Posts Tagged ‘Fitness Lifestyle’

Sandbag Training: It burns more fat than Denny’s on a Sunday morning!

Jan

2012

If you’re trying to burn fat and re-shape your body, most people know that bicep curls and crunches don’t work. In fact, isolating a single muscle in your body is pretty much a waste of time when you consider the alternative.

The alternative to working a bicep curl, for example, would be to do a one-arm dumbell row. In the row, you’re utilizing your larger back muscles, AND your biceps AND you’re burning more calories because of the greater muscle, AND you’re using your core muscles!! Now that’s what I call an exercise!!

bench, dumbbell row weight training
1 arm dumbbell row with neutral grip leaning on bench
(Click on image to view this exercise…)

These muscles that get the body to work in more than one muscle (isolation) during an exercise because they require movement at more than one joint are called compound exercises. Other examples of compound exercises are push-ups, overhead presses, squats, lunges and dumbell press.

These are the exercises that will burn the most fat for you because they work so much of your body at once, and if you perform them in a circuit with minimal rest, BAM! That’s a big component of why our bootcamps are successful right there! (We have a few other tricks we use in our Fit For Life “Before and After” Fitness Formula that we use…but that’s for another blog post. ; )

Soooo…compound movements are great to build lean muscle and to melt the fat faster than an ice sculpture at a Hawaiian luau. But what if you want to mix it up a little…perhaps take it to the next level?

Well, my friends, let me introduce you to sandbag training!

Yes, you know the stuff on the beach that we love to run on, dig in, and get stuck in the Vaseline…well, maybe not that last one. : P

Sandbag training is soooo the way to go if you’re looking to burn more calories, utilize stabilization muscles, incorporate explosive power movements, and work compound AND complex exercises that will challenge both your body and your mind.

When using the sandbag a simple compound such as a lunge isn’t just a lunge anymore…no way Jose!

Imagine a lunge, then holding a 30 or 40 lb bag of sand, instable and grip-hearty at your side as you press up out of the lunge into a standing position, driving the quads and glutes of the front leg, THEN bringing the bag straight in front of you, using the transverse abs, right into an overhead press. Now that’s what keeps me up at night, baby! WHEWW!!! YAH!!!

…oh…um…maybe that’s just me and my trainer fantasies…but really, sandbag training is totally cool, and we’re going to start using them in bootcamp in about a month or so.

First the IGT and NLT members in Foster City will use them for a few weeks. They’re on the higher level programs, so we’ll give them first dibs…or have them be our sandbag guinea pigs, you choose your own interpretation. ; )

Then, we’ll release this to our Mountain View bootcamp. Mountain View gets to play with them first since they were the winners of the previous fat loss contest team challenge. Then the amazing and wonderful Foster City bootcamp gets them, and then the newbies in Daly City will have their turn. Sound good? Great!

Here’s a video so you can see some of the things possible with the sandbags! We look forward to torturing you with them soon! ; )

New Daly City bootcamp site coming March 5th, 2012!!

Jan

2012

We’ve got great news today! Fit For Life Solutions is starting a NEW bootcamp in Daly City!!

For anyone who lives up in that area, we hope to see you there! …And if you have friends, please send a link to this blog to them via e-mail, and please tell your friends on Facebook about this exciting news! Thanks!

Now here are the details:

- The NEW Fit For Life Bootcamp will be located at Ralph Castro’s Kenpo Karate facility in Daly City, right off of HWY 280.

- We’ve hired the most amazing super-star bootcamp instructor we could find. She’s from Pacifica and her name is Theresa Doll. She’s very enthusiastic about the opportunity to whip some butts into shape at this camp!

- This new location has everything! HUGE floorspace, hanging bags, mats, battle ropes, kettlebells, slam-balls, a killer sound system…as you can tell, we’re crazy excited about the unveiling of this new spot!!

- Unlike anywhere further north in SF, our Daly City spot has parking available! Coolness! ; )

Now, you may be wondering: How did this Daly City bootcamp spot happen?

Well, you guys all know Ryan Dantes, our awesome IGT instructor who does morning small-group in FC, right?

Well, it just so happens that Ryan, and his biz partner, Vince, own the spot up there and have teamed up with Grandmaster Ralph Castro to bring the best of martial arts and fitness to the Daly City area…and now Fit For Life Solutions will play a big part in that, too!

You see, when we all sat down to brainstorm this idea of working together, we found it to be a perfect fit. Their site is offering personal training, small-group training, and even specialty training like TRX classes and martial arts training.

…And the way we fit in is to offer our proven one-of-a-kind fitness system, The Fit For Life “Before and After” Fitness Formula via our bootcamp to their site, which will help ensure them as THE #1 results-giving training center in the entire Daly City area!

Cool huh? I know, we’re very stoked about this!!

Here's Arleene chillin' in one of the private studios at the Daly City site!

So here’s the amazing offer we’re doing for those who want the Daly City location and want a really good deal for being one of the first to get on board…and when I say “good deal” that’s an understatement. What we’re offering is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity here!

For those that want to get in on the bootcamp on the pre-launch, on February 20th we will open the first 2 weeks of bootcamp for FREE, but only for the first 12 people who get on the pre-launch list.

All you have to do is text “Daly City Bootcamp for a buck” to 650-771-5149 RIGHT NOW if you want to get 2 full weeks at our brand NEW Daly City bootcamp location for only $1!

After you text us, we’ll call you to set up your first day! It’s that easy!

The reason we’re giving away 2 full weeks of bootcamp for only $1 is that we know you’ll love this new Daly City site, and even if the time or location doesn’t work out for you, we know that you’ll get in great shape during these 2 weeks and you’ll tell all your friends about us.

Send the “Daly City Bootcamp for a Buck” text to 650-771-5149 and we’ll make sure you’re one of the 12 people that get in on the pre-launch list.

The other great bonus to getting in on the pre-launch is that if you’d like to continue after the 2-weeks, we will offer you the “Daly City Bootcamp Ambassador Discount”, which is a fraction of the price for our ongoing bootcamp membership. Remember, this is for the first 12 people only!!

Go ahead and text us now at 650-771-5149 with “Daly City Bootcamp for a Buck” to let us know you want in!

FYI – If you’re a current bootcamper in FC (or MV) and would like to switch to this location, e-mail me at forrest@fitforlifesolutions.com so I can give you the details on that. Thanks!

Bhumi shares her bootcamp experience and gives beginners some great advice

Jan

2012

A short while ago I took out my iPhone camera and interviewed Bhumi, one of our coolest, all-star bootcampers, and asked her about her experience with our bootcamp training and if she had some advice to new bootcampers or undecided folks who are thinking about starting a program with us.

This is what she said:

What Bhumi didn’t know is that after this interview, I had a total cry-baby emo-breakdown in the office after she left. I had just been going through some crazy life-changes and was also spending every waking moment doing measurements and “Before and After” interviews with our clients from the last 6-Week Body Transformation Contest and I was pushing myself to the max.

For those that know me, I put all of myself into my clients and their journeys, struggles and victories become a part of me. Sometimes it’s a lot and I have to remind myself to take a step back and take a deep breath every so often.

…But here, Bhumi comes along and shares these amazing words from the true core of her being about why she does bootcamp, and what it does for her and her husband, Raj, and after she’s done I just lost it. I’m not a baby, but it was major emotional stuff that just hit me at that right moment, ya know?

