Attitude is Really Everything – When it comes to living healthy. A negative attitude can sabotage the best laid plans for your fitness and health goals. Living well is a direct correlation with a positive attitude. Keep smiling and try to surround yourself with positive people and influences, while you look for the good in daily business and personal activities.
Find a good “quote of the day” each morning to pick yourself up!
You can do it!
Spend more time each day burning fat than you do storing it, and over time, you’ll bury your belly forever. Sound simple? It is.
Here are 11 ways to begin the process to a new healthier and thinner you!
1) Eat more protein – Protein burns more calories to digest then carbs or fat. Do the math!
2) Get Up off your Bum! – When exercising doing exercises standing up……..you burn more calories, involve more muscles
3) Use good posture – Good posture when standing and when exercising burns more calories. Forcing more muscle to help you out through everyday activites and also doing exercise will really tighten you up!
4) Close your eyes – When you’re using the elliptical trainer, bike or walking slow. Try letting go of the handles and closing your eyes. Without the visual feedback, your core muscles will have to work harder to keep you balanced, burning more calories.
5) Rent motivation – When your exercise becomes dull or you just have a hard time building motivation then rent it – With such movies as Rocky (gym), Hoosiers (Team Sports), Coach Carter (Basketball), Chariots of Fire or Without Limits (running). Or go to You Tube and look at videos like this one – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSM1mvMypWU
6) Don’t skip meals – Not eating for long periods of time puts your body into a catabolic state, meaning it starts to break down muscle tissue for energy and therefore conserves fat.
7) Hit the weights – Just 20 minutes a day of lifting, three days a week, will help. Harvard research shows that 60 minutes of weight training per week has a greater reduction on waist size than almost any other variable.
Eat your biggest meal of the day after you lift – It takes calories to digest food. And researchers at the University of Nevada found that it takes 73% more calories to process that food after a weight-training session than if you hadn’t worked out at all! So save those simple carbs to eat after your workout along with some protein and you’ll be feeling good!
9) Join a league – Sign up for a sport such as softball, soccer, or even kickball. It’ll automatically schedule exercise sessions into your week, and because you’re part of a team, you’ll have peer pressure that will make sure you keep showing up.
10) Avoid foods that come in a bag or box – Typically, these are highly processed carbs foods that quickly raise blood-sugar levels and shut down your body’s ability to burn fat. Gives you those highs of energy and lows also! Keep energy all the time and eat whole unprocessed foods! Get those veggies!
11) Try Sprinting! – All-out sprints with brief periods of rest is the most effective form of cardio for fat loss. Try a 1-to-2 “work-to-rest” ratio. That is, sprint two times longer than you rest. So a good distance to start with is 20 seconds, then rest 40 seconds, then repeat 3-7 times. Feel the fat just burning off!
There you have it. Soon you’ll be looking like this!
or 
Not bad eh?
Jordan Gruppen
Your Perpetual Fitness Personal Training
Serving Troy, Royal Oak, Birmingham, Bloomfield, Sterling Heights, Rochester, MI
Look around at all the fitness books, magazines, and infomercials. Everyone is in search of a good mid section. For some it will never be shown but it’s a symbol of fitness. It’s a symbol of being in shape, it’s a symbol of health. Even though it really doesn’t mean good health at all. It’s however, what everyone wants.
A ripped six pack for men, or a nice rock solid but smooth stomach for women. It’s achievable for everyone. Yes, I said it. It is achievable by everyone. WIth proper exercise and nutrition you can reach that point. For some it may take longer then others but it can happen.
Today I’m going to outline an exercise that I use for anyone who can support it without causing any back problems. This exercise is good to build up endurance and strength in the “Core” region. It will define your abdominals with good nutrition but it will also give you a great base to work with on your other lifts. Another great thing about this exercise is it works your full body and a little cardio at the same time! A little 2 for 1!
This exercise is what I call the Spiderman:
1) First, Get down on your hands and toes. Your back is flat, arms are out wide and out in front of your body. Legs are extended and feet as wide as your hands.
2) Second, When in the position flex your stomach and glutes to create a good base and protect your back. Get as low to the ground as YOU can.
3) Third, Once your set take your right knee and lift it up trying to touch your right elbow. Then return your right foot back to where it was. Make sure you extend it out as far as it was before. Then switch sides to the Left.
4) Fourth, Keep this going staying low to the ground and abs & glutes tight the whole time. Try and do as many as you can. I have some clients who do 10, some 20 and some do as many as they can for a minute. Find what works for you!
Below are 2 pictures showing what it should look similar too.
Good Luck!
