Another AWESOME Tuff Boot Camp!!!

Well we ended yet another TBC last wednesday & everyone was amazing! We had strong attendance all but a couple of days. The most consistent showed great results & even those that needed to miss some classes (illness, vacation, etc) showed good improvement! Our camp was over so quick, it seemed like we had just gotten started when it was over!

I have added some new pics to our gallery at TuffBootCamp.com & added some video too. Be sure to check out the above gallery if you are new to TBC or just wonder what it is we do!

We have our new TBC starting up January 5th bright & early at 5:30a! I know we have many repeats that are signed up & some new people that have shown interest. I do my best not to scare any newcomers to TBCs, the words "boot camp" can have a strong impression on an idividual! Ready to get it started?

Jillian Michaels Fitness Ultimatum 2009 Quick Review

I just started using the Jillian Michaels Fitness Ultimatum 2009 after using the Wii Fitness for two months. The Ultimatum 2009 is a boot camp workout that can be customized to fit individual needs, so I am starting slow and building up with it. I’ve begun with light to medium 15 minute training in the weight loss activities.

I like the graphics for the workout and the variety, plus the option of changing the background music to suit my pace. The program records my stats so I am able to increase my workouts at a reasonable pace. This program offers a more focused and challenging workout than the Wii Fitness, and I plan to continue with both.

-review & pics by Chery (a.k.a.-"WiiQueen")

Present from Campers

All our Tuff Campers are AWESOME! They surprised us with this amazing gift basket full of healthful treats!

Thanks to all our Campers! You all are GREAT!

Ridding excess stress!

Ridding excess stress!

Are the holidays stressing you out? Sometimes the holidays can bring excess stress rather than cheer. Cardiovascular disease has been associated with excessive psychological stress. Experiential research suggests that learning to relax using meditation may reduce atherosclerosis and risk of heart attack or stroke. Hypertensive participants in a controlled experiment at UCLA assigned to a Transcendental Meditation group saw a reduction in heart attack and stroke risk at rates comparable to reductions seen in lipid-lowering medications and extreme lifestyle and exercise modification. That means that stress-reduction alone (separate from genetics, diet and exercise) plays an important role in protecting the cardiovascular health of humans. Our bodies are amazing machines designed to heal themselves. This healing cannot take place when stress-responses are active. What are you currently doing to lower your levels of psychological stress? Could you care for yourself a little better? Yoga and meditation are great methods of stress reduction. So try to include regular yoga, breathing, or meditation practice in your fitness routine, especially during the holiday season.

http://www.yogamovement.com/resources/yoganews.html

WooHoo!!!

As we get closer to the holidays your workouts become more beneficial by helping your stress levels, exercise = less stress, less stress = better you! So be sure to get your workouts in no matter if it is tuff boot camps, sessions, gym, or at home.

Had someone asking about caffeine in her latte & being unfamiliar I told her I would take a look & found alot of stuff here is a few popular drinks I am familiar with along with the calorie, sugar, & caffeine count for them. I cannot believe the sugar content in these, we shouldn't consume more than 40g of sugar (this is RDA, keep sugar lower than this & natural) in a day & a vanilla latte is 36g of sugar! Woof! Also keeping caffeine low will help reduce stress levels by not taxing the CNS too much.

Coffee 10cals 260mg caffeine
Decaf 10cals 20mg caffeine
Espresso (doppio—2 shots, 2 oz.) 10cals 130mg caffeine
Caffè Latte, nonfat 160cals 130mg caffeine
Iced Vanilla Latte (or other flavor), nonfat 160cals 29g sugar 130mg caffeine
Vanilla Latte (or other flavor), nonfat 230cals 38g sugar 130mg caffeine
Iced Vanilla Latte (or other flavor), whole 210cals 28g sugar 130mg caffeine
Vanilla Latte (or other flavor), whole 320cals 36g sugar 130mg caffeine
Caffè Latte, whole 260cals 19g sugar 130mg caffeine
Cappuccino, whole 150cals 11g sugar 130mg caffeine

Now you know what & how much is in those little caribou drinks!

Whew!

Take a 2 day break for Turkey Day & spend a week making up for it! Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving but now its time to get back to business!

Be sure to check out this article on too much caffeine & see how much your favorite drink has in the list. Try to drink water, water & more water, also be sure to try propel to flavor your water plus get some extra vitamins in.

WOD
20 each 5 times for time or fun!