Well, the thing is, after this happened it really helped me to strengthen my resolve to want to do more and help more people and really give people this type of mind/body/life change. Since the interview I’ve been on a mission, and the great news is now we have a really solid team of people helping us with this.

Roy, Dan, Beau Byron, Bo Kelley, Ryan, Kim, Ken (helping with the website), Bridgette (videos), Kirsten (our new admin!), Jackie and Claudia, Jonie…and so many more people helping from the sidelines like Veronica, Julie N., Sara, Donna, Cheryl, Vince, Master Daniel Johnson and Deb Moy, our parents, Arleene, Terry, Mohan, Pam…

My heart is just full of gratitude and I thank everyone for being involved in this energy we call Fit For Life Solutions. Thank-you and I wish you good health and happiness always!

-Forrest

New 6-Week Contest Starts February 13th!!

Jan

2012

Did you hear our next 6-Week Body Transformation Contest is starting February 13th!! That’s only a few weeks away! Check out this video to see what happened during our last contest.

Here’s the link to join up! Also, this time around we’re adding a couple more prizes!!

First place men’s and women’s prize: iPad 2!!

Second place: Designer Blue Jeans!! (www.thebluejeansbar.com)

Men: One free pair of designer jean with personal jean styling.

Women: One home or boutique “Jean Party” : At the party, the host (winner) recieves a free pair of jeans and guests recieve free personal jean stylings and 15% off all jeans.

Third place: One month supply of protein powder and multi-vitamin’s + 1/2 off your next month of bootcamp!!

Hope to see you in the winner’s circle!!

- Forrest

You’ve started on your 2012 fitness goals! Now what?!?

Jan

2012

So now we’re heading into the middle of January, and you’ve started (or are about to start) on you fitness goals for 2012. Congrats on making it happen!

Here is an example of someone who made it happen! Rick is one of the All-Stars in our bootcamp program and he dominated the 6-Week Body Transformation Contest. (The next contest is February 13th!!)

Continue reading this post to understand the mindset involved in achieving these type of accelerated results!

Now more than ever it is crucial to get your subconscious mind aligned with your goals, because if you don’t, they’ll fizzle out like a New Years resolution gone bad.

Did you know your subconscious mind accounts for 96-98% of your habits and behaviors and your conscious mind is only 2-4%?

That’s why it’s crucial to apply things like visualization, affirmations, and most importantly joining a supportive and positive training environment that will get you and keep you moving forward towards your goals.

At Fit For Life Solutions we use fundamental concepts on fitness in the form of fitness mindset tools that will help you get, and stay, on track! Here are the core fitness mindset tools.

Fitness Mindset Tools

#1) Desire – Cultivate your desire by getting in touch with your “WHY”. Why are you getting in shape? Why are you joining a training program?

If your answer is to get healthy or to lose weight, try to dig a little deeper than that. I’ve never once seen someone make major changes and lose 10, 20, 30 or more pounds with the simple goal of “I want to lose weight”.

There has to be something behind it to drive it forward such as “I want to lose weight because if I don’t, I might not be able to live long enough to see my kids graduate high school” or “I want to lose weight because I want to feel like my old self again when I used to have more confidence and my relationship with my husband/wife was better”.

Do you see the difference? To cultivate your Desire, come up with a strong reason why, write it down, and keep it in your wallet or purse. Take it out and read it to yourself daily for 30 days and see for yourself how powerful your desire becomes.

#2) Commitment – Ahhhh! Commitment! This was always the hardest part for me…and it might be for you, too. This is what I found during my own training process. When I’m uncommitted I tend to go back and forth. I’m inconsistent. When I feel like it, I do. When I don’t feel like it, I don’t. There’s no commitment there, so there’s nothing to keep me accountable.

However, when I make a commitment, I continue pushing forward no matter what. My mind is clearer. There is far less resistance. After all, I’ve made a commitment and it’s created “single mind focus” so that I can let obstacles that fall in my way become something to work on, not something to use as an excuse to give up.

If you think about it, has there ever been anything of great value in your life that you’ve achieved that hasn’t taken your commitment by you on some level? I’d like to hear it if you have.

#3) Perseverance - This is the piece of the puzzle that truly separates us, isn’t it. This is why some of us succeed, and some of us fail. This is why some of us continue to move forward, and some of us quit. Unless you’re a smoker, I strongly advise that you take the words “I quit” completely out of your vocabulary right now.

Perseverance is what separates the Green Belt from the Black Belt, and the Associates degree from the PhD. Perseverance is what separates “Joe Schmoe” from becoming Rick Om. It’s also what separates the 3 lb weight loss from the 30 lb weight loss.

To persevere is a discipline, but when you have access to the right coaching, the right training environment, and the right mental toolset, anyone can do it!

In training you have many opportunities to quit. How long will YOU last? Only time will tell.

For training advice, or to get past an obstacle in your training, please feel free to contact me directly at Forrest@fitforlifesolutions.com.

For life coaching and to learn more on the mindset to becoming successful in whatever it is you do, please visit www.SelfMastery.com.

…And here’s a video of Rick sharing his thoughts on the 6-Week Body Transformation Contest.:

Your Fitness Results Game Plan List for 2012

Dec

2011

I’ve put together a list of things for you to dominate your fitness lifestyle in 2012! I’ve combined some tried-and-true fitness fundamentals, combined with some NEW mindset strategies and fat-loss tactics to really give you the edge this year’s list. Enjoy!

1) Start with mindset. From my 12 years as an in-the-trenches trainer, I’ve always found that the superior mindset wins out over any strategy or scientific approach – although you need those things, mindset is job one. It’s true what they say, “where there’s a will, there’s a way.”

First, find out a strong “Why”. Some examples are, “I’m doing this for my kids” or “because when I look better I feel better” or even “If I don’t stay strong, I’m just not myself”.

2) Create goals with a sense of urgency tied to them. For example, sign up for a 5K run and set a goal of losing 10 lbs before the race. Or join a weight loss contest at work, or join our 6-Week Body Transformation Contest coming up in February 2012!

3) Make sure you’re in some type of exercise or training program that keeps you accountable. The thing that saved me years ago was martial arts. If I didn’t have a group of people expecting me to be there, I would never have been able to keep it up. Having a group that expects you there working out, suffering through the tough days and celebrating and laughing during the fun times…that’s important to me, and I’m sure you feel the same.

Remember, there are a lot of options out there. Here’s some ideas:

Join a cycling team at work
Join a dance class
Join our boot camp in Foster City or Mountain View
Get a personal trainer
Find a group of workout buddies on Facebook
Join IGT, our small-group personal training program
Try dragonboat racing!

4) Get your nutrition in check! If your goal is fat loss, you need to know that nutrition accounts for 80% of your fat loss progress. Don’t rely on exercise alone. The thing about nutrition is that you don’t need to fixate on the word “diet” because lot’s of people equate the word diet with the word failure. Instead, think of your nutrition program as a “corrective” nutrition program, where you are making temporary changes to get you back on track and to see fast results, where you can then make a transition into eating properly as a lifestyle.

One method we’ve found that works really well is to do food logging. Like our last winner of our 6-Week Body Transformation, Peggy, stated, “You don’t even have to log, you just click!”. She’s right. We recommend people us the free website www.myfitnesspal.com to log their foods. Myfitnesspal makes it super easy to log foods, and you take immediate control over your nutrition from the simple, basic action step.