Jordan Gruppen
Your Perpetual Fitness Personal Training
When you look around at peoples bodys it’s no wonder we have so many joint and back problems. Many of us have rounded shoulders, feet that turn out or in, one shoulder higher then the other, our hips are rotated because of muscle imbalances etc. For some of us we sit at desk jobs all day leaning over a computer, or a patient, or a factory line. All that bending over creates a strain on your posture and a strain on your back. Lower back issues are climbing at a incredible rate.
Many floor exercises can help combat these issues but right now I’m going to go through an exercise that has helped my posture tremendously since I had two shoulder surgeries and had to make a change.
This exercise is simple called Bent Over Straight Arm Pullback.
As you can see in the pictures above.
1) Feet are shoulder width apart
2) Slight bend in the knees and drop the hips back (similar to starting a squat)
3) Keep abs in tight, glutes also squeezed, and bend over from the waist keeping your back straight
(some may not get over as far as me thats ok, go as far as you are able keeping you back straight and abs tight!)
4) Dumbbells (fairly lightweight) are extended out straight with palms facing each other shoulder width apart
5) Squeeze your shoulder blades together and lift with your back keeping your arms straight and pull right past your hips
6) Expand your chest at the top of the exercise
7) Palms end up facing the ground, Hold at the top for a second
Return back to starting position
9) Repeat about 12-15 times.
When done correctly your lower back is a stabilizer not primary mover. This will not bother your lower back when done right. That’s what you want! Make the muscles that are supposed to do to the work do it!
You want to be able to feel this in your glutes, middle of your back and maybe even a little triceps if your arms stay extended. It’s a slow exercise so take your time and concentrate on your posture at all times!
“The greatest mistake you can make in life is to continually be afraid you will make one”
Jordan Gruppen
Your Perpetual Fitness
Jordan doing Kettlebell Swing for Fat Loss
The Kettlebell Swing!
Great for Cardio & Burning Fat! Tightens those glutes with every swing!
Jordan Gruppen
Your Perpetual Fitness Personal Training Troy, Michigan
Research from the University of Wyoming has said that it takes 5 hours of exercise each week to make any real body composition resuls. In a survery of around 1,000 people they concluded that people were unhappy with how they look or feel if they worked out less then 5 hours a week. Exact opposite for those that workout more then 5 hours. They tend to feel happier and more content with the way they look and feel.
In another reasearch that was basic about people who were gaining weight and those who were losing. It was found that the ones who were gaining averaged less then 20 min a day exercising. The ones who were losing were exercising an average of 80 min a day.
Because of that reasearch you should look to get to around 5 hours a exercise a week. That may seem like a lot to some of you and may seem like little to others. Remember this, Americans spend an average of 28 hours a week watching TV. 28? Are you joking? No, this is true and kinda sad.
No matter what you do for work, play etc. Your demanding schedule can always make time for exercise. I’ve seen it done in very busy peoples lives, business owners, CEO’s, Professional athletes, and a mom of 7! It can be done you just need to demand it out of yourself. It’s a choice, a mindset. If you want to exercise you will.
Just make sure you make EVERY workout count and 5 hours is plenty. When done correctly!
(source The Metabolism Advantage)
No matter how much effort you put into shaping those abs, no one’s going to see them if they are covered by a layer of flab!
If you’re following the dietary guidelines of a Precision Nutrition (which you can get through YPFitness, click on the link on the sidebar to view more info), or a personalized meal plan through www.yourperpetualfitnessopt.com. You’ll automatically be eating the right foods to lose fat as you get in shape. But the following seven items can give you an extra edge, and will help ensure that the effort you’re putting into your abs will bring you the results you want.
Protein. Eating enough lean protein promotes fat loss and muscle gain, the two most important elements for developing great abs. It also helps keep you from getting hungry while you’re eating right. You don’t have to gobble down 12-ounce steaks—just eat a normal portion of lean meat, fish, low-fat dairy, or vegetarian protein with every meal, and make sure your snacks contain some protein, too. If you still have a hard time getting enough in your diet, a daily shake made with whey protein powder can be a great addition.
Protein is especially important in the morning, when a lot of people don’t get as much as they should. A protein-rich breakfast will help keep your blood sugar steady for hours, preventing the dips that can lead to cravings later in the day.
Eat good carbs. Despite the popularity of low-carbohydrate diets, the average American meal is still too high in sugar and fast-burning starches to bring body fat down to ab-baring levels. It’s time to say goodbye to sweetened soda, ditch the Doritos®, and save the cake for your birthday. If your fitness plan calls for a sports drink before a long cardio workout, or a good carb/protein drink after resistance training, that’s fine. But the rest of the time, stick with foods that are on the low end of the glycemic index, these foods burn more slowly, so they won’t spike your blood sugar and insulin levels.
