May. 22, 2013

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X-Reps: Are You Ready?

A Method Behind the Madness Post on Explosive Training by Chanhassen Personal Trainer and Metabolic Training Expert, Justin Yule, BS, CPT, MTE, FMS

Female Jumping plyometric drills Chanhassen Boot Camp X Reps: Are You Ready?

X-Reps are all about explosive training.  Let’s jump right in…

No matter what your fitness goals are, you need X power:  explosive power. 

Whether you are training for football, cycling, running a 5K or just want to be able to grab your toddler from the street, you need to be able to generate a quick blast of maximum effort in a short period of time.

Also known as plyometric or ballistic training, X-Reps are a great way to boost your power output quickly and dramatically, but also safely—without risking injury or overtraining.  X-Reps will take your personal or professional fitness to a new level.

We are going to be doing a combo of Plyometrics and Olympic lifts in order to transform your fitness.  Let’s look at these individually:

Plyometrics (or “jump training” as it is sometimes called) is a training method that increases your muscle strength and explosiveness.  The idea behind Plyo is to quickly stretch a muscle and then quickly shorten it.  For example, when you do jumping jacks, your quadriceps are involved in this stretch-shorten cycle.

Some examples of Plyometric exercises include squat jumps, clap push-ups, and hurdle jumps.

Benefits of Plyometric training include improvements in:

  • Vertical jump performance
  • Leg strength
  • Muscle power
  • Acceleration
  • Balance
  • Overall agility
  • Bone density (especially in younger participants)1

Olympic Lifts are exercises that work miracles on the human body.  They involve almost all of your muscles to transfer weight more quickly and further than traditional exercises.  And the moves take very little time to complete so you get the benefit of engaging these fast twitch muscles that have so much growth potential.2

Examples of Olympic moves include the snatch and the clean & jerk.  Then there are a multitude of variations on these lifts.  

Not only has research demonstrated that Olympic lifting is the safest kind of resistance training possible (when properly trained), but it also lowers the resting heart rate, increases lean bodyweight, causes fat loss, helps prevent osteoporosis and reduces blood pressure. 3

Putting it all together for you:  X-Reps

Your best fitness is our goal at Fitness Revolution, so we’ve put together an X-Rep program that incorporates the best of both worlds:  Plyo and Olympic-style lifting (using kettlebells).  We want you to be as strong, quick, flexible, balanced and comfortable in your body as possible.  We want you to look and feel terrific.

Here’s the X-Rep plan that will move you into the next level of fitness so you can live well:

Exercise 1:  Alternating KB Snatch Variation

Exercise 2:  Blast Off Push-ups Variation

Exercise 3:  Alternating KB Clean Variation

Exercise 4:  Tuck Jump Variation

 

This X-Rep Training workout will be one of 3 interval training protocols in our next Look Great at the Lake Boot Camp training meso-cycle (phase) at Chanhassen Fitness Revolution.  A similar version will also be featured in our workout-at-home online training program.

 

HAVE FAITH & TAKE ACTION!

Signature X Reps: Are You Ready?

Justin Yule, BS, CPT, MTE, FMS

Justin Yule is the President & Chief Fitness Officer of Fitness Revolution in Chanhassen, MN.  He also runs an at-home weight loss & fitness training program – Fitness Revolution Inner Circle – providing the same great high-intensity intensity interval training (HIIT) workouts for all fitness levels as Chanhassen Boot Camp…

Justin holds a Bachelor of Science in Physical Education with a Concentration in Adult Fitness.  He is also a certified personal trainer with the National Academy of Sports Medicine, and holds multiple specialty certifications including Metabolic Training Expert, Kettlebell Coach, and Resistance Band Training Specialist.  Justin is also certified to administer the Functional Movement Screen.