5) Try a to-your-door food delivery service. If food logging is just not your thing…maybe you’ve tried it a bunch of times in the past and for whatever reason it just doesn’t work for you, I’ve got a solution you’ll love. It’s a food delivery service that’s unlike any other.

Great food. It’s flash frozen fresh, no TV dinner crap here! They send a full month of food to your doorstep, and all you do is heat it up and eat it. It’s already perfectly portioned controlled, so you don’t even have to think about it. If food logging isn’t your thing try this. It’s my prediction that for people that really want results in 2012, they’ll combine this food to-your-door solution with a group training program and completely dominate when it comes to fat loss and body transformation!

6) Stop reading and start doing. Well, of course I don’t mean to stop reading. I myself am a read-a-holic, and read everything fitness I can get my hand on to keep my pulse on the best training methods, nutrition plans and fat loss methods. However, I’ve found that some people simply over-analyze, over-read and under-do! At some point, you’ve got to put down the book and step into action. They say thoughts are things, and I believe that to be true, but without action…sorry, you need actually do things to get results in this world!

7) Join a 6-Week Body Transformation Contest. In 2011, this was the thing that catapulted most of our bootcamp clients to really excel in reaching their fat loss goals. As a group, we lost 440 lbs with our last body transformation contest…and in just 6 weeks! Did you remember at the beginning of the year we set a goal to lose 1,000 lbs total amongst our entire bootcamp? Well, we haven’t done our final calculations yet, but I’m bettin’ we’re a bit closer to 2,000 lbs for the year. I’ll let you know once we’re done, but I’m excited about this accomplishment in helping our community get fit!

Our next contest is ready to join, and if you join NOW, you can get an early bird discount! Last time our bootcamp members were free, but that was a beta version of our contest. Now we’re charging $50 for members, and $250 for non-members…but it’s well worth it (the first 10 to sign-up can get an early-bird discount). We’re still giving out two iPad 2’s to the female and male winners, only this time we’re including weekly weigh-in’s, plus some cool prizes for second and third place winners!

Here’s the link for the 6-Week Body Transformation Contest starting February 13th!

http://www.amiando.com/fatlosscontest

…And speaking of awesome lists to help you dominate in 2012, check out this great list of more specific things that will help your fitness goals put together by Jackie and Claudia from SkinnyScoop. Jackie and Claudia are also two of our all-star bootcampers (they also help a lot with our admin stuff in the office…thanks ladies!), so they know what’s up when it comes to being prepared in their workouts!

http://www.skinnyscoop.com/list/fitforlife/best-things-to-eat-post-workout

Fit For Life Solutions wishes you the best in 2012!! Now Go Get ‘Em!

Holiday Gifts – FREE for YOU!! …and meet Beau Byron!!

Dec

2011

Well, it seems that time of year has come around again…

You know, it’s the time that keeps coming around faster and faster each year, and we always seem less and less prepared for it!

Yes, it’s Holiday time, Christmas time, Hanukkah time, Kwanzaa time…it’s basically Celebration time!!

…oh, and if you’re still shopping for gifts, why not give the gift of health. You can buy our gift certificates here at this link, but you don’t have much time, we’ll be taking this link down soon!:

http://www.fitforlifesolutions.com/giant-holiday-sale-and-meet-our-new-trainer-ryan-dantes/

However you celebrate this time of year, the big thing is to remember that GRATITUDE and GIVING are the most important thing. Love your neighbor, love your selves, love your differences. You may not agree with someone else’s way of celebration…or life. But that’s ok! We don’t have to agree to understand and to respect each other. It’s an interesting world with so many differences, and if we were all the same…well, I think we’d be like a bunch of clones or something.

Ok, so I’m off my soap box now. On with the festivities!!!

Every year on our blog Roy and I like to give away a bunch of FREE stuff in the spirit of giving! So, to show our gratitude and appreciation to YOU, our loyal Fit For Life Newsletter readers, we want you to have these 3 E-Books as a gift!

WE AT FIT FOR LIFE SOLUTIONS WISH YOU A HAPPY HOLIDAYS, AND WE’LL SEE YOU IN THE NEW YEAR!!!

By the way, have you met Beau yet? He’s our NEW “Service Ambassador” and he’s taken over a lot of the day-to-day on-site operations that I used to do. Beau is a great asset to our Fit For Life Solutions team. Here’s a video so you can get to know him a little better. If you need anything, he’s there to help YOU!

GIANT HOLIDAY SALE!! – AND meet our NEW trainer, Ryan Dantes!!

Dec

2011

We here at Fit For Life Solutions want you to know that we’ve got you covered when it comes to meaningful gifts for you this holiday season. When you give the gift of health, you give someone the opportunity to make a real change in their life, to have more control, self-esteem, and to gain tremendous amounts of energy.

Do you have a brother, sister, parent, friend, or work-buddy you’d like to give a gift to this season? How about your girlfriend, boyfriend, wife, or husband? Wouldn’t you like to give them a gift this year that really means something?

Well, we’ve got you covered! Here are 4 choices of gifts you can download and print RIGHT NOW to give away as a gift to your friend or loved one!

You can gift this to ANYONE who has NOT taken our Fit For Life Bootcamp in Foster City or Fit Body Boot Camp in Mountain View before!

4-Weeks of Bootcamp Gift Certificate – Only $49!

3-Weeks of IGT Small-Group Personal Training Gift Certificate – Only $49

3 One-on-One Personal Training Sessions- Only $199!!

12 One-on-One Personal Training Sessions – Only $599!!

For IGT and Bootcamp, first time participants only.
Can be purchased for multiple people, but not for the same person.
IGT and Personal Training at our Foster City location only

You can also call 650-771-5149 to place your order or to get the answers to any question you may have about this.

Instructions:

1) Click on one of the links above and make your purchase.

2) Then, send an e-mail to forrest@fitforlifesolutions.com to request your gift certificate to print out right at home!

Your gift certificate will look something like this!

…And now, without further ado (drum roll please…..)

We’d like to introduce the NEW Fit For Life Solutions All-Star Personal Trainer, Ryan Dantes!!

Don’t forget to leave a comment below…

Upcoming band rank promotions and updates

Dec

2011

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT:

WE WILL NOW HAVE REGULAR BAND TESTING AND PROMOTION CEREMONY EVERY 2 MONTHS. THE DATES FOR THE NEXT 3 PROMOTIONS ARE HERE!!!!:

JANUARY 4TH, 2012

FEBRUARY 29TH, 2012

MAY 2ND, 2012

IMPORTANT NOTICE: All White bands that have been training for 1.5 months or more will be eligible for promotion to Yellow band. All Yellow and Orange bands will be tested/promoted with instructor recommendation only. Show up on the day of the promotion to find out if you are eligible.

All Green Bands and Purple bands, if you have held your band for at minimum 3 months, see your instructor on day of the Testing/Promotion to find out if you qualify. All Purple bands must bring in a short essay about their training experience to qualify (3 paragraphs is sufficient.)

——————————————————————-

The Fit For Life Solutions Band-Ranking System is a unique ranking system designed to show progress of individuals training in our Bootcamp, IGT, NLT or Corporate Fitness training programs.

