Lake Boot Camp Workout of the Week I’d like to close off this “Who inspires me?” week with a personal experience and a dedication to deliver the very best service I possibly can to you.  I hope to be an inspiration to you on your journey to acheive your health & fitness goals.

My story:  On February 19th, I took a trip to KY to meet with my business coach, Pat Rigsby.

Yes, I have a coach and several mentors.  If you don’t have a coach you’re truly missing out on maximizing your potential. The best, brightest and most successful people always have at least one coach and multiple people they look up to and follow with enthusiasm.  Just think of some of the greatest athletes that dominated their sport like Mia Hamm, Michael Jordan, Emmit Smith, Tony Hawk, Dave Mirra and the Williams sisters.  Even 2-time gold medal superstar Shaun White has a team of coaches.  The same goes true for top business executives, speakers, clergy and even the President of the United States.

If you’re reading this then I’ll assume greater health and fitness are one of your goals.  Whether you’re trying to maximize your physical potential, look great naked, rock that new dress, and/or have tons of energy to keep up with your kids or grand-kids having a coach (a.k.a. personal trainer or boot camp instructor) is essential.  Coaches not only provide education, they also provide motivation, accountability and make great “sounding boards.”  A great coach will pull your best out of you.

Anyway, a couple days before my trip to KY I posted a comment on Pat’s blog and mentioned that I was excited to work with him that Friday.  Well, I goofed…BIGTIME.  Pat shot me an email back saying that the semi-private coaching session that I was scheduled for was MARCH 19th NOT February 19th!!

OH $#|^! Realizing I messed up the date, without even skipping a beat, Pat told me not to worry about it and he would make it work in his schedule.  He invited me to his house to spend the day working with him in his office!!  ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!  This guy has his hands in 14 different fitness businesses – no exaggeration.  His wife Holly runs her own extremely successful fitness business as well.  Needless to say, his time is precious and EXTREMELY VALUABLE.

None of that mattered to Pat at the moment.  What mattered to him was that one of his loyal customers and mentees needed his help and was really excited about meeting with him.  Instead of having me pay a fee to reschedule my flight (which would’ve been what – a hundred bucks?) he worked his schedule around me that day.  He even told me not to get a car; he’d just pick me up.  Pat went over the top for me.  It was truly an outstanding example of going the extra mile.  In fact, of all the things I learned that day with Pat (which was a ton because of the added experience of watching him work in his environment) this example of going the extra mile for a good customer was the biggest lesson.  Well, I’m no longer a good customer of Pat’s…I’m a great customer -  a RAVING FAN!

It’s my goal to have my customers and readers feel the same way about me and Justin Yule Enterprises as it grows.  I’ve always tried to do my best to go the extra mile for you and will continue to look for new ways to do so.  I put a lot of work into creating blog posts that I hope you find interesting.  I often talk one-on-one over the phone or meet for a cup of green tea with my boot campers.  I put my heart and soul into my boot camp programs, and it’s always been my goal to be as available as possible for Q&A, moral support and guidance.

Going forward, I will continue to look for new and innovative ways to provide top-notch service to you.  In fact, I’m experimenting right now with FREE Q&A conference calls, and I’ve most recently made my www.OnlineVideoBootCamp.com videos downloadable for members.  Now they can watch the videos right on their smart phone if they want to!  That’s pretty freakin’ cool

I’ve gotten some great feedback in my boot camp surveys and will continue to look for ways to improve my offerings.  I greatly value your input so please don’t hesitate to share.

OK.  Let’s get on with today’s workout video.

As we do each Friday, we got after it hard with a 50:10 5-exercise circuit powered by Workout Muse: Boot Camp Dynamite followed by a killer finisher. This is a favorite high-intensity interval training (HIIT) format, especially for dramatically increasing endurance, boosting metabolism, and melting some serious fat!

