Blog - BFIT4Life Boot Camp

Posted by Dana Ward on 5/1/2012 to News

We all know summer is right around the corner. It comes fast here in Arizona!

Hey Gang!.......Perfect time to Get your BODY READY!

These next 4 weeks starting May 1st, I would like to challenge all BFIT members to participate in our Summer Shape Up Challenge.

It's only a 4 week challenge gang, but to participate we need to get you fat tested NOW. Because the winner is based off of most fat lost.

And most people who participate in these challenges lose up to 10lbs and drop about 4-5% of their total body fat.

Those are great numbers gang! And when your in that bathing suit reaping the rewards of the challenge, you will be thanking me, no......not cursing me!

So, what are we asking you to do for the next 4 weeks at boot camp to lose the fat and the extra weight?

#1. MAKE MORE CLASSES GANG!

Most ALL of you are on our UNLIMITED program, and some of you are still only coming 2 days a week.

The best way to WIN this challenge and to GET FAST results is to..... "SHAKE IT UP" and come to camp at least 4 days during the week.

#2. We also ask you to follow our meal plans. These foods are designed to UP your metabolism, you know......create that FURNACE of FIRE, so you will be burning fat while at REST.

You can't be successful if you are eating 3 large meals a day. Our meal plans show you WHEN to eat and WHAT to eat.

It's just that SIMPLE.

#3. Do something different. That's right, DIFFERENT! If you normally take Sunday OFF from exercise, well, it's time to make Sunday a DAY OF EXERCISE! Take the family for a hike, go on a bike ride, make it fun, and make it HAPPEN! (Saturday, you can come to XTREME for our 8:30am class and bring the family! Kids Jump or Skate for FREE)

Your body will change, ONLY if you are doing something during your days to CREATE CHANGE.

This is the #1 Reason why you achieve GREAT RESULTS in our program! Never a repeated workout, and never the SAME THING TWICE! Keep those MUSCLE GUESSING!

Well, there you have it, 3 pretty SIMPLE WAYS to get in TIP TOP SHAPE for SUMMER!!!

You ALL CAN DO THIS!! Make your appointment TODAY with your trainer for your quick fat reading!

And this Summer......You will FEEL PROUD and way more CONFIDENT on the beach, (or layin pool side!)

See you at camp! Dana :)

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Creatine, I did the research, have you?

Posted by Dana Ward on 4/29/2012 to News

For years, guys have been taking creatine trying to ‘bulk up’ and get the most out of their workouts. Even teens experiment with this popular supplement to better improve their performance out on the field. So, is there really a benefit to taking creatine or is it just hype? And what about the dangers? Well, I did a bit of research, and wanted you all to know the facts on what to expect with this supplement before you recommend it to someone, take it yourself, or give to your teen.

First of all, what exactly is Creatine?
Creatine is a naturally occurring amino acid found mostly in skeletal muscle. Creatine can also be found in our foods like in meat, fish, or also taken in supplement form. Creatine can also be made by the human body in the liver, kidneys and pancreas from the amino acids L-arginine, glycine, and L-methionine.

What does Creatine do?
The body converts it to creatine phosphate where it’s stored in our muscles and used for energy during high intensity, short duration workouts. Good examples would be short explosive sprints, or high-weight, low-repetition lifts of 1-3 reps.

Creatine also helps pull water into the muscles which gives them a bit more volume, which is why the guys love it. It allows them to put on a few pounds which may increase their max lifts.

Should I be taking a creatine supplement?
Americans are spending huge bucks on creatine supplementation as it MAY increase lean muscle mass and improve athletic performance during high intensity, short burst power workouts such as sprinting, weight lifting, high jumping, or sports like football or baseball with bursts of explosive energy.

The research shows that the benefits of creatine on long duration or endurance events isn’t as clear as one would think. Because of the way creatine works in the body, you may or may not get results by doing mostly endurance or cardio work. If you are not hitting the gym hard and really pushing things with the weights, it’s likely that you will only put on water weight due to the increased water pulled into the muscles. Everyone responds differently to creatine supplementation, so you would have to see how it works for you individually.

Should endurance athletes take it?
Various studies show that endurance athletes like runners and cyclists do NOT benefit from creatine. This is possibly due to the “weight gain” or muscle mass that is acquired. During endurance athletics, creatine is NOT used as energy and is stored as mass only which seems to slow the athletes down.

How do you take it? Creatine comes in many forms but the most effective seems to be powdered when mixed and consumed with fruit juice. Why juice? Well, the juice raises the body’s insulin level which which helps increase creatine uptake into the muscle. Creatine supplementation can be taken in cycles or continuously, and there are opinions on both. I say, play with it, and see what works best for you.

When do you take it? This is a popular question that most experts agree on, it should be taken as close to your workout as possible, either before or after. Most people prefer to supplement with creatine after their work because this is when your muscles have worked very hard, so creatine levels will be depleted after a workout. Body building enthusiasts often take both before and after.

Will taking creatine make you BIGGER? You will definitely gain weight from creatine, usually 2-4 pounds of water weight within the first week of supplementation. Is this a good thing? You decide.

What are the risks associated with creatine?

After doing the research, here is what I have found as risks: Weight gain, dizziness, nausea, muscle cramps, muscle strains and pulls, diarrhea, high blood pressure, liver and even possible kidney damage. Taking creatine supplementation can also stop your body from making its own natural creatine supply.