Banded Bootcamp System

The purpose for the band-ranking system is so that we can show improvements not just in weight loss, but in the “intangibles” of training such as a person’s attitude, energy, exercise form and technique, confidence, leadership, body-mind control, coordination, helping others, giving back to the bootcamp and fitness community, and how that person improves from a holistic perspective – mind/body/emotion/spirit.

The band-ranks aren’t about measuring up to others, but about improvements in oneself.

It’s our goal that by the time a person reaches Black Band, he or she has developed into a strong, positive, confident person all around. The attainment of Black Band will be different for each individual. However, one thing will remain consistent. The Black Band will only be earned through a process of training that has allowed for the person to undergo a major transformation body/mind transformation, and to evolve not just in fitness, but in life.

Fit For Life Solutions instructors are also ranked with the band-ranking system, only they progress to different standards. A Purple band instructor is not the same as a Purple band in our bootcamp. For example, not only does one of our instructors need to have excellent knowledge, athleticism, and training ability, but to progress they need to demonstrate leadership, niched expertise, coaching ability, and the ability to make big things happen in the fitness industry. Also, instructors start at either Green or Purple rank, depending on their skill level and ability as a trainer.

If you’re wondering what it takes to get to the higher Purple or Blue bands as a Fit For Life Solutions member, I’ll give you two examples here:

Tod Steinfeld - Blue band. (The highest ranking Fit For Life’er!)

- Training with Fit For Life Solutions for close to 2 years.

- Helps others in bootcamp with form and technique when they need assistance

- Works out consistently (lost 40 lbs)

- Complete attainment of fitness lifestyle

- Coaches Junior Giants baseball (gives back to community) and was named “Coach of the Year”

- Great attitude, helps out instructors before, during and after class when asked, and even when not asked.

Julie Nestor – Purple Band.

- Has greatly improved her attitude, confidence and energy in training and life!

- Has helped Fit For Life Solutions with many volunteer projects

- Lost 60 lbs through proper diet and exercise!

- Has hit barriers, yet still pushes beyond when obstacles arise

- Has cultivated her desire, commitment and perseverance in training

- Reaches out to help others, get’s others outside of bootcamp involved

- Teaches Physical Education to middle school kids and uses what she learns to inspire them!

There are many other high-ranking bootcampers, but only a few have reached the higher

Here are some of the ranked-Fit For Life’ers that have reached Orange band or above!:

Blue

Tod S.

Purple

Sara B.

Elisa S.

Julie N.

Donna B.

Rie W.

Green

Tammy P.

Rima Q.

Nahla S.

Monica H.

Jon B.

Erica C.

Orange

Alejandra R.

Bryan B.

Camille H.

Darelda

Evelyn H.

Faiz M.

Frank M.

Jackie S.

Karen B.

Mary T.

Trudy D.

Tanya B.

Shellece H.

PLEASE HELP US UPDATE OUR LIST! View it here:

BAND RANKS_FIT4LIFE_Dec 11_2011.PDF

IN THE PAST, FORREST TRACKED THIS IN HIS HEAD! HE CAN NO LONGER KEEP IT THERE, HIS HEAD IS ABOUT TO EXPLODE! PLEASE VIEW THIS LIST AND HELP US UPDATE IT! LET US KNOW IF YOU’RE NOT ON THE LIST, AND IF THE NAME IS WRONG OR IS MISSING SOMETHING. SEND UPDATES TO FORREST@FITFORLIFESOLUTIONS.COM PLEASE! THANK-YOU!!

Holiday Challenge!!

Dec

2011

Hi there, Forrest here,

I’m down here in Carlsbad, CA, writing this blog at this cool little spot, Vinaka Cafe, about two blocks from the beach. I’m missing seeing everybody on a daily basis, so Roy, Dan and Beau have been getting more calls and texts from me than Tiger Woods gets from his ladies. But that’s ok. It’s only a matter of time before I break down and start calling every one of you guys to see how your training is going…so don’t be surprised if I do! ; )

But on another note, I can’t believe this time of year is upon us already! So…as usual, I’m sending out my yearly warning!

FACT: 7 out of 10 people gain between 6-10 lbs from Thanksgiving until New Years.

WARNING: Don’t be one of those people! ; )

To help you stay strong and focused this holiday season, we’ve created this NEW Holiday Challenge for YOU!

Here’s our Holiday Challenge! Just download it, print it out, and win!

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD AND PRINT THE PDF>>>>>Holiday Challenge Card

This Holiday Challenge is going to stretch your boundaries a little, and have you do some things you may not be used to doing. AND that’s a good thing!! Staying fresh and avoiding stagnation is KEY to a successful fitness lifestyle.

NOW GO OUT AND DO IT!

By the way, if you see this guy walking around, please go up to him and give him a hug or a handshake and tell him job well done!!

Beau Byron, our new “Service Ambassador” has been working around the clock to help you with everything from training to nutrition to fitness motivation…you name it! If you need anything, including info on memberships, IGT, personal training or the like, please don’t hesitate to ask him. You can call or text him at 650-238-7504.

Beau has pretty much taken over a lot of the things I used to do, and he’s doing a great job. Please give him a pat on the back, handshake or a hug for me. It really means a lot how he’s stepped up and jumped right in.

Results of the 6-Week Body Transformation Contest are in!!

Dec

2011

Several days ago we finished the measurements for everyone in the 6-Week Body Transformation Contest!! (For those that weren’t here for whatever reason, please see a trainer to get your final measurements…).

The results that poured in were…AMAZING! I was literally floored with everyone’s results, and a there were also a number of “Super-Acheivers” that blew my mind.

I’ve got to tell ya’…ALL of the Fit For Life Staff are thrilled to be a part of what has occurred here with this fat loss contest. Actually, thrilled isn’t the word…maybe crazy-super-thrilled, beaming-with-pride, freakin’-amazed, and monumentally blown away is more like it!

Look, we’ve done some amazing things over the years, BUT, the effects of this 6-Week Body Transformation Contest are going to ripple out in ways we can’t even imagine right now. THIS IS A PRIME EXAMPLE OF THE KIND OF IMPACT WE’VE BEEN WANTING TO CREATE IN OUR COMMUNITY – AND WE ALL DID THIS TOGETHER!! THANK-YOU TO EVERYONE WHO WAS INVOLVED!!!!!

The grand prize winners with the most points earned in the 6-Week Body Transformation Contest are…drum roll please…

Bryan Bottani and Peggy Heaney!!!

These two have won the iPad 2, and have gained the most points in the contest! Their final scores are here:

Bryan B. – Lost 24 lbs and 3.8% bodyfat for a total of 27.8 points!!

Peggy H. – Lost 21 lbs and 5.7% bodyfat for a total of 26.7 points!!

These are amazing results, and you can watch their videos to learn how they did it below!!

We had many successes who scored between 4 and 10 points!!

Mountain View
Tina A.
Anshul B.
Cynthia F.
Emma W.
Jessica W.
Kelly R.
Mary T.
Meridith H.
Nicole B.

Foster City
Aiisha B.
Asmita K.
Bhumi J.
Camille H.
Lou W.
Megan K.
Jackie F.
Jig K.
Marianne C.
Sujatha K.
Tammy P.
Danika C.
Elliot Y.
Frank M.
Jon B.
Shantal S.
Vivien M.
Rie W.

