You don’t need to do any crunches to get a flat belly.

You don't need to do any crunches to see 6 pack abs.

There are numerous problems with crunches.

First, crunches isolate one muscle group – the abs. Remember that in everyday living, the body works as one unit and it’s better to train it as such. Total body movements that work in multiple planes of motion are best.

Second, when you do crunches, you are lying on your back on the ground for part of the time, so your abs are relaxed and not even working during a portion of the crunch. You need to keep your abs braced as if someone was going to kick you in
the gut...at all times...suck up that gut, people!

Third, your abs play a critical role in stabilizing your spine (not flexing or bending it) and should be trained as such. During crunches, your abs are helping to flex the spine, not stabilize it. This will lead to a stiff neck and a sore back.

And finally, crunches are not an intense enough exercise to where you’ll be burning enough fat calories. Even if they did
work (which they don't), who wants to lay around wasting time doing endless amounts of crappy crunches?

So once and for all, crunches should be eliminated from your workout program. They suck. End of story.

If you REALLY want to get a flat stomach without ever doing another crunch (or back breaking sit-ups), you will love -

Mountain Climbers
Prisoner Squats
X Body Knee Ups
Spider Climbs
Mountain Steppers
The Almight Burpee
Plank Variations...and that is just a few.

If you are ready for real intense, effective ab/core/total body training experience - the way it was meant to be - then
Rock Star Boot Camp is your new home. :)

You've seen "The Biggest Loser"...motivational, inspirational - yes.

Realistic? Hardly.

Lose 12lbs in a week? Yeaaaah...not so much.

I have ranted about this for YEARS...this is not healthy for
long term strength and fitness, this is not a realistic set of goals
for the average person to get fit and this show has never ONCE taken into
account the percentage of BODY FAT versus LEAN MUSCLE...it's same every
week - step on a 'weight' scale and be judged.

Have you heard of "learning to dehydrate to manipulate the scale"?

Taking the water from your system, yes - you will "weigh" less.

Big f*****n deal...the scale has a smaller number for a little while -
cause, yes, your body WILL reclaim the water this is supposed to be there
in the first place.

How about basing your 'worth' as a person by a scale number?

If Biggest Loser is reality, so is Star Wars.

I applaud Kai Hibbard for stepping up and telling the TRUTH.

This is the biggest issue I have with the entire weight-loss industry. The fact that it is about WEIGHT loss. Not about lean muscle, not about getting strong, not hip and joint mobility and certainly not conditioning/health.

Not that I am opposed to using weight as a method of tracking progress, it can have it's place (albeit, it is something you should NOT ever focus on), but if this is the ONLY measurement then it encourages people to view their entire work ethic, results and worth as a person as a number on a scale.

If all you care about is losing 30lbs with ZERO regard for your fitness/conditioning/strength/health, then you may as well take a chainsaw to you leg. Forget those stupid, expensive and dangerous HCG-type diets. Just power-up the ol' buzz saw.

I promise that after - you’ll weigh LESS and it won’t take nearly as long.

Ridiculous? Of course. But some of the utterly stupid sh*t I have seen and heard of people doing isn’t much smarter or healthier.

Here is the solution: Move well and often. Get stronger. Eat real food fruit and vegetables. Enjoy lean protein sources and healthy fats. Measure your progress by how well you move, how well your clothes fit and how good you feel and how you look standing naked in the mirror.

Stay off the scale.

Quinoa Cookies (pronounced "Keen-wha"): 1/4 cup honey, 1/4 cup blue agave nectar, 1/3 brown sugar, 3/4 stick of organic butter, 1/2 cup organic peanut butter, 1/2 tsp vanilla, 1 cup organic brown rice flour, 3/4 cup quinoa flakes, 1 tsp baking soda, pinch of sea salt...this made 36 cookies! (so each cookie is low gylemic and filling for a quick treat - NO - do NOT eat all 36 at one time) :)

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Beat honey, blue agave nectar, brown sugar, butter, peanut butter and vanilla in medium bowl until creamy.

Combine brown rice flour, quinoa flakes, baking soda and salt in small bowl.

Add to mixture and beat until well blended. If desired, you can add some walnuts or other nuts here.

Drop rounded 'dollups' about 2 inches apart from each other onto ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake 12-15 minutes or until light golden brown.

Cool 1 minute before removing from cookie sheet.

Enjoy!

I don't agree with everything little "Miss-selling-diet-pills-Jillian Michaels" usually says (yes, she has hawked her name to some garbage diet pill/supplement crap you see at Walgreens), but this video might help some of you dealing with drinking red and trying to lose the blubber.

Check it out and let me know what you think:



Thoughts?

I am asked all the time - "what should I eat throughout the day?".

That's a little tough, depending on what your goals are - but let's say for the sake of this conversation, you are trying to get fit, strong and lean. Sound good?

OK, here is a quick "blueprint" of what a well-balanced day might look like:

Breakfast - 1-2 whole eggs, 1 slice Ezekiel toast, 1 apple,
Green Tea, fish oil or krill oil supplement.

Snack - 1oz raw almonds, 1 pear, Green Tea

Lunch - Grilled chicken/salmon or black bean salad with spinach,
onion, peppers, mushrooms, etc., 1 banana or bowl of cherries,
2 cups unsweetened iced tea with lime or lemon (and be sure to
keep drinking good ol' fashioned ice water for proper hydration)

Snack - Unlimited raw vegetables (you chose) and hummus

Dinner - Protein and vegetables and fruit...so this could be a small
piece of steak, chicken, or fish, along with your favorite
vegetables, and a bowl of your favorite fruit. Throw a little
avocado/salsa in every now and then to mix it up.