Step Side Squats

Elevated PushUps
(off chair/couch, to make harder elevate feet vs. torso)

Burpee Jumps only
(no plank or pushup, touch fingers to floor & hop up - repeat)

Reverse Lunges w/ upward samson stretch
(fingers interlocked, palms turn to face sky, lock out at elbows & reps are per side)

Holy Turkey Workout

Holy Turkey Workout

The workout for all that turkey, gravy, pudding, & the rest of the junk we stuffed in our mouths over the holidays is still trying to stick to us so a good workout is a great way to shake some calories off!

Hit the gym today! Take this easy to follow workout with you!

Elliptical
Fast & hard for 30 seconds & then rest for 30 seconds for a total of 5mins
You can sub with bike/treadmill/jumping jacks
10 Push Ups
off hyper extension machine or bench
10 Dips
off hyper extension machine or bench
15 Curl & Press
8 or 10lb dumbbell (pick the right one)
Back on Elliptical & cycle through this 4 more times


Stay active this weekend!

Early Turkey Day Tips + WOTD

Well it is here & we all know that it is time to grub regardless of our clean diet! But how can we make healthier choices at the table for ourselves & family? Easy-easy-easy! Minimize your intake of food that are high in sugars and fats.

Our turkey is a great source of lean protein, our sweet potato & green beans ( or other steamed veggies) are a great way to get those carbs in without sacrificing taste, have some cranberry sauce (homemade with no/low sugar), cranberries are considered a "superfood" & a good way to get in antioxidants (strengthen our immune system) & PACs (help to keep harmful bacteria out of the body) .

Pay attention to super sodium packed items like your packaged sauces & mixes, bouillon cubes, brothes, etc. We can pack on some fluff weight quickly having too much of this on the table.

Alcohol would be great to avoid, but reality is so spontaneous that if you get bit by it try to limit it to a few drinks or less! We will work it off later!

Pecan Pies, Pumpkin Pies, Protein Pie...nevermind, the pies are not where we want to spend all our calories. If it is then steer clear of the rolls & white potatoes & other empty carbs. Its not the best idea to take in your carbs as desert but if you are doing it anyway... :)
Try to limit your sugary & salty & creamy treats!

Don't just go to town on everything, try to enjoy the food & have a good PCF ratio on our plates each time we fill them. Don't skip breakfast or any other meal prepping for the "Johnson Stuffin' Turducken Event 08'", do not skip meals!!!

HAPPY TURKEY DAY!

PCF Ratio on your plate!


***

WOTD (workout of the turkey day)
save it for Turkey Day!

We are keeping it simple here! reach 50 reps (any way you want to work it) of the following:
*Burpees
(modify if needed)
*SeeSaw Presses
(alternating shoulder press)
*Jumping Jacks
*Side-to-Side Punching Twists
(50reps ea. side, punch at shoulder level, right-hand punches to the left side using a torso twist. Opposite for otherside...duh!)

When you get done, feel happy you got this accomplished! If you can get in a workout today then you can do it any day!

WOD

Yet another wonderful Workout of the Day!

Today is about form & speed, the first being most important!

60 second rounds of the following:
*Punches
(keep punches in front of you chest level)
(if you have a heavy bag, tear it up!)
*Kicks
(front snap kicks)
*Push/Pull Ups
(can choose either)
*Bicycles

Rest 1.5 mins & repeat for 5 rounds if you only have time for a quickie or go 10 rounds for the champ title! Have fun, keep it intense & watch your form!

WOD

TBC WOD

Sticking with the basics is a great way to get a solid workout no matter your skill level. Be sure to listen to your body while you workout, if you feel too winded to keep good form - breath, breath, breath, then continue. These short circuits can be very strenuous so be sure to be hydrated & take a breather if needed (you'll need a few:)

See how many rounds you can get in 20mins
*10Vertical Jumps
(be sure to load from hips)
*10Push Ups or Plank to Stands
*10Crunch with legs raised

Track rounds completed for a personal benchmark & later
do it again to see your progress.

Great TBC!!!

Everyone is doing great with our current Tuff Boot Camp! It is great to watch people start to get stronger, healthier, & even gain more coordination/agility! Everyone keep up the good work!

This week we start some of the exercises we have been readying ourselves for. Some of these will be kettlebell swings, sandbag work, mitt & shield work +more! So get geared up for this week & remember to keep it intense, keep nutrition clean, & keep it consistent!!!

If anyone knows someone that is selling a rower (pref a concept 2) please let me know. I have been on the hunt for a while & have had no luck yet, so keep me in mind!

Feeling sluggish? Get up & hit the elliptical for 20 mins, if you have a heavy bag then go to town doing 60 seconds punching - 20 seconds not, for 10 mins to get that heart rate going! Keep it intense!!!