Check out our boot camp rockstars below as they perform this rocking circuit training workout:

Exercise 1: Overhead Squats
Exercise 2: Push Press
Exercise 3: Single-legged Good Mornings
Exercise 4: Bent-over Pulls
Exercise 5: Kneeling Opposites

The Finisher:  Squat Jumps

Now, GET AFTER IT!

Have Faith & Take Action!

Justin Yule, B.S., CPT

Your friendly neighborhood Chaska / Chanhassen boot camp instructor and online personal trainer.

Burn 9x more fat at a fraction of the cost of other personal training programs.

P.S. – For a FREE 2-week Trial to the area’s number one weight loss & fitness boot camp visit www.LookGreatAtTheLakeBootCamp.com

P.P.S. – For a $9 30-day Trial to the first and number one Online weight loss & fitness boot camp visit www.OnlineVideoBootCamp.com

“One Ounce, One Cell at a Time”
- Bob Britz

Wow!  This has truly been an inspirational week.

I started off the week sharing a story of how one of my very awesome Look Great at the Lake Boot Camp members made some changes in her life to fit in fitness for her family.  Then on Tuesday I introduced you to my friend Steve, his incredible philosophy of giving, and Send Out Cards – my new favorite feel good service.   Yesterday, of course, was my honey’s birthday – by the way, Janell is very appreciative of all the birthday wishes.

Today, I’m going to share with you an honorable experience I had Tuesday night.

Let me give you a little background though…Last July when I started Look Great at the Lake Boot Camp I decided to join a local chapter of the business networking group BNI – as a side note, BNI is my largest source of leads for my business

Anyway, in my group, I met a gentlemen named Bob Britz who is an independent representative of a nutrition supplement company called Eniva.  Now, to be honest, I was not too excited about being approached by ANOTHER supplement distributor.  Being a top trainer and manager with LTF and then starting my own fitness business you can imagine how many times I’ve been approached by totally unqualified network marketing potion pushers – yeah, I just said that

Well, there was something different about Bob.  First of all, he’s got a very strong health & fitness background including a degree in the field and many years of teaching.  I’ve also discovered that he’s an incredible amateur athlete in multiple sports including baseball and cross-country skiing.  On top of all that, he’s just a really genuine guy.

OK, I’m going off on one of my tangents again.  Let me real it in…

Readers of my blog and members of my boot camps know that I’m a die-hard Prograde Nutrition fan.  Thier products are simply awesome!  Prograde bars and shakes taste incredible, and their multi-vitamin and EFA products are top notch.  Needless to say, I was not looking for another company to represent.

However, earlier this year I decided I wanted to try a cleanse because I’ve read so many great things about them over the years, and as I’m approaching 35 I thought it might be another side of health and fitness I should take a closer look at.  Prograde doesn’t offer a product solution in this category.  Prograde is very focused on the core nutrition products – multi-vitamin, EFA, post-workout nutrition, snack bars and meal replacement shakes.  So, knowing Bob and having done some of my own research on Eniva, I decided that I would give the Life Cleanse and Bio-Chlor products a try.  I wrote a blog post about my experience about a month ago.

After having such an awesome experience with my first two Eniva products, I decided to experiment with Eniva’s joint health formula – Flex.  It’s only been a couple weeks and I’m pretty psyched with what I’ve seen so far.  I’m going to give it some more time, as well as experiment with a few clients, and then report back on my findings in a future blog post.

OK.  That brings me to my experience Tuesday night, and the whole point of this blog post:

I spent Tuesday evening at Eniva headquarters in Anoka, MN.  I toured the facility and met both the owners, twin brothers, Dr. Ben and Andy Baechler.  Impressed doesn’t even begin to describe my feelings. The research and development that Dr. Ben has put into these products is truly something.  That is why the products are referred to as nutraceuticals – basically nutrition products made at pharmaceutical standards.

Beyond the technology that goes into these products, the people behind them are incredibly inspiring.  They’re truly dedicated to “taking wellness to the world.” The facts tell, but the stories sell.  I heard some truly phenomenal stories about how some of the products came to be and how they’ve impacted peoples’ lives.