Justin has been helping clients achieve their health and fitness goals since 1997, and became a Best Selling Author in 2011 with his contribution to Total Body Breakthroughs.  In addition, he has been nominated as one of the top Rising Stars in the Fitness Industry, and was featured in USA Today as a member of the World Fitness Elite.  To contact Justin for training, education or to have him speak at an event please email jyule2@gmail.com.

P.S. – If you enjoyed this post please share it with your friends using the social media buttons below.

P.P.S. – Please ask a question or share a comment with us in the Leave a Comment section at the very bottom of the page.  We love your feedback and will use it to develop future blog posts.

Sources

1 http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/guide/plyometrics-exercise-workouts

2 http://www.menshealth.com/fitness/weight-lifting-workout

3 http://www.owresource.com/lifts/benefits.php

 

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Posted in Boot Camp, Chanhassen Boot Camp, Exercise, Method Behind the Madness, Weight Loss, Weight Loss Programs, Work Outs by Justin | No Comments

May. 20, 2013

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Chanhassen EQI Bootcamp – (Eccentric Quasi-Isometrics)

A Method Behind the Madness Post on EQI Training by Chanhassen Personal Trainer and Metabolic Training Expert, Justin Yule, BS, CPT, MTE, FMS

Supertraining by Mel Siff EQI Training Chanhassen EQI Bootcamp (Eccentric Quasi Isometrics)

If you want improved performance, increased flexibility and robust health, then you want Eccentric Quasi-Isometrics.

Don’t worry—you don’t have to pronounce it.  But you do need to do it.

Made popular by Dr. Mel Siff in his book Super Training, EQI’s are a way to make your body virtually bulletproof to injury. They do this by increasing mobility while at the same time building strength and stability.

Essentially, EQI’s are a kind of active stretch:  a stretch on steroids, if you will.

This multi-purpose move is a unique combination of both the eccentric (the lowering portion) and isometric (the pause) phases.

The goal is to hold an isometric phase for a set amount of time.  This hold may consist of the mid-point of a dumbbell fly or the bottom of a squat. As you become fatigued during the hold, you will sink further into the position, causing a stretch.

You will lower and lengthen your muscles during the eccentric phase, and then hold the isometric phase in a stretched position.  The stretch intensifies as your muscles fatigue during the isometric phase and you slowly drop into an even deeper stretch.

As you get stronger, increase the hold time first and then slowly add weight to sustain the challenge.

The end result is a more flexible and stable physique in general, as well as better strength and endurance at the bottom positions of your moves.

EQI Bootcamp Application:

  • Perform 60 seconds of work at 5 seconds down (eccentric) pace, 5 second hold (isometric) tempo. 
  • Rest for 30 seconds and transition to the next exercise. 
  • Perform 4 exercises for 1 cycle.  Rest for 1 minute.  Repeat for a total of 3 cycles.

Exercise 1:  Split Squat Variation – Left

Exercise 2:  Split Squat Variation – Right

Exercise 3:  Deep Push-up Variation

Exercise 4:  Dumbbell Pullover

Seems simple enough, right?  Yeah, just wait!  icon wink Chanhassen EQI Bootcamp (Eccentric Quasi Isometrics)

This EQI Bootcamp workout will be one of 3 interval training protocols in our next Look Great at the Lake Boot Camp training meso-cycle (phase) at Chanhassen Fitness Revolution.  A similar version will also be featured in our workout-at-home online training program.

 

HAVE FAITH & TAKE ACTION!

Signature Chanhassen EQI Bootcamp (Eccentric Quasi Isometrics)

Justin Yule, BS, CPT, MTE, FMS

Justin Yule is the President & Chief Fitness Officer of Fitness Revolution in Chanhassen, MN.  He also runs an at-home weight loss & fitness training program – Fitness Revolution Inner Circle – providing the same great high-intensity intensity interval training (HIIT) workouts for all fitness levels as Chanhassen Boot Camp…

Justin holds a Bachelor of Science in Physical Education with a Concentration in Adult Fitness.  He is also a certified personal trainer with the National Academy of Sports Medicine, and holds multiple specialty certifications including Metabolic Training Expert, Kettlebell Coach, and Resistance Band Training Specialist.  Justin is also certified to administer the Functional Movement Screen.