If you didn’t make the list, don’t be hard on yourself. Your fitness journey is a process. It may just not have been your time to shine…but your time will come! Keep pushing forward. The times when things are the most difficult are the times when you’re learning the most about yourself, and when you go through that, you become stronger and you learn to find YOUR KEY (everyone has their key), that will accelerate you forward.

Our High Achievers with 10-14 points!!

Foster City – High Achievers

Lisa L. lost 13 lbs and 1.8% bodyfat!

Lizzette S. lost 11 lbs and 3% bodyfat!

Tod S. lost 10 lbs and 1.9% bodyfat!

Toshiko I. lost 7 lbs and 3.6% bodyfat!

Weiling L. lost 9 lbs and 1.5% bodyfat!

Mountain View – High Achievers

Maureen O. lost 9.8 lbs and 2.5% bodyfat!

Shellece H. lost 11.6 lbs and .7% bodyfat!

Our Super Achievers that had over 15 points!

Foster City – Super Achievers

Colette O. lost 17 lbs and 2.4% bodyfat!!

Rick O. lost 14 lbs and 5.9% bodyfat!! Men’s Third Place!!

Bryan B. lost 24 lbs and 3.8% bodyfat!! Men’s First Place Winner!!!!

Peggy H. lost 21 lbs and 5.7% bodyfat!! Women’s First Place Winner!!!

Mountain View – Super Achievers

Becky C. lost 14.9 lbs and 2.1% bodyfat!!

Kim A. lost 15.7 lbs and 3.6% bodyfat!!

Sharon W. lost 14.8 lbs and 1% bodyfat!!

Amit B. lost 21.1 lbs and 4.2% bodyfat!! Men’s Second Place!!

Melissa O. lost 21.3 lbs and 2.8%bodyfat!! Women’s Second Place!!

Stacey A. lost 19.2 lbs and 3.7% bodyfat!! Women’s Third Place!!

Tanya B. lost 22.1 lbs and .2% bodyfat!!

…AND the team winner will be announced in a future post in a couple days! Stay tuned!!

Please don’t forget to congratulate these winners in the comments section below!!

Nice job everyone!! We look forward to announcing the next contest soon!!

Bo knows fat loss – NLT at it’s finest!

Nov

2011

When it comes to fat loss, our bootcamps and personal training programs are THE BEST in the Bay Area, and I say that without the slightest hesitation. Why am I so confident with that statement?

Is it because we’re the most creative with our training methods? No…but we are pretty darn creative.

Is it because we have the most fun with our clients? No, but laughter and smiles are a major part of our training.

Is it because we have the best equipment and facility available to us? No, not that either…we use minimal equipment in our training.

Well, maybe it’s because we always shaking things up? Well, it’s true that we always have something going on here, from 6-week body transformation contests to bootcamp marathons to NEW training programs such as IGT and NLT.

The real reason I’m so confident to say we’re the best, is that we have the best people. That means our trainers AND our clients. We have amazing, wonderful people in our programs and our trainers are pure heart. Our trainers are trainers to the bone, and they bring the energy, the knowledge, the passion and the results.

Here’s a video of one of our all-star trainers, Bo Kelley, showing us NLT at it’s finest. NLT is our premier one-on-one personal training program. See for yourself!

If you’re ready to step it up, you can reserve an NLT training spot with Bo or one of our other rock-star trainers right NOW by clicking on this link. —-> http://www.fitforlifesolutions.com/next-level-training-program-launches

Spaces for IGT are also available. Bo has 2 spots left in his 5pm IGT class (small-group personal training), Dan has 5 spots in his IGT 3:45pm class, and Ryan has 2 spots left in his 6am class. Get on it! First to text “IGT” to 650-771-5149 gets a free trial week test drive!

The suspense is killing me!

Nov

2011

The final results for the 6-Week Body Transformation Contest will be here soon, and the suspense is killing me! I can’t wait to announce our male and female winners and give out these iPad 2′s !

Although not everyone who entered the contest got their mid-point measurements taken, here are a few of the leaders so far…but it’s really anybody’s game. Who knows who will pull ahead and take away the win?

Here are some of the highlight stats from the contest mid-point weigh-in from those with 5 points or more! (1 point per pound lost, and 1 point per bodyfat % lost):

Danika C. from the 5pm FC bootcamp has 8 points!

John B. from the 5pm FC bootcamp has 5 points!

Bryan B. from the 5pm FC bootcamp has a BIG 7 points! Nice!

Peggy H. from the 5pm FC bootcamp has a whopping 14 points!!! Amazing!

Tod S. from the 6pm FC bootcamp has 5 points!

Athena M. from 6pm FC bootcamp has 5 points!

Dan J. from 6pm FC bootcamp has 6 points!

Ashley M. from 7pm FC bootcamp has 6 points!

Frank M. from 7pm FC bootcamp has lead-tying 7 points!! Killin’ it!!

Rick O. from 7pm FC bootcamp has 6 points! Just 1 point behind the lead!

Lisa L. from 7pm FC bootcamp has 10 points! WOW!!

Lizzette S. from 7pm FC bootcamp has 10 points!! Smokin’!!

Colette O. from 6pm FC bootcamp has 12 points!! Radical!!

Asmita K. from 7pm FC bootcamp has 5 points!

Becky C. from 6am MV bootcamp has 8 points! Solid!

Amit B. from 6am MV bootcamp has 7 points! Possible winner?!

Kelly R. from 6am MV bootcamp has 5 points!

Mary T. from 6am MV bootcamp has 9 points!!

Melissa O. from 6am MV bootcamp has 11 points!!! Go Melissa!!

Amelia G. from 6pm FC bootcamp has 5 points!

Kim A. from 6am MV bootcamp has 10 points!! So cool!!

Shellece H. from 6am MV bootcamp has 7 points!

Tanya B. from 6am MV bootcamp has 12 points!! Go Tanya!

Stacey A. from 6am MV bootcamp has 10 points!! Nice work!!

Emma W. from 6am MV bootcamp has 6 points!

…And these are just some of the people in the contest! There are many more that are getting great results, too!! Nice work EVERYONE!!

…And for those that didn’t lose weight, it’s back to the drawing board. Don’t be too hard on yourself. Training is a process, and fat loss is something that takes work, strategy, and even failure sometimes before you get it right. Everyone has a key…you just have to find what works for you.

For some people it’s intense bootcamp workouts and food logs. For others it’s more advanced short-term dieting. For some it’s just taking out the carbs at night, or eliminating soda and alcohol.

Whatever YOUR key is to see results, keep after it! Don’t be a quitter! Your health will be a constant work-in-progress for life. You simply can’t quit! If you do quit on yourself, what does that say about your character as a person? Believe me, for those that have to work at this, once you overcome, you will be able to translate this victory to all aspects of your life.

The five spheres of your life are health, social, family, career and spiritual. If you work on one, the others will follow. In my opinion…and I could be wrong, your health needs to come first.

If you’re healthy you have more energy and focus for all of the other 4 spheres. It can be argued that spiritual is the one sphere that doesn’t require health…but I’ll leave that up to you to decide.

The point is, your health is something that you will always need to work on. You’re doing a great job with what you’re doing, and don’t be afraid to fail!! Just keep pushin’ forward!