I also got to learn even more about Bob Britz.  He is admired and respected by the members of Eniva for his dedication and commitment to, as he says it, “changing lives – one ounce, one cell at a time.” I’m proud to call him my friend, and I look forward to exploring more of what the Eniva products have to offer myself and my members.

Let me say this very clearly though: I am not aligning myself with Eniva for a business opportunity. I am incorporating Eniva into my business because I think it fits and I believe it’s my job to bring my members and readers the very best fitness and nutrition information. That will always be number one to me.

In the weeks to come, as I learn more about Eniva and it’s specific wellness products, I will share more information with you.  I will also let you know how I personally incorporate them into my nutrition program in conjunction with the Prograde Nutrition and other products I currently use.

Have Faith & Take Action!

Justin Yule, B.S., CPT

Your friendly neighborhood Chaska / Chanhassen boot camp instructor and online personal trainer.

Burn 9x more fat at a fraction of the cost of other personal training programs.

P.S. – For a FREE 2-week Trial to the area’s number one weight loss & fitness boot camp visit www.LookGreatAtTheLakeBootCamp.com

P.P.S. – For a $9 30-day Trial to the first and number one Online weight loss & fitness boot camp visit www.OnlineVideoBootCamp.com

It’s Janell’s 28th Birthday!!

As many of you know, Janell is my girlfriend, best friend, confidant and major supporter.  It’s very fitting that this week I’m talking about inspirational figures in my life.  Janell is major inspiration to me in so many ways.  I can’t even begin to describe the support, love and faith she has given me over the past couple years, especially this last year as I completely changed courses in my life and started my boot camp programs and website.

Janell is one of the strongest people I’ve ever met.  She’s been through a lot in just a few short years; I’ve dished out quite a bit of stress for her myself :-b.  But, through all of it, she always takes the high road and knows that in the end everything will work itself out.  I think it’s that positivity and outlook on life that makes it so for her; kind of like the Law of Attraction we talked about in yesterday’s post.

For those of you who don’t know, Janell and I used to work together at Life Time Fitness.  That’s how we met.  She was one of my top trainers and eventually became my Lead Assistant Department Head – basically, she was my right hand.  She kept things running at the top notch, record setting level that the we became accustomed to when I was traveling and performing my other roles for the company.  We made one hell of a team along with my other assistants and program leads (thanks Nick, Liz, Phil, Derk and all the other previous assistants that were eventually promoted).  Who knew that our friendship, trust and faith in each other would eventually blossom into the amazing relationship we have today?  We certainly didn’t.  In fact, we still joke about how there was zero attraction between us for the first couple years we knew each other.  LOL.

Anyway, please join me in wishing her a very happy birthday by posting a comment below.  And, it also happens to be one of my Look Great at the Lake Boot Camp member’s birthday as well.  Happy birthday Cassie!

In honor of Janell’s birthday, I thought it would be fun to run a special today.

Since Janell is 28 years old today, I’m giving a 28% discount on our regular boot camp prices when you enlist for an 8-month program.

That’s a KILLER DISCOUNT on my Look Great at the Lake Boot Camp and Online Video Boot Camp programs!

If you’d like to take advantage of one of these awesome deals just shoot me an email at justin@justinyule.com and I’ll make it happen for you.

Once again, happy birthday to my inspiration and the true love of my life – Janell.

Have Faith & Take Action!

Justin Yule, B.S., CPT

Your friendly neighborhood Chaska / Chanhassen boot camp instructor and online personal trainer.

Burn 9x more fat at a fraction of the cost of other personal training programs.

P.S. – For a FREE 2-week Trial to the area’s number one weight loss & fitness boot camp visit www.LookGreatAtTheLakeBootCamp.com

P.P.S. – For a $9 30-day Trial to the first and number one Online weight loss & fitness boot camp visit www.OnlineVideoBootCamp.com

“You get back what you send out. ”

- Steve Wein

I love that saying.  My colleague and friend Steve Wein from Send Out Cards says that all the time; in fact, it’s the tag line for his business.  It really couldn’t be more true.

