The following blog post is an old one, already published by Curtis in 2009 but I was reading it and it's hilarious so I figured I' reblog it in case you missed it!


Summer (aka ‘swim suit & bikini season’) is approaching fast. Are you ready?



One of the best ways to get your mid-section looking strong and sexy is by doing high intensity workouts using full body exercises. One of our favorite camp traditions is to include a “finisher” to our already smokin’ workout…something to really ramp up fat loss to start showin’ off the abs.

Oh, and here’s a secret...in our camp workouts, you will NEVER...EVER do a traditional sit-up. Pretty cool, huh? ;)

Check out 3 of the best “ab” exercises that aren’t typically known as “ab” exercises at all…see what I mean here:



Alrighty...let's expose 2 of the biggest "ab exercise" myths on the planet:

Myth #1: Doing ab exercises will make you get six pack abs.

WRONG!

Fact: This is a complete misnomer and one that’s been around forever, and yet...walk into any commercial gym, and what do you see? Misguided folks plugging away at the crunch machine in hopes of revealing the magic 6 in the mid-section.



Let's cut to the point. The most important thing to do, is to GET RID of the fat surrounding your belly. That will reveal the Holy Grail of Abs.

Bottom line: No amount of crunches or sit ups are going to get you to burn fat around the belly. And since there is no such thing as spot reduction, the best way to get rid of belly fat is by doing high intensity exercises that helps boost your metabolism and burn fat throughout the day. Got it? Good. Now check out #2.

Myth #2: Side bends/oblique twists will thin and trim your waist.

WRONG!

Fact: If you are stuck on the crunch or ab/oblique twisty machine thing at the gym...stop it - for fat loss and revealing your slim and trim abs, this is a waste of time.



You want to spend a little extra time training your abs for strength and endurance, go right ahead.

But focusing on this for fat loss? Forgettaboutit.

Bottom Line: The only way to a lean out and thin your waist is by scorching the fat around your belly.

-Curtis

For more tips on getting lean and eating clean for bikini season, make sure to join our Rock Star Boot Camp Fit & Healthy group on Facebook!

Don't forget to check out Rock Star Boot Camp's Fit & Healthy Group on Facebook!

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Summer is here and you know what that means: pool parties, BBQ cookouts, and lots of sunblock! Grilled fish is a healthy alternative for your next cookout menu. Eating fish three times a week has been linked to better brainpower, lowered risks of some cancers, and a number of other health benefits too long to name. But what's the big fuss about farm raised fish or wild caught? Besides the taste (which, I can TOTALLY tell the difference) there are quite a few things to consider.

Farmed: PROS

Farmed fish are raised on land, usually in pools or tanks, but they can also be raised in offshore fish farms—areas of ocean that are netted off to keep the stock fish from escaping. The major plus of farmed fish is that they allow for a high yield of fish without the risk of over-harvesting and depleting wild populations.

Farmed fish are also usually considerably less expensive.

Farmed: CONS

Thousands of fish are crammed into pens, which leads to the growth of diseases and parasites that require antibiotics and pesticides. With offshore farms, nitrogen and phosphorous from feed and waste lead to algae blooms that can contaminate surrounding water. On land-based farms, heavy rains and floods can cause nitrogen to run off into nearby waterways, although many land-based systems use recirculated water that has been treated to remove high levels of the chemicals. Also, food fed to farmed fish is partially composed of wild-caught fish that may be contaminated with chemicals such as PCBs and cancer-causing dioxin. 

Wild Caught: PROS

Aside from chemicals like PCBs and dioxin, wild fish are free of all the problems listed above.

Wild Caught: CONS: Over-harvesting is a serious threat to many species of our favorite fish, such as blue-fin tuna. Thanks to technology and improved gear, ocean fisherman have increased their catch 400 percent in the last 50 years, leading to the virtual collapse of some species, such as New England cod. In addition to that, the techniques used by ocean fisherman lead to the destruction of other ocean ecosystems and to unintended by-catch (other sea creatures caught and killed in the fishing process).  Wild caught fish is pricier.


So what's the answer? Should you eat wild or farmed raised fish? It's not as simple as to choose one or the other for all seafood. Some fish-farming operations are better and more responsibly managed than others, and the same can be true for wild fisheries. HOW fish are caught is another thing to consider.

LOOK FOR THE LABEL! To find the most Eco-friendly fish,  look for the Marine Stewardship Council label, which is applied to responsibly managed wild fisheries.


In my opinion, consuming food from nature is always the best option. We like our vegetables without pesticides and genetic modification right? Well I like my fish to come from the ocean where they originate. You can really tell a difference between farm raised and wild caught fish!