If nutrition and diet is still your weakness, try this program by Isabel De Los Rios. No calorie counting necessary and her program shows you foods that will literally melt the fat off your body! Click this link below:

VIDEO WITH 5 FOODS THAT WILL BURN FAT OFF YOUR BODY, STARTING TODAY!

Keep trying new things if you’re stuck…everyone has a key, so keep looking for what works for YOU!

P.S. – If we did another 6-week body transformation contest mid-January and charged $100 for bootcamp members and $250 for NON-bootcamp members, would you do it?

The reason I’d like to charge bootcamp members this time is: 1) I need to pay my trainers more cuz they work hard and they deserve it, don’t ya’ think? and 2) I’d like to offer a larger grand prize…and possibly prizes for 2nd and 3rd place winners.

…And this will also weed out the people who aren’t serious.

…AND give contestants a higher chance of winning the iPad 2…BUT THAT’S NOT ALL!

THIS TIME, you will also win a weekend trip to sunny San Diego for you and a friend who will stay with me (and my hospitable family) in Carlsbad, CA and have private training on the beach (and a local San Diego gym), healthy delicious meals and a night out on the town in San Diego’s beautiful Gas Lamp district!!

What do you think? Wouldn’t that be awesome!?!! Leave your comments below!

Should I go BIG with the next contest and do throw in the San Diego weekend, or leave it as is? Let’s hear your thoughts!

By the way, make sure you show up on the 21st, 22nd and 23rd to get your final measurements! They can be taken any of those three days…or before on request…but NOT after!! If you don’t get your final measurements in by midnight on the 23rd of November, 2011, you won’t get them in at all, so make sure to get your measurements done!

The latest in results-proven metabolic fat burning training methods

Nov

2011

The newest and most effective fat loss methods typically surface to people “in-the-know” before they are actually released to the public via popular weight loss products such as DVD workouts systems or information products sold online.

As a trainer, fitness entrepreneur and fat loss and bootcamp expert, it’s my duty to find this information and deliver it to my clients and loyal newsletter readers as soon as any such cutting-edge fitness information falls into my lap.

This blog post will reveal my latest findings and how you can apply them to your own fitness training RIGHT AWAY so that you can get the same incredible results as all our most successful bootcampers.

One truth I’d like to reveal to you is that in fitness, more often than not, it’s the “in-the-trenches” trainers that discover the best fat loss methods first…then it goes into scientific research…NOT the other way around. In this case, I’ve got information that is being used right now that people are getting great results with and this stuff hasn’t even come out to the public yet!!

…And the amazing thing is most of this we’ve already been doing in our programs for years!! But there are a few things that you need to understand, and that’s why I’m writing this post today. What you need to know is WHAT the 3 most effective fat burning exercise strategies are and WHY are they so effective.

#1) MRT – Metabolic Resistance Training

This is the cornerstone of the fat loss protocol. This is strength training at it’s finest, where you’re pressing and pulling compound, multi-joint and complex exercise that fatigue the large muscles of the chest, back and legs while stimulating growth hormone responses in the body. MRT is what I sometimes refer to as “10 Factor Training” and gets your muscles to push to a 9 or 10 on a 1-10 intensity scale.

http://www.unm.edu/~lkravitz/Article%20folder/growthhormone.html

MRT is what happens when we hit the squats, lunges and push-ups to all out intensity during bootcamp. It’s also a part of our new IGT training program. IGT stands for Intensive Group Training, and we now have several times available to train at our Foster City location.

E-mail forrest@fitforlifesolutions.com if you’d like to come try out a session.

IGT is a small-group personal training format of between 6 and 10 people, and we use free weights and machines at a specific intensity that matches the MRT method of training in terms of compound exercises that stimulate muscle growth to speed up metabolism and have you burning fat while you sleep.

MRT is the best method for increasing your EPOC (Exercise Post Oxygen Consumption) which is a fancy way of saying post exercise fat burning.

#2) MCT - Metabolic Conditioning Training

This is the type of training we do in all our programs – IGT, NLT and Bootcamp. This is the type of circuit training that is high volume and the type of training that makes you sweat.

This is our clients favorite type of training because getting a great sweat leaves people feeling accomplished in their workout, and also gives them that all-natural endorphine-high that makes people feel so great (this is why studies show exercise is a greater alternative to anti-depressant medications).

MCT is high-rep, and the way we do it in our programs is to mix circuit strength training with cardio to maximize caloric expenditure during the workout. Our typical 45-minute bootcamp burns roughly 600 calories…but it’s the combined calorie burn during AND AFTER the exercise session that makes our training so effective.

#3) MFF – Metabolic Fat Loss Finishers

This is the part of training that we’re going to start to incorporate more often, and is the icing on the cake when it comes to fat loss. This is comparable to going on a treadmill for 15 minutes after your workout, but instead is only a couple minutes of intense exercise at THE END of your workout.

You see, after you’ve finished your MRT and MCT training (keep in mind, we do both of these types of training in all our programs), your glycogen levels are depleted, and with MFF training, you create a “turbulence” in the muscles that creates a higher “afterburn” effect which stimulates the body to burn more fat. Here’s an example, but it can be as simple as fast-rep mountain climbers , burpees and fast jumping jacks. All of these will simulate the MFF effect.

If you want to get a greater understanding of MFF, go to this link: http://youtu.be/MZLOeq85Y24

By the way…we still have room in our IGT program for a few more people. We had to close it down temporarily because we had such a rush of new IGT trainee’s the first few days of the program. We’re opening up 2 spots in the AM, 4 spots in the afternoon and 2 spots in the PM for whoever is interested.

E-mail forrest@fitforlifesolutions.com to request an IGT trial class. Oh!! And that reminds me, we’ve got a new IGT trainer, Kim Morosi, who is starting an IGT group Mon/Wed/Thurs at 5:30 pm for anyone looking for an evening time!

Just 2 weeks left in the 6-Week Body Transformation Contest!

Nov

2011

As we turn the corner on week four of the 6-Week Body Transformation Contest, all I can see for week five is…yeeeeeeee-haaawwwwwww!! WE ARE IN FOR A WILD RIDE!!!

Before I get into this, I have 2 announcements:

1. Our official days for the last weigh-in, measurements and After photo are November 21st, 22nd and 23rd. Please show up to one of these 3 days to get your final measurements (If you can’t make one of these days, see us so you can do it the week prior. You MUST weigh-in if you are in the contest. If you do not, you forfeit your entire team’s ability to win. EVERYONE THAT’S IN THE CONTEST MUST DO THEIR FINAL MEASUREMENTS.

2. Start to bring the focus and unity and talk with your team on the Facebook groups we set up for you! So far, the Mountain View group is the only group utilizing the Facebook groups we set up for you. It’s no surprise that Mountain View is far in the lead as a team…here’s the link! Get on it! http://www.fitforlifesolutions.com/6weeks

I haven’t been blogging as much as I wanted to during this contest, but it’s for a good reason. While Dan and Bo have been in the trenches training you guys, I’ve been coaching people one-on-one on nutrition, mindset, and on surpassing their self-imposed limitations. I can tell you from the experience that more people have surpassed their own personal barriers during this last 4 weeks than ever before.

I am completely amazed at the results that have been achieved this far. I don’t have the numbers in front of me right now, but I can list off some of my observations from the contest this far:

-We have over 8 ladies that have lost 8lbs or more in just over 3 weeks!