In keeping with my “Who inspires me?” theme for the week, I want to talk briefly about Law of Attraction, my friend Steve, and an amazing program that helps you let others know how special they are to you.  And, YES, I will tie this into achieving your weight loss, health & fitness goals.

If you’ve been following my blog for a while you know I’m really into personal development and truly believe in the Law of Attraction.  Well, “believe in”, doesn’t really make sense.  That’s like saying I believe in gravity.  Whether you believe it or not, it’s there.  It’s a universal law.  So is the Law of Attraction.

For many years I’ve been studying the teachings and programs of world-famous philosopher Bob Proctor.  Many know him from the movie The Secret.  That particular movie helped take the Law of Attraction and Bob Proctor more mainstream.  Below is a clip from that DVD where Bob does a wonderful job explaining this mysterious law of the universe.

That may be pretty deep for you right now.  Stick with it.  Watch it over and over.  I also recommend downloading a FREE copy of Chapter 1 of my book The Science of Getting Fit.  I go deeper into the subject.

My friend Steve Wein understands this philosophy and lives it every single day.  He built his entire business around it!  As I mentioned at the beginning of this post, Steve is a Send Out Cards representative.  Basically, he makes a living sending and helping others send greeting cards to the people who are important to them.  He brings back that personal touch and warm communication that the email and text messaging era have almost wiped out.  It really is a different feeling when you open up a greeting card with a personal message in the senders handwriting.  There’s just something more special about it than receiving an email or text message.  I was so inspired by Steve’s philosophy and the mission and power of Send Out Cards that I decided to incorporate it into my business and personal life.  I’ve got to tell you, it feels really awesome every time I hit that send button!

If you’ve never used the system, go ahead and set-up a FREE account at https://www.sendoutcards.com/justinyule .  In following Steve’s lead, I’m now sharing the experience with others.  Send someone a card on my dime just to see how the program works and how great it feels.  Use it tell someone in your life they’re special or send a thank you card to someone you just did business with.

I hope you it makes you FEEL GREAT!

Oh yeah, I almost forgot; I said I would tie this all back into achieving your weight loss, health & fitness goals.  Well, it’s real simple.  You get back what you send out.  Work your tail off exercising PROPERLY and eating RIGHT and BY LAW you will achieve your goals.  Be lazy, unmotivated and not willing to seek professional help and you’ll just keep getting the results you’re getting.  If nothing changes, nothing changes! Was that clear enough ;-b

Have Faith & Take Action!

Justin Yule, B.S., CPT

Your friendly neighborhood Chaska / Chanhassen boot camp instructor and online personal trainer.

Burn 9x more fat at a fraction of the cost of other personal training programs.

P.S. – For a FREE 2-week Trial to the area’s number one weight loss & fitness boot camp visit www.LookGreatAtTheLakeBootCamp.com

P.P.S. – For a $9 30-day Trial to the first and number one Online weight loss & fitness boot camp visit www.OnlineVideoBootCamp.com

Grab a cup of coffee and sit with me for a few minutes.  If you don’t have one, save your money.  $2 for a cup of Joe is insane anyway.

Everyday I’m inspired by my members.  It’s truly a blessing getting to do what I do for a living.  Today, I want to share with you an especially cool “story” I’m going to call Coffee Boot Camp.

You see, I have a relatively new member who’s just rocking it.  She’s a very standard client that most people can relate to in the sense that she’s a mom and wife who has put on some extra weight over the years since having kids.  Oh, in addition, she’s been laid off.  Yeah, she’s got some stress in her life.

Fortunately, she had the where-with-all (is that even close to how you write that “word”) to join my Chanhassen, MN weight loss & fitness program Look Great at the Lake Boot Camp because she knew she needed to re-prioritize and do something to take care of herself – mom’s just stink at that by the way (here’s an old post on that subject).  Timing was right, as I was running a very special Drop a Dress Size in 21-days promotion for only $97.