Fiber. Something about the word fiber just doesn’t sound appetizing. But high-fiber foods can actually be quite delicious: fresh berries and other fruits, salads loaded with colorful produce, your favorite steamed vegetables or vegetable soup, stews or chili made with beans, chewy whole-grain breads and cereals . . . High-fiber foods keep you fuller with fewer calories, and they help keep your digestive system working at its best—a double-whammy for getting rid of belly bulge.
Probiotics, the healthful bacteria found in yogurt, other fermented foods and probiotic supplements, have been proven to help reduce belly fat. In a recent study in Finland, new mothers who took probiotic supplements averaged smaller waist circumferences, and lower body fat in general, than those who didn’t take probiotic supplements.
Tempted to lower your daily calorie count by skipping meals? Don’t. Going hungry can raise your levels of the stress-related hormone cortisol, which research has found can increase belly fat even in otherwise thin women. And eating too infrequently can lower your metabolism and energy levels, while increasing the chance that you’ll get too hungry and decide to chuck your meal plan entirely. If you’re eating the right foods, regular meals and snacks will keep your body fueled while you’re working toward that strong core.
Drink more fluids. Hydration is important when you’re on a fitness plan, but drinking plenty of water has particular benefits for your midsection. It helps keep your stomach full, so you don’t overeat, and it helps flush out excess sodium to prevent belly bloating. Plain water can’t be beat, the rule of 8 glasses a day is a good start, but everyone is different: drink more if you’re exercising or it’s hot out, and drink less if you’re running to the bathroom too often.
Last one….. It’s time to cut down on those other substances, coffee and alcohol. Too much caffeine raises your cortisol levels and can impair your sleep, which can lower the production of fitness-promoting hormones. Meanwhile, the proverbial “beer belly” isn’t just the result of extra calories—alcohol actually makes it more difficult for your body to metabolize carbs and fat. Booze also stimulates your appetite and lowers your inhibitions, which can lead to bingeing. The best road to flat abs is no alcohol at all, but if you really like a drink now and then, just have one at a time and stay away from higher-calorie beers and sugary mixed drinks.
If you add these ideas to your fitness plan, you’re sure to see good improvements in your belly. Of course, there’s an added bonus to eating this way: it’ll keep you healthier, too. That may not seem as cool as great abs, but I’ll throw it in for free.
“The journey is the reward.”
Contact Your Perpetual Fitness Personal Training for help or any quesitons! www.yourperpetualfitness.org
Are you having trouble seeing if your exercise program is working? Does the scale not show the weight you wanted to lose? Are you never happy with your body?
What can happen sometimes when the progress is slow your mind adjusts to your new body and can’t see what progress you’ve really made. You just keep picking it apart and tearing it down! Some of us have a hard time ever being happy with our bodies. I personally don’t think anyone should be totally happy with their body. You should always want a little improvement to keep you on your toes but never obsess about it. Thats what can cause some problems in the long run.
So here are 4 easy ways to see if your Exercise & Nutrition program are working for you…….
1) Try on some clothes. Using how your clothes fit as a measure can be very helpful. Find a size of jeans you are comfortable with—a pair that fits. If they still fit, you know that you haven’t gained those extra pounds you’ve imagined on yourself. If they begin to fit a bit loose, you know you’re making progress. Alot of times this can be the most important one especially at the beginning of an exercise program. Since adding a little muscle can take the place of the weight of fat that has been lost. Therefore, not seeing a big change on the scale.
2) Measure you. A slightly more economical option involves an actual tape measure. Taking measurements of different parts of your body, and retaking them at specific intervals for comparison (for example, you can take them every 2 weeks like in Precision Nutrition), can be a fantastic reality check on your path toward acceptance. You might also consider body fat measurements, which can be done with fat calipers or special scales. For the most accurate reading, a full-body water weighing is the best. Taking these measurements at the same intervals can really tell you how you are doing and if your program is working for you.
3) Take Some Pics. Having your picture taken can be hell for many of us, but this can be a big shocker. You need to realize no one is going to see these but you. The idea is to take a picture of yourself wearing the same thing. Something that shows a good amount of your body is usually the best choice, but just make sure you are comfortable with what your doing. Compare your photos and note the progress you’ve made. If you work hard you will notice a difference. Not only in your body but you face and skin tone.
4) Bulls Eye. There are so many more amazing things to focus on then how your body looks, like how you feel, your loved ones, your fantastic job and even your workouts. Obsessing about your body, either good or bad, can really make you put pressure on yourself. Which add to your stress levels and/or just make you feel insecure. Focus on being healthy, strong, fit, and all the other great things in your life. When your turn your focus on your workouts, and preparing your meals you will find you will lose more weight or achieve the body you want faster then if all you thought about was how you looked. Guaranteed.