I was born in Rhode Island and lived there for the first half of my childhood. I remember eating some of the BEST fresh caught crab. Crab all day. Crab salad, crab sandwiches... I was pretty spoiled with the fresh REAL crab meat. When I moved to Arizona, I didn't have the luxury of eating fresh coastal fish anymore so I'd lost the acquired taste for it. From the age of 6 to 21 I could not STAND fish. The smell, taste, look.... all of it just grossed me out. Odd for someone born in a coastal state, right? In 2009 I went on vacation in Hawaii. I promised my husband I'd try some fish, if I didn't like it then I wouldn't have to eat it, but I at least had to be open to trying. So I did. We went to a local fish market. The guy behind the counter told us what was available, and when it was caught (THAT MORNING)! Talk about fresh! So I sat at the table, ready to take my first bite... I was dreading it. If I remember correctly it was Opakapaka (red snapper) and IT.WAS.BLISS. I couldn't get enough! From then on, I ate fish the remainder of the trip. The thing was... it was fresh. Came right out of the ocean. Clean water, natural habitat food, and no pesticides or hormones.

When play time was over and had to return to reality we went to the fish counter at grocery store and tried to find something that resembled the most amazing fish we had been eating in Hawaii. No luck. We only found smelly, foggy-eyed fishies that you could just tell had been dead for a while. Whole Foods had wild caught fish on display so we tried that. It was good, (nothing like Hawaiian fish, but what is?) but still wasn't the best we'd had. I found that eating the frozen wild caught fish tasted the best. In Arizona, we have no surrounding oceans (obviously) to deliver us fresh caught fish, in a reasonable about of time from catching. So I believe that if they are flash frozen when caught and THEN delivered to use, we have a better chance of not eating decaying, smelly fish. That's just my two cents.

One fish that is a MAJOR staple in my home is canned tuna. Not Bumble Bee or Chicken of the Sea... I'm talking about the GOOD stuff! Wild Caught, Pole caught, Low mercury, packed in it's own juices and oils, no additives.. get the picture? Our favorites are American Tuna and Wild Planet. We get Wild Planet Skip Jack Tuna. The flavor is unmatched.

Try it and let me know what you think! Do you have a favorite fish recipe? Post it in the comments below!

Now there are a bajillion resources on juicing you can read but I found that this one was easy and simple. It's always tough for me to find good combinations so if you have any please post them in the comments below, I'm sure others want to hear them too!

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Last week Rock Star Boot Camp had the pleasure of being part of an obstacle course race at an elementary school. It was posted before... The Cartwright Elementary School Fun Run. Anyway, the day was a BLAST. The kids had such an amazing time, I mean.... the smiles- infectious. There was a little girl named Yaneli that is in a wheel chair. A group of volunteers planned to carry her through the ENTIRE race, whatever it took- over/under/through... they were going to make it happen for her. At first it appeared that about 10 volunteers were going to help out but as soon as the time came, I was overwhelmed with the site of them all. I think it was closer to 25-30! I got choked up several times watching everyone work together all with one goal: to make this girl happy. Mission accomplished. You can see more photos here. 

Yaneli finishing the race. SO ROCK STAR I can't even begin to describe!

Happy Friday!

A few reminders:

RoadRunner Boot Camp Event- Saturday 4/21- 8:00am (TOMORROW!!)
We will be hosting Rock Star Boot Camp at RoadRunner Sports (7077 E Mayo Blvd). Everyone is welcome!! Come, bring a friend, spouse, neighbor, grandma - whomever - and enjoy the beat down! After the workout, the store opens and you'll enjoy a 10% discount (15% if we have more than 50 participants)! Make note that the 6am and 7am camps for April 21st will be cancelled in light of this special event!

Attn Kids Camp Parents, we have decided that Kids Camp will also be held at 8am at RoadRunner Sports! We don't want any parents to have to leave to take their kids to Kids Camp at the warehouse and miss out on the great deals at RoadRunner. So...Kids Camp this Saturday will be held at RoadRunner Sports! Come one, come all!!

Pillows For A Purpose:
Next week is the last week to bring in Pillows for a Purpose! Make sure you pick up a new pillow, if you can, and drop it by the warehouse. Also accepting gently used towels and sheets. Remember these pillows are for Sojourner Center here for in Phoenix for women escaping domestic violence. Imagine if you had nothing to call your own, how nice it would be have a new pillow to lay your head on at night and that you get to keep even when you leave the center. We have not received many items. Let's rock this out!

This is an interesting one for me, mostly because until recently I have NOT been a fan of cauliflower. I have a memory of when I was about 8 years old-- My parents made this pasta salad with all sorts of vegetables. Cauliflower, carrots, broccoli, peppers- It was AWFUL. Being the good parents that they were/are, I wasn't allowed to leave the table until I ate all my veggies, and they were dead serious about that. I could've sat there all night except there was dessert and it was movie night. The table was in another room, so I couldn't have even watched from my seat while protesting. Still, I stuck to my guns for probably an hour or so (maybe a lot less, you know when you're a kid, 10 minutes is a century), I ate everything except the GIANT pieces of cauliflower. They were huge, I probably got the biggest bits of the whole salad! After a little more time had passed I did would any anxious kid would do that couldn't throw it under the table to the dogs (since they were outside :/), plugged my nose, and chewed as fast as I could.

guh-ross!