Well, since joining she’s had some great results, the most important one being showing up to class.  That, by the way, is a big one for many especially moms.  It’s not just about dropping the weight and getting her sexy legs back, it’s also about getting some time to herself, de-stressing and having a little HEALTHY fun with other people.

But, all that was not the point of today’s post.  Careful, I can really go off on tangents. 

Anyway, as with many folks these days, money is tight for this young couple right now.  BUT, she did what most people aren’t willing to do in order to better herself and her family.  She looked at her expenses for things to cut that were less important, perhaps even moving her away from her goals, so she could continue with boot camp and even pay for a membership for her husband to join!

And, guess what?  She found it!

Of course she did.  In fact, I’d say 8 out of 10 times when I speak with someone who says they can’t afford a health and fitness program they’re not looking at what they’re spending on non-essentials ESPECIALLY THE ONES THAT ARE MAKING THEM UNHEALTHY AND OVERWEIGHT IN THE FIRST PLACE.

You know where she found the money?  Well, if you read the title of today’s post you sure do.  Yup, she found that she was spending MORE on fancy coffee drinks each month than an entire month’s membership to boot camp!

By the way, this is VERY COMMON.

So, I’m quite certain that if you look, you’ll find both the time and the money to fit in fitness.  You just have to want it.  You need to decide…

How would you rather spend your time and money?

If you’re looking for other areas to find money to better spend on your health and fitness goals check out this post:  28 Ways to Save Money So You Can Afford a Fitness Program

By the way, if you have other ideas please share in the comments section below.  Your idea may just change someone’s life; maybe even a families!

Have Faith & Take Action!

Justin Yule, B.S., CPT

Your friendly neighborhood Chaska / Chanhassen boot camp instructor and online personal trainer.

Burn 9x more fat at a fraction of the cost of other personal training programs.

P.S. – For a FREE 2-week Trial to the area’s number one weight loss & fitness boot camp visit www.LookGreatAtTheLakeBootCamp.com

P.P.S. – For a $9 30-day Trial to the first and number one Online weight loss & fitness boot camp visit www.OnlineVideoBootCamp.com

We had another AWESOME week in Look Great at the Lake Boot Camp.  Over a dozen new members started up with us on Monday, and they absolutely rocked it!!

As we do each Friday, we got after it hard with a 50:10 5-exercise circuit powered by Workout Muse: Boot Camp Dynamite followed by a killer finisher. This is a favorite high-intensity interval training (HIIT) format, especially for dramatically increasing endurance, boosting metabolism, and melting some serious fat!

Check out our boot camp rockstars below as they perform this rocking circuit training workout:

Exercise 1: Sumo Deadlifts
Exercise 2: Incline Chest Press
Exercise 3: Wall Sit
Exercise 4: Standing Rows
Exercise 5: Total Body Extensions

The Finisher:  Mountain Climbers

Now, GET AFTER IT!

Have Faith & Take Action!

Justin Yule, B.S., CPT

Your friendly neighborhood Chaska / Chanhassen boot camp instructor and online personal trainer.

Burn 9x more fat at a fraction of the cost of other personal training programs.

P.S. – For a FREE 2-week Trial to the area’s number one weight loss & fitness boot camp visit www.LookGreatAtTheLakeBootCamp.com

P.P.S. – For a $9 30-day Trial to the first and number one Online weight loss & fitness boot camp visit www.OnlineVideoBootCamp.com

On Monday, I shared introduced my Anti-Crunch Solution to 6-Pack Abs.  We dispelled the 4 biggest myths about ab training.  In case you missed it, you can read that post HERE.  Today, I’m going to layout a simple step-by-step blueprint for you that will have you rocking six-pack abs by summer!