If your not happy with the way you look or feel. Change something.
“Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”
When it comes to weight loss many people turn to the scale. It can be a good measure of progress if you have much weight to lose. But are you really getting all the information that you need or want? It doesn’t, the scale cannot tell you your body composition. It cannot tell you how much more fit you are and it will not tell you all the time your on the right track. Getting caught up in the numbers on the weight scale can lead to bad behaviors and put you on an unhealthy trail.
1) The scale doesn’t tell you how much fat you have. Your scale only tells you how much you weigh, that’s all it does. In addition to measuring your weight, the scale weighs bone, water, muscle, organs, and undigested food. When the number on the scale goes up or down, it doesn’t represent only fat gain/loss or muscle gain/loss. It measures fluctuations in glycogen (stored carbohydrates) and water, and it even measures how much that breakfast you ate weighs.
2) The scale can’t tell if you’ve gained muscle. A pound of muscle is small and very compact (Giving you the thin look). A pound of fat is bulky and lumpy (not thin look). When you gain muscle and lose fat, your body gets smaller and tighter. Building muscle also makes it possible to drop clothing sizes without a big change in weight. Perhaps after a good fitness program, the scale says you lost 9 pounds, which may not sound like much. But what if you actually lost 16 pounds of fat and gained 7 pounds of muscle? That’s a really good improvement in your body composition. You’d still be upset because you wouldn’t know it if you only used your regular bathroom scale to track your progress.
3) You didn’t really gain 5 pounds of fat overnight. You may step on the scale one day and the number is five digits higher than it was the day before. Don’t go crazy! Unless you ate an extra 17,500 calories the previous day, you didn’t gain fat (a pound of fat = 3,500 calories). Your scale is only weight you and your water, stored carbohydrates, and food (which is all good). Also, cheap bathroom scales may have measurement errors, giving slightly different readings even when you’re at exactly the same weight
4) Your body’s water levels are constantly changing. The scale can move up or down depending on how much water you drink, how much salt you consume, how much you sweat, and how many carbohydrates you eat. An average person can see a daily fluctuation in water weight of about 2 pounds, without any changes to diet or exercise habits. These fluctuations do not signify fat loss, and watching the scale move up and down every day can be frustrating for many people. Thats why its good to do once every 2 weeks. After you know you’ve eaten and workout about the same or better as before the last weigh in.
When trying to achieve a healthy weight and improve the way you look, you should focus less on what the scale says and more on developing the good habits that will produce results.
Some good habits are…..
1) Lift Weights……Women you won’t get bulky unless you are trying too with supplements! It becomes a big mental game just start lifting weights!
2) Do cardio atleast 3 times a week
3) Eat a healthy lean protein, carbo, and fat diet plan
4) Track your progress without a scale!
Need help? Contact me today!
Your Perpetual Fitness Personal Training
- Jordan Gruppen
Every time you complete a task of any kind, your brain releases a small quantity of endorphins. This natural morphine gives you a sense of well-being and elation. It makes you feel happy and peaceful. It stimulates your creativity and improves your personality. It is nature’s “miracle drug.” One of the things that stimulates the release of this “drug” the most is exercise!
Everyone wants to feel good. And feeling good requires that you do good. You get a feeling of being good by completing a task 100 percent. When you do this repeatedly, eventually you develop the habit of completing the program that you begin. When this habit of task completion locks in, your life/body will begin to improve in ways that you cannot believe.
If you have ever had a major assignment that you have put off, you know what I am getting at. The longer you wait to get started on an assignment and the closer the deadline approaches, the greater stress you experience. It can start to keep you up at night until you finally launch into the task and push it through to completion; you feel a great sense of relief and well-being. Putting off exercise will not allow you to reach your goals! That feeling of working your program and achieve your fitness goals is the best feeling you can have! Why wait?!!!
Write down everything! Here is an important point. The very act of identifying a source of distress of distraction and then paying close attention to it will cause you to improve your performance in that area. For example, late night eating, no breakfast, missed workouts on certain days of week.
Bringing closure to an issue in your personal life is absolutely essential for you to feel happy and in control of your situation. Lack of closure—unfinished weight loss or body fat %, an incomplete action of any kind—is a major source of stress, dissatisfaction, and even a feeling of failure! It consumes enormous amounts of physical and emotional energy. Alot less energy then it will take to do the exercise! Which in turn will create more energy!
Be dependable to yourself! Whatever your goals, make a list of all the things you will have to accomplish in the achievement of those goals. Put a deadline on every one of those tasks. Do it now!
Get your “Miracle Drug” working for you!
Need help? Contact me!
Jordan Gruppen
jgruppen07@hotmail.com
Your Perpetual Fitness Personal Training