Now, listen - this blueprint won't change too much, with the exception of a slight
variation in your main course at dinner, right? And then once per
week schedule a meal of your favorite food. But can you see the outline?

You are pairing up lots of veggies, fruits with protein and fats...no processed
junk....just real food, well balanced.

Everyone can stick to this plan - it's not a "diet", it's a lifestyle.
You'll essentially approach food with this mentality from here on out.
This nutrition approach will start ripping off the blubber sooner rather
than later - guaranteed - without STUPID and RIDICULOUS diets.
This is also how you'll need to eat for the rest of your life.
It's not hard, it just requires a little practice.

Keep at it and NEVER give up.

I just came across this special report you need to see right now - especially if you are someone who drinks protein shakes.

Apparently some of the more popular protein and meal replacement supplements contain some heavy metals (not the cool rock n' roll like KISS, or big hair bands like Poison but lead and cadmium) and other toxic substances like arsenic. Yummy. Now, listen, I have not see the exact study, but this is worth taking a closer look at. So in the mean time, I would suggest staying away from the likes of Muscle Milk, Myoplex, Synthesix, Nitrotech and a couple others, at least until they have had a chance to clear their name.

You want a little more info watch the video from the link below:



If you still need some protein and post-workout drink ideas - some of the highest quality and "cleanest" stuff one out there (at least that I have found) is from Prograde Nutrition. You can only buy it online since it is not sold in stores (maybe that's why it doesn’t contain all that crap that could really be bad for you). Again, here's the link to Prograde Nutrition.

PS: If the video has trouble playing, here is the audio transcript from wusa9.com.

WASHINGTON DC (WUSA) -- You won't believe the dangerous chemicals that could be in your favorite protein shake.

A new investigation by Consumer Reports finds that all of the protein drinks tested had at least one sample containing one or more of the following; arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury.

They are sold as ready-to-drink liquids or powders that are mixed with milk, juice or water to make shakes. Testing also shows that the protein drinks may pose health problems over time, especially if a consumer drinks more than one a day. What makes these finding particularly worrisome is that some of the groups that tend to drink protein shakes are vulnerable, pregnant women, nursing mothers, baby boomers and teens, in addition to athletes.

Here are some examples of the findings:
# The ready-to-drink liquid EAS Myoplex Original Rich Dark Chocolate Shake contained high levels of two potentially dangerous chemicals; arsenic and cadmium. The shake provide an average of 16.9 micrograms (µg) of arsenic, exceeding the proposed USP limit of 15 µg per day and an average of 5.1 µg of cadmium, which is just above the USP limit of 5 µg per day.
# The samples of Muscle Milk Chocolate powder contained all four heavy metals and high levels in three; cadmium, lead and arsenic. Average cadmium levels of 5.6 µg in three daily servings exceeded the USP limit of 5 µg per day, and the average lead level of 13.5 µg also topped the USP limit of 10 µg per day. The average arsenic level of 12.2 µg was approaching the USP limit of 15 µg per day.

The drinks tested were purchased mainly in the New York metro area and online. For most of the protein products tested, Consumer Reports found levels of contaminants in the low to moderate range. However, three products if served three times a day, could expose consumers to levels of arsenic, cadmium or lead that exceed the maximum limits recommended for dietary supplements proposed by the U.S. Pharmacopeia (USP).

Standards for health products are voluntary and recommended by the USP. Federal regulations do not generally require that protein drinks face safety testing, as is the rule for prescription drugs.

The report is available in the July issue of Consumer Reports and online at www.ConsumerReports.org.

Written by Jessica Doyle
9NEWS NOW & wusa9.com

Gym not working for you? Try the "anti-gym" challenge with Rock Star Boot Camp!


21-day Pre-Summer Fat Blast Boot Camp - Starting Monday June 7!

So I chose to make this a 21 Day Challenge based on significant research that has proven that it takes on average 21 days for humans to create a habit (or break a habit...I like to think positive...you get the idea).

21 days has always been like a magic number for me...if I can do it for 21 days, I know I can get my mind and body on track to make it a part of my lifestyle - not some quick fix. It's also going to be more successful in the big picture, rather than drastic, overnight changes. Will it be an easy 3 weeks at camp? Nope...can't promise that. But I can promise that if you work with intensity, keep your focus and keep your mind and heart open - awesome changes will come your way!

You NEED to set yourself up for success - not disappointment or failure. This is a huge mantra behind the cutting-edge program design we use at Rock Star Boot Camp.

Register ASAP for the 21-Day Pre-Summer Fat Blast Boot Camp starting June 7 and continuing for 3 weeks...space is EXTREMELY limited since most of our members have a boot camp membership and are guaranteed their spot!

Here’s how to register…

Just be one of the first to click this link to register while there are spots still open: http://www.rockstarbootcamp.net/register.html and we’ll get you dialed in and ready for June 7th! Or email me or call 480-981-6877 with any questions.

Here are the Boot Camp locations and times:
Phoenix (101/35th Ave): 5:30-6:10am (mornings) and 6:3o-7:10pm (evenings)
Desert Ridge (101/Tatum): 5:30-6:10am (mornings) and 6:3o-7:10pm (evenings)

*Note: The 6:30pm camp at Desert Ridge has only a couple spots left as of this email...so hurry!

So one question I ask you...where will you be on June 25th?

Fitter, leaner, swimsuit confident?

Or stuck in the same old workout and weight loss "rut?" You decide.

We are here to help you succeed, so let's get to work!

Here's the sign up link again: http://www.rockstarbootcamp.net/register.html