Justin has been helping clients achieve their health and fitness goals since 1997, and became a Best Selling Author in 2011 with his contribution to Total Body Breakthroughs.  In addition, he has been nominated as one of the top Rising Stars in the Fitness Industry, and was featured in USA Today as a member of the World Fitness Elite.  To contact Justin for training, education or to have him speak at an event please email jyule2@gmail.com.

P.S. – If you enjoyed this post please share it with your friends using the social media buttons below.

P.P.S. – Please ask a question or share a comment with us in the Leave a Comment section at the very bottom of the page.  We love your feedback and will use it to develop future blog posts.

 

PLEASE CLICK THE “LIKE” BUTTON, POST A COMMENT AND SHARE WITH YOUR FRIENDS…

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Posted in Boot Camp, Chanhassen Boot Camp, Exercise, Method Behind the Madness, Weight Loss, Weight Loss Programs, Work Outs by Justin | No Comments

May. 15, 2013

3 comments

Dieting vs. Lifestyle: What’s the Difference?

A Post About Long-Term Weight Loss Success by Chanhassen Weight Loss Expert and Nutrition Coach Janell Yule, BS, CPT, FDN

Stepping on a Scale Dieting vs Lifestyle at Chanhassen Fitness Revolution Dieting vs. Lifestyle: What’s the Difference?

You’ve no doubt heard the ominous statistic: two thirds of people who lose weight gain even more back within four or five years. 1   That in itself is enough to discourage even the most determined among us.  What’s the answer?  What is the secret to not only losing weight but keeping it off?

The good news is that you do not have to be one of the statistics.  You can be in the minority—part of that group who successfully masters their weight for life.  And it’s all about how you view your journey.

You see, what makes the difference is whether you are trying to change your lifestyle or whether you are just on a diet. 

The two are worlds apart. Read the rest of Dieting vs. Lifestyle: What’s the Difference?

Posted in Nutrition, Weight Loss, Weight Loss Programs, Wellness by Justin | 3 Comments

May. 8, 2013

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Busy Moms and Fitness: You CAN Have it All!

A Post For Busy Moms Who Want to Get & Stay Fit by Chanhassen Personal Trainer Justin Yule, BS, CPT, MTE, FMS

Mother Daughter Reading Busy Moms and Fitness: You CAN Have it All!

 

If you’re a mom, you’re busy.  Whether you stay home full time, hold down an outside job, home-school your children or volunteer in your community, you’ve got a lot on your plate.  What makes being a mom tricky is that you are never ‘off duty.’  It doesn’t matter if it’s morning or night or whether you are sick or well: you’re ‘on call.’  Your children need you and you are their biggest cheerleader.

However, in the midst of all the business, it is easy to forget to take care of you.  Your reflex action is to put your children’s needs before your own. What this means for many moms is a perpetual state of being tired, stressed out and unable to find the time, energy or motivation for exercise.

Have you ever stopped to think, though, what kind of example you are setting for your children?   Read the rest of Busy Moms and Fitness: You CAN Have it All!

Posted in Exercise, Weight Loss, Weight Loss Programs, Wellness by Justin | No Comments

May. 1, 2013

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It’s May Day: Time for a Spring Fitness Strategy

A Blog Post About May Day, Spring, and Getting & Staying Fit This Summer by Chanhassen Weight Loss Expert & Nutrition Coach, Janell Yule, BS, CPT, FDN

Tulips Celebrating May Dat at Chanhassen Fitness Revolution Bootcamp It’s May Day: Time for a Spring Fitness Strategy

If we lived in Old Europe, May 1 would be a day of great rejoicing as spring is ushered in.  Youths would be coming in from the woods with a freshly cut tree that they had wrapped with violets.  All but a few branches at the top would be lopped off and the tree would be set up in the village amid the sounds of many horns and flutes.