A common risk- Dehydration- As your muscles absorb the water, your body has less fluid to use for important functions, such as regulating body temperature through your sweat and may cause dehydration. Some of the creatine supplements/drinks on the market include caffeine, but caffeine and creatine should NOT be used together. Caffeine prevents the body from using creatine effectively and increases your risk of dehydration.

The FDA- Creatine like many other supplements are NOT regulated by the FDA (food & drug administration) and are NOT recommended for anyone UNDER the age of 20 years old- many of the creatine supplementation companies are marketing to student athletes, making claims that creatine can change their bodies WITHOUT working out.

Like all supplements, do your research and consult with your health care provider BEFORE taking creatine so that you can make the best decision for YOU!

Exercising daily, including both endurance and strength training, and choosing whole foods FULL of nutrition is WAY better than taking any supplement out there! It will also save you a bundle of $$. Yup, and will bring you the BEST RESULTS in the long run!

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Important Supplement!

Posted by Dana Ward on 10/25/2011 to News

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How to Lose Belly Fat

Posted by Dana Ward on 10/15/2011 to News

Here's a common myth….. Great read from “Coach Josh” that I would like to share with you all.

When you want to lose a lot of weight, you should cut
calories for long periods of time, right?

WRONG.

Cutting calories magnifies nutrient deficiencies in
your body. This results in severe cravings as your
brain sends emergency "low nutrient signals" to your
stomach to eat more food.

Problem is, most people end up eating more "nutrient-dead
food" which causes cravings to completely spiral out of
control. (If you feel hungry all the time, now you know why.)

To make matters worse, after about a week of dieting,
your body is genetically programmed to fight back by
lowering the hormones responsible for keeping your
metabolism humming along (like the calorie-burning
thyroid hormones). At the same time, it will increase
the "hunger hormone" leptin. (Double whammy.)

As a result, your weight loss will come to a screeching
halt, lickity split.

At this point, to keep burning fat you'll be forced
to reduce your calories even lower, and/or do MORE
exercise. (Not a fun problem to have... I've been
there.)

So what's the solution? You really can fix your broken, calorie-burning
furnace, reverse nutrient deficiencies (that cause
cravings), and lose stomach fat all at the same
time just by simply eating the right kinds of food.

Make no mistake, calories from different types of food
act very differently once inside your body. Some
of them ignite what I call "Thermal Burn" and others
are plain "Thermal Duds." (For some reason, now I'm
thinking of "Milk Duds" chocolate candies. As Homer
Simpson would say, "Mmm...Duds.")

Anyway, let's start with fun ol' fats.

FATS

Quality sources of good fats include oils such as flax,
olive, and coconut along with avocados and nuts like
walnuts, almonds and pistachios. Of course, we
can't forget about seafood sources like wild salmon
and tuna, just to name a few.

Sure, fat is "fabulous" (did I really just say that?),
but here's the rub: your metabolic rate (or metabolism)
will only increase by approximately 5% in
response to eating fats.

Oh friggin' boy, right?

This means that for every 1,000 calories of fat you eat,
your body will burn only 50 of its own calories to digest
and process the fat you just consumed. No
big deal, right? (But remember, good fats help to "melt"
body fat in other ways, so don't discount their importance.)

Carbs

Carbohydrates often get a bad rap, but the key is to eat
the right carbohydrates. Yes, as I'm sure you're aware:
there are right and wrong carbs. Most simple carbs are
the wrong carbs—in fact, they are one of the top "obesity
additives" out there.

They tend to be highly processed and stripped of their
nutrients. Examples of foods that contain wrong carbohydrates
include soft drinks, candy bars, ice cream, donuts, cereals,
processed corn byproducts (HFCS), and processed "white foods"
like breads, pastas, and rice.

Remember, white foods are like white glue that keeps
your belly fat locked in place.

Instead, stick to natural carb choices such as fruits,
vegetables, legumes, and whole grains.

Now let's get to the brass tacks...

When you eat carbohydrates, your metabolic rate will
increase by up to 10% (less for refined carbs like sugar
that are easily digested, more for high-fiber choices).
This means your body uses 100 calories to digest and
assimilate 1,000 calories of carbs.

Is it getting hotter in here or what?

PROTEINS

Protein has the highest Thermal-Burn of all foods,
increasing your metabolism by up to a whopping 20-30%.
POW! (That just happened...)

You see, protein is a very complex nutrient, so for
every 1,000 calories of protein you eat, your body will
use up to 300 calories to digest and process this
macro-nutrient.

This means you're only netting about 700 calories for
every 1,000 calories you eat of protein.

So, you're getting 300 "free calories." (They're gone... just
like magic.)

Protein also helps to build muscle (along with exercise),
and for every pound of muscle you add, you will burn
approximately 50 extra calories per day. Five
pounds will burn 250 calories per day. You get the picture.

Pretty cool, huh?

And here's something even cooler... the "Thermal Burn"
of some natural foods is so high that they don't even
register on the caloric scale. They're "FREE Foods" that
you can practically eat all day without gaining an ounce.

Now, to back track a bit; I'm not suggesting that you
eat ONLY protein in an attempt to increase your metabolism.
(Cluck, cluck... another chicken breast anyone?)

No, not at all.

But what I am saying is that eating specific "Thermal-Burn
Meals" that combine precise amounts of protein, slow-absorbing
carbs, and a dollop of good fat, (love that word...dollop), will
help boost your mangled metabolism, crush cravings brought on
by nutrient deficiencies, and slash unattractive stomach fat.

The bottom line is that you'll be able to eat MORE delicious
food, but with a lower calorie impact. More bang for your buck.
And I don't know about you, but I LOVE eating, so this is
a very exciting way to accelerate your results.