-There are 2 guys tied for first place…both have lost 7 lbs in 3 weeks!

-I’ve witness more people first-hand consistently exercising and eating right than ever in the span of my 12-year career as a trainer.

-One woman has 14 points! She’s gunna be a tough one to beat, but it’s still anybody’s win!

-People that have been on plateau’s for weeks and even months are breaking through with the power they’ve harnessed from this contest! Friendly competition rocks!!!

-It’s not just during bootcamp that people are pushing themselves. Now they’re running on treadmills after class, working out on weekends and doing double-bootcamp days!

-Bootcampers are finding what works for them as far as nutrition. Many have finally realized that it’s not as much about the plan, it’s about the desire to achieve! When it’s important enough to you, you’ll find a way!

-I’m estimating that we’ll be able to hit our 1,000 lbs of fat loss goal, which was our year goal at the beginning of 2011. This contest is going to put us over the top!!

-EVERYONE is being so supportive of one another. I’ve been blown away by the amount of love and support everyone is giving to each other in this contest.

-I’m seeing mad-confidence with people who are lifting more, doing more push-ups, improving their form and technique, going further, going above and beyond.

-There’s a mental “switch” that has been turned on with the entire group. It’s a collective thing, and everyone is feeding off that group energy.

-The trainers are bringing it!! We are so blessed to have Dan, Bo, and Jason in MV bringing the workouts, passion and enthusiasm necessary to not just keep the ball in motion, but to blast it out of a cannon!!

-We’ve taken 121 “Before” photos and we can’t wait to take the “After” photos!!

Good luck to everyone for the last 2 weeks of the contest!

I won’t be in for the final measurements, I’ll be in Hawaii from the 16th until the 23rd. Roy and Dan will be doing the measurements and taking care of the after photos. No matter what, know that if you did your best YOU ARE A WINNER! Weight loss and fitness lifestyle is a process and a journey, not a destination. Remember that, and you’ll be successful in health and fitness for LIFE!

The week after Thanksgiving I’ll be in to give out the iPad2′s to the winners and announce the winning team! I can’t wait!!

By the way, here’s a video with the love of my life, Arleene. Do you think my girlfriend is eligible to win the iPad2? Watch this video. YOU be the judge and leave your comment below!!

Halloween Craziness in Boot Camp and 3 candy-binge tips!

Oct

2011

Halloween is a crazy time of year! Below are some fitness tips to keep in mind during Halloween, but first watch this video to see what kind of craziness I’m talking about! Cuz this is Thrilleerrr!! Thriller Night!!

Halloween Fitness and “Candy-Binge” Tips

1) Eat candy and don’t feel guilty about it! Now keep in mind, this isn’t a license to start downing Snickers like the end of the world is here. BUT, having a healthy relationship with food means not depriving yourself. I say have a bite of candy or a slice of pie. You’ll be ok as long as it’s a small amount, and on the plus side it will motivate you to work harder in your workouts the following week!

2) Don’t go overboard with #1! Although we always here “everything in moderation”, how much is moderation anyway? I say keep it to one candy bar, or 3 mini-bars, or 1 slice of pie, etc. Some people have the “all or nothing” mentality and that can just wreck your progress if you’ve been working at losing weight.

3) Damage control for the candy splurge! Do 1.5 minutes of squats and 30 seconds of light push-ups against a wall after a night of Trick-or-Treating. This brings glucose transporter type 4 (GLUT-4) to the surface of muscle cells, opening pathways for the calories to flow into. You’d rather have your calories go into muscle for glycogen storage than fat storage, right? Then do a bunch of squats and easy wall push-ups for damage control on your Halloween binge!

Have a fun and safe Halloween!!

Update 6-Week Body Transformation Contest and Doug A. Loses 15 lbs in 5 weeks!

Oct

2011

I’ve got an amazing inspirational video for you here today from Doug A. in our Mountain View Fit Body Boot Camp. If you’re currently in our 6-Week Body Transformation Contest, the good news for you is that Doug is not involved in the contest…he lost this weight before the contest.

But if he was in the contest, he would be someone to beat! See the video to hear his 5-week results and to hear his secrets on HOW he did it!

Also, we had a great time on Saturday with the FREE hike/jog we put on for all the bootcampers. This was a terrific way to get some sunshine, meet other bootcampers, and burn extra calories to help with the 6-Week Contest. We’ll be meeting again this Saturday, October 29th for the same thing, only this time we’re doing the loop!

Here are the details:

FREE Outdoor Cardio Class This Saturday, Oct. 29th at 9:30am w/ Forrest in the forest!

Where: Meet us by my apartment in Belmont. 1060 Continentals Way, Belmont, CA 94002. Meet us out in front of the Belmont Terrace Apartments.

What: We’ll have a hiker group and a jogger group

How long: It’s about an hour, but you can leave early if you need to

How many calories: Burn 500 – 750 calories

Why: To help with your fitness goals + it’s gunna be a fun time!

CALL or TEXT: 650-771-5149

Feel free to bring a friend, your kids or your dogs, too!

ALSO…

We’ve divided into teams by location and time (except for Mountain View, where we’ve merged the 6am and 7am time), and Dan is forming Facebook groups pages for each team now. Soon you’ll be able to pump-up your team via Facebook!! Remember, the winning team gets a party in YOUR honor!!

The way your team can win is when we tally up points, we will then take an average. The highest average points for the teams will win!

Remember, you earn 1 point for every lb lost, and 1 point for every bodyfat% dropped. So let’s say you lose 12 lbs and 3% bodyfat in 6-weeks. That’s a total of 15 points!

…And the winning male and female will each get their own iPad2!!! Very cool!!

Watch this video to see what it will be like when you win the iPad2!!!! This was for a referral contest we did over a year ago…but watching this will help you visualize your prize!

…And lastly (I know it’s a lot for 1 blog post, but there’s a lot going on!!!)

Go to www.fitforlifesolutions.com/6weeks to watch the videos we’re putting up as a resource to help you in your 6-Week Contest!!

Don’t forget to check out this link for all the tips and inspiration you’ll need to win that iPad2!!

www.fitforlifesolutions.com/6weeks

You will NEVER get a slimmer waistline by doing ab exercises…PERIOD!

Oct

2011

Here’s an article I’ve written for you on the myth of crunches…BUT FIRST, here’s a video with 5 quick tips to help you with your 6-Week Body Transformation Contest!

I’ve been around long enough to know a thing or two about fitness. Perhaps the best line of credibility I have is the hundreds of people I’ve trained over the years who have transformed their lives through developing a fitness lifestyle. Equally important is the self-esteem, physical and mental strength, and the control over their lives they’ve gained through the process. Today, however, the topic is fat, or more specifically, the lies you’ve been told about fat loss when it comes to losing inches around the midsection.

It’s not your fault. There has been so much confusing and contradicting information out there, I’ve even met personal trainers who believe these health magazine lies! So, first thing first…for the time being, just pretend that everything you’ve ever heard about losing inches around the waist is a big fat lie.

That’s right, the ab machine in the gym won’t give you ripped abs. Doing large numbers of crunches into the thousands WILL NOT fit you into those old waist-tight jeans. The electro-zapper thingy in the infomercial WILL NOT bust your gut. Doing the “5 Surefire Exercises to Give You Rock Hard Abs!” out of the so-called “health” magazines WILL NOT give you beach-cut abdominals.