May Day isn’t celebrated with as much merriment in our country today, though it still remains a robust holiday in some parts of Europe.  It is a holiday traditionally associated with the coming of spring and the passing away of winter.  But even though we don’t set up May poles, we all still breathe a sigh of relief as the temperatures finally warm up and the grass turns green.

If you are like most people, you will be out and about more now that the weather is nice.  And being out and about means eating out more.  It’s easier to avoid eating out too much during the winter:  we tend to be a home more.  But spring is a different story.  You can count on it:  you are going to be patronizing more restaurants during the next few months.  And if you are trying to lose weight or maintain your healthy weight, eating out more presents challenges.

The trouble is that much of the food prepared in restaurants is unhealthy.  It has been carefully altered to appeal to your taste buds, and this means that it is loaded with salt, sugar and the wrong fats.  An occasional meal of typical restaurant food isn’t going to throw you off track.  But if you find yourself at restaurants more frequently, you need a plan.

Salad small It’s May Day: Time for a Spring Fitness Strategy

Here are a few tips and tricks to make smart decisions this spring when you find yourself in a restaurant staring at a menu!

  1. Ask for nutritional information.  The easiest way to make a healthy choice is to ask to see an ingredient and nutrition sheet.  This will help you to identify hidden ingredients that are best avoided.  Most restaurants will provide this information if you request it.
  2. Find out how the food is prepared.  Avoiding fried foods is crucial.  Not only is the oil that they are prepared in usually unhealthy, but you are going to get a huge calorie hit when you eat fried foods.  When food is deep fried, the water in the food is removed and replaced with fat.  Further, the batter around the food is usually full of sugar and salt.  No matter what you order, find out exactly how it will be prepared.
  3. Order smaller portions.  Meals in restaurants are typically very large servings.  The problem is that we tend to eat what is in front of us.  The larger the meal, the more we will eat.  Ordering small or medium sized portions will help you control how much you actually eat.
  4. Drink water.  Sweetened beverages can contain as many calories as an entire meal but will not fill you up like a meal would.  The end result is that you can consume twice as many calories at one sitting:  half from your beverage and half from the food.  Choose water instead.
  5. Ask for condiments on the side.  We all enjoy a little dressing on our salads or a little sauce over our salmon, but when we leave it up to the kitchen staff to choose the amount, we’re in trouble.  Ask for dips, dressings and sauces on the side so that you can control how much of these high calorie treats to eat.
  6. Order your vegetables steamed or grilled.  When restaurants fry and sauté’ vegetables, they usually do so with added oils.  Choose steamed or grilled instead.

Enjoy May Day and the warm weather with a renewed commitment to eating clean while eating out. What are your tips for eating healthily at restaurants?  Share them with us in the comment section below!

HAVE FAITH & TAKE ACTION!

Janell Yule, BS, CPT, FDN

Janell Yule, BS, CPT is the C.A.R.E. Program Director and the Nutrition & Healthy Lifestyle Coach of Fitness Revolution in Chanhassen, MN.  She also provides Functional Diagnostic Nutrition testing and tele-coaching to clients across the nation.  To learn more about this service simple CLICK HERE.

Janell holds a Bachelor of Science in Health Promotion & Wellness with a Minor in Psychology.  Janell is also a certified Functional Diagnostic Nutrition practitioner, as well as a certified personal trainer with the National Academy of Sports Medicine.

Janell has been helping clients achieve their weight loss and fitness goals since 2005, and was voted as Best Coach in Chanhassen in 2008.  Today she partners with her husband, Justin Yule, and helps local Chanhassen area residents achieve their health & fitness goals at Chanhassen Fitness Revolution.  To contact Janell for training, education or to have her speak at an event please email janell@chanhassenfitnessrevolution.com.

P.S. – If you enjoyed this post please share it with your friends using the social media buttons below.