The Anti-Crunch Six-Pack Abs Blueprint:

Step #1- Lose the fat that is covering your abs so that you can see them

A.) Eat to lose fat and elevate metabolism

• Drink at least 2-4 cups of water immediately upon waking and then drink at least 1-2 cups of water every 2 hours you are awake. Drink 1-2 cups of water for every 15 minutes of vigorous activity.
• Eat immediately upon waking and then every 2-4 hours after that for a total of 6-8 feedings per day (3 meals, 3 snacks- half the size of your meals, workout nutrition)
• Focus on a wide range of organic lean proteins, natural fats, and fruit and veggies

Sample One-Day Menu:

• Breakfast:  Scrambled Eggs, Greens, and Turkey Sausage or Bacon
• Mid-Morning Snack:  Mixed Nuts and Fruit/Veggie of Choice
• Lunch:  Chicken, Salmon, or Shrimp Caesar Salad
• Mid-Afternoon Snack:  Cheese and Fruit/Veggie of Choice
• Dinner:  Turkey or Beef Meatballs and Spaghetti Squash
• Pre-Bed Snack:  Protein and Flax Shake

• Take a daily multi-vitamin for your gender and an essential fatty acid (EFA) supplement

If you’re addicted to carbs…

Use The Carb Reduction Blueprint: Use the following step by step process in the exact order listed to breakthrough any plateaus in your six-pack abs quest

1. Replace all white carbs with 100% whole grain carbs and all refined sugars with natural sugars
2. Limit all whole grain starch and natural sugar consumption to within 1-2 hours post-workout or immediately upon waking for breakfast
3. Replace all starches and sugars with fruits and veggies
4. Replace high-glycemic fruits with low-glycemic fruits or green veggies
5. Use strategic carb and calorie cycling to take your body to next level (my clients and I have had great success with this but it is beyond the scope of this article)

B.) Train to lose fat and elevate metabolism

• Monday, Wednesday, and Friday- Perform Total Body Circuit Strength Training

50-10 Interval Five Exercise Total Body Circuit: You will alternate between 50 seconds of work and 10 s of rest for each exercise in the following five-exercise circuit. Perform this 5-minute circuit up to four times for a 20-minute total body workout:

• Exercise 1: Deadlifts
• Exercise 2: Push-ups
• Exercise 3: Split Squats or Lunges
• Exercise 4: Chin-ups or Back Extensions
• Exercise 5: Pillars

• Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday- Perform Cardio Interval Training

30-30’s: You will alternate between 30 seconds of maximum effort and 30 s of active recovery. You will perform this 1-minute round up to 20x for 20 total minutes. You can perform this workout on your cardio machine of choice (spin bike, running, etc.) or by alternating between your favorite body weight cardio exercises (stationary running, jumping jacks, etc.)

Step #2- Train your abs based on their true function: STABILIZATION

Below is one of my favorite core attack workouts. It involves no crunches or sit-ups by using all pillar stabilization exercises. Once you master these killer moves and follow everything else I previously listed above, you will have a sweet pair of rock hard abs to show for it… I guarantee it!

The Power to the Pillar Workout- Tabata Style

This 20-minute total body core workout focuses entirely on pillar stabilization. The pillar collectively consists of your shoulders, hips, and core. It is your body’s powerhouse, foundational to all movement.
For each exercise below you will alternate between 20 s of work and 10 s of rest. You will repeat this 30-second sequence eight times for four total minutes followed by a one minute rest and transition before moving on to the next exercise listed.

For maximum benefits, you must seek to maintain a tight pillar position during all movements by actively pulling your navel to your spine, engaging your glutes, and maintaining a straight line from the heels through the shoulders.

1. Front Pillar Variation (static or dynamic)
2. Left Side Pillar Variation (static or dynamic)
3. Right Side Pillar Variation (static or dynamic)
4. Back Pillar Variation (static or dynamic)

Ab training isn’t what it used to be; it’s far better and far more effective. Forget the ridiculous back breaking exercises and don’t even think about purchasing some gizmo off an informercial.
Now, GET AFTER IT!

Have Faith & Take Action!

Justin Yule, B.S., CPT

Your friendly neighborhood Chaska / Chanhassen boot camp instructor and online personal trainer.