THAT was the last time I willingly ate cauliflower.

I found a recipe a long time ago for mock mashed potatoes made from cauliflower. Reviews said it tasted no different from regular mashed taters, the kids and husbands couldn't tell the difference. I've made major efforts to eat healthier, try new things... so I thought "what the heck, maybe I'll like it now." AND I LOVED IT.

So now that I told my life story on cauliflower, here is that mashed cauliflower recipe, and a few more!

Garlic and Herb Mashed Cauliflower

Ingredients:

• 1 head of cauliflower, washed, and cut into florets
• 1 vidalia onion, chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
• 2 tablespoons kerrygold unsalted butter
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation>>

Here is another super easy, delicious one. Paired with lemons and olives, two of my favorite things in the world.. You just can't go wrong!

Ingredients

• 1 large head cauliflower, trimmed and cut into bite-size pieces
• 2 lemons
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon minced shallot
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme or 1/4 teaspoon dried
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons chopped oil-cured or kalamata olives

Preparation>>



This next one has a little bit of an Indian flare and involves more preparation. I haven't tried it yet, but my husband just walked by and said it looked amazing. So I guess that means I'm making it sooner than later!

Cracklin’ Cauliflower

• 1 bunch cauliflower cut into florets
• 1/2 large red onion, diced
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/2 tablespoon curry powder
• 1/2 tablespoon garam masala
• 1/2 tablespoon fennel seed
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red chile flakes
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
• 1 teaspoon ground pepper
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

Preparation>>


So if you had a traumatizing cauliflower event in your life like I did and won't eat, hopefully hearing my story will give you an extra push to give it one more try :)

Before I get started, we have a new Announcements & Events page where you can find a calendar of events and special news. Stay current peeps!

Make sure you check out the Rock Star Boot Camp Kids Camp page as well. Lots of great info and pictures :)

This weeks Veggie Of The Week and recipes can be found here.

Rock Star Boot Camp Fit & Healthy Facebook Group <-------- JOIN NOW!
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I've been asked by a few skeptical friends if working out at Rock Star Boot Camp "really works." Of course us campers KNOW what does the body good: eat clean, train mean, get lean. Simple. We feel the progress daily through our soreness, increased strength, smaller waistlines etc. It's nice to SEE side-by-side how much one can accomplish when they commit themselves to a healthier lifestyle. I've compiled a few pictures posted on the Rock Star Boot Camp Facebook page {LIKE US!}, all in one place. I'll start with one of the more recent. This is April, she is the definition of "Beast Mode."


How does she do it!? Here is a little message from her that came along with these amazing transformation images.

"Okay, this may sound dumb, but I didn't realize that I was REALLY losing weight until yesterday. I know that I've been slimming down a bit and the clothes are fitting nicer-some too big now, but did not realize HOW much weight I had lost. I've attached pics taken on 12/27 and yesterday 3/27. Man! What a HUGE difference 90 days made. I know that my clean eating, coupled with RSB have helped me get close to my normal weight again... and gave me my SEXY back. LOL! 

Here's a fun little asparagus factoid:

The German town of Schwetzingen claims to be the "Asparagus Capital of the World," and holds its annual Spargelfest (asparagus festival) in May. The person who grows the heaviest stalk is named Spargel King or Queen.

Also, 

Five ounces of asparagus contain 60 percent of the recommended daily intake of folic acid, which prevents heart disease and birth defects. Other possible benefits include preventing cancer and urinary tract infections, easing arthritic pain.

So chow down on some asparagus! It's good for you! I found a few tasty looking recipes that I can't wait to try out myself. What is your favorite way to prepare asparagus? Post it below in the comments for us to try it too!


Indian-Spiced Chicken & Asparagus
4 servings, about 1 cup each 

• 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin seeds
• 1 1/2 teaspoons fennel seeds
• 1 pound chicken tenders, cut into bite-size chunks
• 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
• 2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 small fresh chile, seeded and minced
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
• 1 1/2 bunches asparagus (about 1 1/2 pounds), woody ends trimmed, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1/2 cup “lite” coconut milk (see Tip)
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

 Preparation>>

Asparagus Salad
Serves 2-3

12 spears of thick asparagus, sliced into 1/4-inch thick coins
5 - 6 broccolini (or broccoli) florets, trimmed and cut into bite-sized pieces
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
big pinch of salt
1 small shallot, chopped
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted, and coarsely chopped
7 tiny radishes, washed trimmed and very thinly sliced
zest of one lemon
a bit of shaved Parmesan

Preparation>>

Simple Garlic Roasted Aparagus

Makes 6 servings

• 1 1/2 pounds fresh asparagus spears
• 2 - 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 2 - 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

 
Preparation>>








I'm pretty sure I'll be trying ALL of these in the near future. Again if you have a favorite of your own, post it below in the comments!