P.P.S. – Please ask a question or share a comment with us in the Leave a Comment section at the very bottom of the page.  We love your feedback and will use it to develop future blog posts.

 

PLEASE CLICK THE “LIKE” BUTTON, POST A COMMENT AND SHARE WITH YOUR FRIENDS…

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Posted in Nutrition, Weight Loss, Weight Loss Programs by Justin | 3 Comments

Apr. 24, 2013

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Make Room to Breathe: Declutter Your Life

A Post About Decluttering Your Life To Achieve Greater Success by Chanhassen Personal Trainer, Justin Yule, BS, CPT, FMS, MTE

Declutter Your Life Chanhassen Fitness Revolution blog post Make Room to Breathe: Declutter Your Life

Have you ever seen the closets in older houses?  You may have noticed that they are very small—tiny in fact.  Some bedrooms in older homes have no closets at all!  Storage space is often a problem when modern families are moving into houses that are older than 40-50 years old.  But why is this?

The reason is that we have a lot more stuff than people did just a few decades ago.  But this ‘stuff’ isn’t limited to tangible items that can be stored in closets.  Our stuff is also intangible such as bookmarks on our computers and appointments in our calendars.  And for many of us, our stuff is out of control.

Out of control stuff, however, isn’t benign.  That triple digit counter on our inbox may seem innocent and the jumbled mess in your sock drawer may appear to be light years away from affecting your productivity, but it’s time to learn the truth:  clutter is anything but innocuous. It’s out to get you.

Clutter; no matter what its form or where it is located is a source of stress that can impact every area of your life.  Even if you tell yourself it doesn’t bother you, it does bother you, in ways that you may not be aware of.  Read the rest of Make Room to Breathe: Declutter Your Life

Posted in Personal Development, Wellness by Justin | No Comments

Apr. 17, 2013

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Melatonin: The Sleep Hormone

A Post About Melatonin & Sleep by Chanhassen Weight Loss & Nutrition Expert, Janell Yule, BS, CPT, FDN

Woman Waking Up Melatonin Blog at Chanhassen Fitness Revolution Melatonin: The Sleep Hormone

Few things are as beautiful as the rays of the morning sun.  The first light of morning is energizing and motivating.  Unless you’ve been awake half the night.  In this case, the morning light just means that you didn’t get enough sleep.  Again.

As soon as those first rays hit your eyes, your stress begins to mount.  You’re exhausted.  How are you going to make it all day long on so little sleep?  You feel emotional just anticipating the struggle to concentrate and stay alert—especially during the afternoon hours when the drowsiness really kicks in.

Does this describe you?  If so, you are not alone. The National Sleep Foundation reports that 60% of Americans have sleep problems.  That means more than half of us struggle to sleep.  The reasons for sleep difficulties are many—from stress to caffeine to individual differences in body rhythms. 

But whatever the cause, the bottom line is that if you suffer from insomnia, you need help.  And one of the safest ways to get that help may be to take melatonin. Read the rest of Melatonin: The Sleep Hormone

Posted in Weight Loss Programs, Wellness by Justin | 2 Comments

Apr. 10, 2013

1 comment

Spring is Here: A Season for Transition and Renewal

A Post About Spring Cleaning for Weight Loss, Fitness, and Better Health by Chanhassen Personal Trainer, Justin Yule, BS, CPT, MTE, FMS

Tree with pink flowers Spring is Here: A Season for Transition and Renewal

Renewal is everywhere during this time of year.  As the earth wakes up and the grass slowly becomes green and our yards explode with color, we literally breathe the air of change and transition.  But it is energizing change—hope-charged excitement about the possibilities and opportunities that suddenly light up around us.

Can you feel it?  Do you feel the beckoning of change and transformation?  Today we’re talking about the transition of the season—cleaning out the old and making room for new things.

You may already be cleaning some of your personal spaces—your desk, your home or even the back seat of your car!  How about your email?  Does your inbox need some attention?  Maybe your closet needs some work; it’s time to move the winter things out and make room for the cheerful colors and fabrics of spring.