Burn 9x more fat at a fraction of the cost of other personal training programs.

P.S. – For a FREE 2-week Trial to the area’s number one weight loss & fitness boot camp visit www.LookGreatAtTheLakeBootCamp.com

P.P.S. – For a $9 30-day Trial to the first and number one Online weight loss & fitness boot camp visit www.OnlineVideoBootCamp.com

How to Get 6-Pack Abs Without Crunches or Sit-ups

Face it- we all want a flat, sexy midsection. But for many of us no amount of crunches or sit-ups seems to get the job done. I can’t tell you how many times people have asked me the following questions:

“I do all kinds of crunches and sit-ups every day and I still have a flabby midsection. What’s the deal?”

Well, before I reveal your six-pack abs blueprint, let’s first debunk some very important myths about how to get six-pack abs:

Myth #1- Weight loss is the key to seeing your abs

WRONG!
The key to seeing your abs is FAT LOSS, not weight loss.
You see, your body consists of fat mass and lean body mass (water, muscle, bone, organs, etc.). You want to minimize your fat mass and maximize your lean body mass to build a healthy metabolism: one that melts fat and builds muscle. By improving body composition you will put yourself in the best position to rock that coveted six-pack.
So if you lose 20 lbs on the scale at the expense of losing some lean muscle mass in the process you will end up slowing your metabolism, decreasing performance, and losing that good looking muscle tone. But if you lose 20 lbs on the scale and you manage to keep or gain lean muscle mass you will increase performance, see more visible definition throughout your body, and keep the fat weight off for good!

The scale has far too many variables to account for that lead to frequent fluctuations such as hydration levels, sodium intake, and for women the menstrual cycle. I firmly believe one should NOT keep a scale at their home- it is such an anchor, particularly for women. Get off the scale and get over the numbers. The true goal is fat loss, not weight loss. Focus on clothing size reduction, digital before and after pictures, and of course the mirror for the most accurate progress tracking.

Myth #2- Do lots of abdomonal work to burn off stomach fat

WRONG!
Spot reduction doesn’t work. You can’t just work the muscles of a certain area of your body and expect to have the fat in that region go away. Think about it: almost everyone does crunches but proportionately very few people perform total body workouts. So, with all of these crunches, we’d expect to see nothing but people with flat tummies and fat deposits everywhere else on their body (arms, legs, etc.). But think of how many people you know and see on a regular basis whom have more than a few inches to lose in their midsection. If that still doesn’t convince you, think about this. Does chewing gum make your face skinny? Of course not. See what I mean- spot reduction doesn’t work!
See, your body loses fat in a genetically pre-determined way when there is the appropriate caloric deficit AND hormonal environment created by proper eating and training. So your best bet is to focus on burning as many calories during your workouts as possible by engaging your whole body each and every training session (not just your abs). Compound, multi-joint movements like squats, push-ups, lunges, etc. burn a lot more calories than isolation movements like crunches and sit-ups. So be sure to focus on these movements first and then if you have time, you can do some extra core work to further improve your core stabilization and strength.

Myth #3- Crunches and Sit-ups are the best exercises for your abs

WRONG!
The scientific term for your six-pack muscles are your rectus abdominis. For years now, we have been conditioned to think that the best way to work your rectus abdominis is by doing endless crunches and sit-ups since these trunk flexion exercises make the muscles you want to see in the mirror “burn.” However, the true function of the rectus abdominis is to prevent hyperextension, not to flex forward over and over again. Anytime you brace your abs (think slight crunch before you get punched in the gut) and pull your navel into your spine you effectively stabilize your spine into a safe, neutral position. And the moment you relax your abs and lose that braced abs position, your back will begin to hyperextend putting you at greater risk for injury.
So, we focus on stabilization exercises in all three planes of movement (saggital- front to back, frontal- side to side, and transverse- rotational) by using pillar exercise variations (also know as planks). Besides training the true “anti-extension” function of your superficial ab muscles, these bridging/stabilization exercises also activate the key transverse abdominus muscles, or your deep abdominal stabilizers, that wrap around your spine and support your internal organs. Strengthening these inner ab muscles is the key to optimal posture and performance in addition to injury prevention, yet another benefit to performing pillars over crunches and sit-ups that often cause unwanted neck and back pain.