Workout of the Day

The Bike part can be subbed with any cardio style exercise (toe touches, treadmill, elliptical, etc).
The Kettlebell swings can be subbed with a Dumbbell swing.
The Pull Ups Can be subbed by doing Pulldowns with a band or Push Ups.

workout is broken up like so:

*Bike for 2.5mins
*20 Swings
(men = 36lb, women = 20lb)
*5 Pull Ups
Repeat until 30mins on bike have been done.

Total will be:
30mins on bike
240 swings
60 Pull Ups

Have fun & get in a Great workout!

It's about time!

Finally my voice is back! Only took several days but the laryngitis is disappearing. Since it is such nice weather out...

Temp wasn't bad but the winds were another story!

Workout of the Day a.k.a. WOD
Well today's workout Rx is simple to follow & hard to do. We are going to do:
45 Burpees
45 Plank to stand
(from elbows to hands)
45 Wall Squats
45 KB Swings
Split this up for 3 rounds of 15reps ea exercise & you should have a quick effective workout, but keep it INTENSE!

Well no voice to scream with but...

Well I am sure everyone is enjoying the silence while my laryngitis is here, but that doesn't stop the need for a little exercise! In case you were sitting around partially bored & had no idea of what to do, I am here for you~

Short & Sweet
150 Kettlebell Swings
[sub a dumbbell if need be]
30 PullUps w/ knees to elbows
[sub resistance band pulldown]
100 Bottom to Bottom Squats
[sub toosh touchers if need be]


*I did a breakdown of 15 KB Swings, 3 Pullups w/ knees to elbows, & 10 B2B squats. Cycling through 10 times, & keeping it intense is the key! Take a breather just long enough to catch breath & keep going! Do Not Sacrifice Form!

Music, Music, Music~

Alright we asked the TBC crew for music for our workouts, so far we have the below. We already have a cd made & want to have 3-4 discs to shuffle through for plenty of variety, so keep telling us what you want to hear!!!

*=got it

*Lets Go Crazy- Prince
*Takin Care of Business- Bachman Turner Overdrive
*Thriller- (any songs on the album that work)-M. Jackson
*Radar Love-Golden Earring
*Keeps Getting Better- Christina Aguilera
*Cruel Summer- Bananarama
*AC/DC Shoot to Thrill
*AC/DC Hells/Bells
B-52's LoveShack
*CC Music Factory - Gonna Make You Sweat
*Madonna -Holiday
*Usher - Yeah
*Tone Loc - Funky Cold Medina
*Outcasts - Hey Yah
*Haddaway - What is Love
Let’s get ready to rumble – Jock Jams
*Boom Boom Boom – Venga Boys
*See You Again – Miley Cyrus
*Get Into The Groove – Madonna
*Flo Rida fr. T-Pain Get Low

New resources added to Tuff Training's Site

Have posted some new stuff on the site under General Fitness>Workouts to Follow section. You can now download workout journal templates blank, solo workouts, & even added a kettlebell circuit drill video. Hopefully we will be getting some more articles, exercises, & videos up to share with everyone.
If you have friends that might benefit from some of the free videos & exercises on the site please send them there, we want people to use these free resources. Have a great week & stay strong!

Check the new stuff out!

New sites completed!

The new sites are finally up & are fully functional. We plan on keeping them regularly updated with articles, health tips, WODs, & other fun stuff. Also if you look on the right under the "Tuff Vids +" column you will see a section where you can follow the blog if you'd like.

Also we have our new camp starting tomorrow! We have a full crew & we are ready to have yet another great camp!

www.tufftraining.com & www.tuffbootcamp.com

Kettlebell Certification Complete!

After one long weekend I completed my Kettlebell Certification, it was a great time & super informative! Will talk & post some more pics later~
This picture didn't come out so hot because the guy taking the picture was having some issues with the cam.

Tuff Halloween

At the gym this morning Justin was already decked out in his candy collecting gear & I had to upload a pic of it, might upload a better looking pic later.

Well today is a crazy day! Been training since early & all the Boot Campers have done great this camp! Have seen more improvements in everyone & we have plenty of new stuff planned for the next camp starting on Nov. 5th & it is packed full!

I am off to St. Louis today & am looking forward to it, should be fun, challenging, & a learning experience. Will have more info when/if I return!

Kettlebell Certification Coming up!

Well tomorrow I leave for a Kettlebell Specialty Certification with Jeff Martone from CrossFit. Schedule seems pretty packed with hands on class most of the day for a couple of days with some sit down time too. Hopefully will have some video to post when I get back.

New Tuff Blog!

Well we have officially started a blog for Tuff Training. This is just to record some of the good stuff so everyone can see.