When you’re cleaning, do you ever wonder, “Where does all this stuff come from anyway?”  Clutter seems to have a mind and life of its own.  It slowly accumulates—as if it is in stealth mode.  We hardly notice it until suddenly there is so much of it that we are suffocating from it.

But clutter isn’t just tangible items in our physical space.  We can also have clutter in our minds.  Mental clutter is a deadly foe to creativity and productivity and even our health.  Ongoing stress can cause weight gain, fatigue and heart disease. Read the rest of Spring is Here: A Season for Transition and Renewal

Posted in Weight Loss, Weight Loss Programs, Wellness by Justin | 1 Comment

Mar. 25, 2013

7 comments

Superset Training for Super Fat Loss Results

A Method Behind the Madness Post on Superset Training by Chanhassen Personal Trainer and Fat Loss Expert, Justin Yule, BS, CPT, MTE, FMS

supersets Superset Training for Super Fat Loss Results

 

If you are seriously interested in taking your workouts to the intense level enjoyed by bodybuilders, then this is for you:  Supersets are going to change the way you train.

What are supersets?  Essentially, they are two exercises done back-to-back without resting in between.

The term “Superset” was created by the famous bodybuilding trainer Joe “The Master Blaster” Weider.

Side Note:  Joe just passed away on Saturday, March 23, 2013 at the age of 93.  He’s considered the father of bodybuilding and one of the major reasons fitness went mainstream.   Joe was a MAJOR influence on me when I was a kid – I even went to his bodybuilding camp when I was in highschool!  Truth be told if it had not been for my dad introducing me to the gym along with the lessons & inspiration I got from Joe’s programs & magazines as a kid, I probably would not be doing what I do today…

R.I.P. Joe

JoeWeiderPortrait Superset Training for Super Fat Loss Results

Supersets were one of Joe’s famous “Weider Principles” and all the big-time bodybuilders used them – Arnold Schwarzenegger being the most famous. 

The idea is to work the opposite sides of each joint in a set. For example, you could pair chest and back in a superset, or quadriceps and hamstring.

But supersets don’t just give you an amazing body; they are also a great timesaver.  Because you eliminate the usual one to two minute recovery time between exercises, you virtually reduce your workout time by half. Read the rest of Superset Training for Super Fat Loss Results

Posted in Boot Camp, Chanhassen Boot Camp, Exercise, Method Behind the Madness, Weight Loss, Weight Loss Programs, Work Outs by Justin | 7 Comments

Mar. 20, 2013

2 comments

Metabolic Syndrome: Danger Ahead

A Post About Metabolic Syndrome by Chanhassen Personal Trainer & Weight Loss Expert, Justin Yule, BS, CPT, MTE, FMS

Railroad Crossing Danger Ahead Chanhassen Personal Trainer warns of Metabolic Syndrome Metabolic Syndrome: Danger Ahead

http://www.hometownstations.com/story/15413618/electronic-sign-to-be-added-at-railroad-on-eastown-road

We’re talking about metabolic syndrome today.  You’ve probably heard of this condition, but you may not completely understand what it is.  The best way to think about metabolic syndrome is as an advanced warning system.  We can compare it to the lights and warning sounds of a railroad crossing.

When you are driving and come upon a railroad crossing with the red lights flashing and the horns blaring, what is your reaction?  That’s easy, isn’t it?  You immediately recognize that something dangerous is ahead.  The railroad warning system is telling you that unless you respond appropriately (in this instance you should stop your car before you drive across the tracks), you will almost certainly be hit by a train and if not killed, then seriously injured.

That is exactly what metabolic syndrome is.  It is a warning system that lets you know that unless you respond appropriately to the warning signs, you are going to be in serious danger. Read the rest of Metabolic Syndrome: Danger Ahead

Posted in Weight Loss, Weight Loss Programs, Wellness by Justin | 2 Comments

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