Myth #4- Do lots of long-duration cardio to burn the fat covering your abs

WRONG!
Both scientific research and real world case studies show that aerobic training for fat loss alone doesn’t work. Total body resistance training is the true foundation of any solid fat loss plan. In addition, interval training, where you alternate between bouts of maximum effort and active recovery, is scientifically proven to burn nine times more fat than ordinary exercise. Please note that you can perform both resistance interval training and cardio interval training to combine the best of both worlds. More on that to come in Part 2 of 6-Pack Abs: The Anti-Crunch Solution.
Until then…

Have Faith & Take Action!

Justin Yule, B.S., CPT

Your friendly neighborhood Chaska / Chanhassen boot camp instructor and online personal trainer.

Burn 9x more fat at a fraction of the cost of other personal training programs.

P.S. – For a FREE 2-week Trial to the area’s number one weight loss & fitness boot camp visit www.LookGreatAtTheLakeBootCamp.com

P.P.S. – For a $9 30-day Trial to the first and number one Online weight loss & fitness boot camp visit www.OnlineVideoBootCamp.com

I’m going to make today’s post quick and let the videos do the talking.

Lately, I’ve had a lot of people ask me what they can do for cardio workouts at home when they don’t have any equipment – treadmill, bike, elliptical, stair climber, etc. By the way, as I’m writing this, it’s February in Minnesota – not exactly ideal conditions for running or biking outside.

The fact is, you don’t need ANY equipment to get a great cardio workout.  Body weight workouts rock!!  You can do them anywhere and you have no excuses. :-b

With your body weight, some creativity and some killer Workout Muse tracks you can rev your metabolism to new heights and burn fat faster than ever.

Here’s one of my favorites. I call it the Body Weight Cardio/Core Blitz.

20-10 Tabatas Circuit powered by Workout Muse: Ultimate Tabatas

You will alternate between 20 seconds of work and 10 seconds of rest/transition for each exercise within the circuit. Every 4 minutes of work is followed by 1 minute of rest. You will perform 4 circuits for 20 total minutes.

Round 1: Total Body (choose 1 exercise)

Windmills – shown in video below
Jumping Jacks
Cross-country Skiers
Swings
Burpees

Round 2: Lower Body (choose 1 exercise)

Ankle Jumps – shown in video below
Feet-over-the-Line Jumps
Running in Place
Speed Squats
Ice Skater Jumps

Round 3: Upper Body (choose 1 exercise)

Upper Body Running – shown in video below
Shadow Boxing – jabs, hooks, upper cuts
Shadow Boxing – imaginary speed bag work
Incline Push-ups
Pillar Rows

Round 4: Core (choose 1 exercise)

Front Pillar Variation – shown in video below
Side Pillar Variation
Back Pillar Variation
Upper Body Twists Variation
Back Extensions Variation

Well, there you have it – a 20-minute killer cardio/core workout with nothing but your body weight. Now, get off your but and get after it! ?

Oh yeah, if you feel the need to step-it-up or change-it-up try performing this workout with a 40:20 or 50:10 interval training format/ ;-b

Have Faith & Take Action!

Justin Yule, B.S., CPT

Your friendly neighborhood Chaska / Chanhassen boot camp instructor and online personal trainer.

Burn 9x more fat at a fraction of the cost of other personal training programs.

P.S. – For a FREE 2-week Trial to the area’s number one weight loss & fitness boot camp visit www.LookGreatAtTheLakeBootCamp.com

P.P.S. – For a $9 30-day Trial to the first and number one Online weight loss & fitness boot camp visit www.OnlineVideoBootCamp.com