Even the cool-looking hanging leg-raise exercise WILL NOT mold those abs-o-puddy into abs-o-steel. Not even a 15-minute ab class…or a half-hour…or even a 5-hour ab class, could get you to lose fat from your abdominal area!! (Hopefully I’ve gotten my point across here.)

I’ve educated over 1,000 people on this subject alone, and people usually say by this point, “Really, you mean…no matter how many crunches I do, I won’t tone my abs?” (As they grab onto their spare tire with both hands and give it a good shake) YES! REALLY!! There is NO SUCH THING as SPOT REDUCTION!

Well then, Mr. Trainer…why do people think that they can spot-reduce if it’s a proven, scientific fact that it’s not possible?

I’ll give you one good reason…MONEY! There is big money to be made in the fitness industry. The money that people will spend will go into the billions of dollars by the end of this year, and every year thereafter.

As long as there is obesity there will be people around trying to promote magazines, exercise equipment, supplements, exercise videos, and anything else that will lead you into believing that getting a six-pack is quick and easy, but the truth is, it’s not (well…maybe at your local 7-eleven).

But Mr. Trainer, if it’s not easy, then I might as well not even try!

What?! Did you actually think I would bother with this article if there weren’t a way to get you the abs you’re looking for? My whole reason for writing this article is to educate you in the way that you can do it. Yes, YOU!! And in far less time than it would take if you were doing a thousand crunches a day (which means never)!

Now…don’t get me wrong. All your hard efforts in the gym are not for nothing, and I’m not knocking ab instructors (why would I do that? I am one!) or the abs class at the gym.

Very importantly, you’ve been gaining core strength. You’ve also done a great job keeping your lower back healthy, and you’ve probably built a considerable amount of muscle underneath that layer of fat that’s just itching to be shown off by summertime. You’ve been working hard on those abs, and now you deserve something to show for it! There’s absolutely no reason for you to let this year go by without showing off those abs on the beach in Maui this summer, unless you’ve really mastered the art of procrastination (hmmm…a future article topic?).

So the next question people usually ask me is…”Then how do you lose inches around the midsection? Well, you are about to find out. There are 3 factors that, when managed correctly, will give you the “toned” or “sculpted” abs you’ve always desired, and they are: (drum roll please…)

Nutrition
Cardiovascular Exercise
Resistance Training

That’s it! These 3 things!! Nothing more, nothing less! Not even 1 million crunches a day will get you there faster than having a program that correctly incorporates these 3 factors into the equation.

Stop here and go over the list again…nutrition…cardiovascular exercise…resistance training!

Memorize it, because it will save you a lot of pain in the future of your exercise lifetime. Of course, this simple answer does raise further questions such as, “How do I know how much cardio to do? How many calories should I eat daily? What resistance training exercises should I be doing, and how many reps and sets? Shouldn’t I be doing high reps for toning? (another HUGE lie!! To be covered in a future article).

Yes, these are all very important questions, and it can’t be answered the same for everyone. You are all unique, with unique beliefs, perspectives, job-hours, physical abilities, likes and dislikes, fitness levels, ages, metabolic rates, health histories, etc.

No book or cookie-cutter workout routine can give you the answer, because you are not like everybody else…you’re YOU! My recommendation is to meet with a good personal trainer. How do you find one? I say word of mouth is your best bet to finding a good trainer. Also, make sure they are certified and, very importantly, that you like the trainer!

That trainer, if he knows his stuff, will most likely get you working full body exercises that get your metabolism higher, help you balance your nutrition so you are on a caloric deficit but still have energy for your workday and your exercise, and recommend how much cardio you should be doing, and at what intensity. So get out there, work out a plan with a qualified trainer, or go join a bootcamp like ours!

Your life is what you make it. I say go for it, whatever “it” is!

Author: Forrest Folen, MCT, BCTS

Our NEW Trainer – Bo Kelley!

Oct

2011

I’d like you to meet our new trainer, Bo Kelley, and man is this guy a personal training bad-ass!

This guy’s got it all – experience in the industry, double certified, former high-school and college athlete, great personality, has “the fitness look”, gets his clients results, gives 110% in all he does, and is one of the smartest, most humble trainers I’ve ever met.

Needless to say I was super-impressed with this guys knowledge, skills, his confidence and his abilities. I’ve been in the industry for over 10 years, and I predict this: If Bo Kelley continues to elevate himself in the fitness industry with the same sincere dedication to helping others that he shows right now, he has the ability to be one of the top trainers in the nation – of this I have no doubt.

Of course, it remains to be seen what Bo is to do with his talent, and he will have to prove himself here with our clients and among our staff, but I’m sure you’ll agree that the more you get to know Bo, the more you’ll see how humble (yet confident) and talented the guy is.

Keep in mind, my intention isn’t to try to over-hype the guy, but let’s just say I have a strong intuition about these things. ; )

Here’s a video of Bo where I interview him about his approach on fitness. He also shares a couple exercise tips at the end. Enjoy!

FREE Downloadable report – Secrets to Weight Loss Revealed!

Sep

2011

Every once in a while we like to give our Fit For Life blog readers some cool stuff, like this FREE downloadable report below. Enjoy!!

Download here>>>>insider secrets report

Here are some examples of the information you’ll find in this report:

When you weight train you break down muscle fibers, which takes energy to rebuild, when these muscle fibers have been rebuilt they are tighter, toner, more firm and now take more energy to maintain. Hence, a higher metabolism all day long. Simple, yet so effective!

1 lb of muscle burns about 50 calories a day (VERY metabolic!) 1 lb of fat burns 4 calories a day (NOT metabolic)

FACT – A deficit of 3,500 calories burns off 1 pound of fat per week.

If you gain 10 lbs of lean muscle, your body will burn an extra 1 lb per week of fat…and this is BEFORE doing any cardio!!

…And here’s another example:

The first thing that you need to know about nutrition is this fact: Eating

small meals every 3 hours will increase your metabolism and reduce fat storage. This is a proven fact that bodybuilders, models, athletes and lean people in general abide by – and so should you.

Eating right when you wake up is vital to breaking the fast your body enters every night. About 3-4 hours after you eat your body shuts down your metabolism and acts as if it needs to store food. This is a great function to have if a famine breaks out and you don’t see food for weeks. After all, if there’s famine you’re going to want your body to work “efficiently” by storing fat, and using it slowly.

However, you don’t want your body to store fat and burn it slowly now, right? Since there is no food shortage or famine at the moment (and there likely wont be one any time soon) then it is pretty annoying when your body starts packing on the pounds. So, in order to communicate with your body that it is healthy, well fed, and not in need of extra fat storage you need to reprogram your metabolism. Here’s how to go about it. Start your day off with a small meal and continue to eat small meals every 3 hours or so.

Hopefully you can start to apply some of this information right away!!

There’s even some coupons inside you can print and use!!

Good health and happiness to you!!

Here’s what’s possible in 6-Weeks! – Alejandra R. – Bootcamper of the Month – Sept. 2011

Sep

2011

WE HAVE SELECTED OUR BOOTCAMPER OF THE MONTH FOR SEPTEMBER 2011!!

Congrats to Alejandra Rivera of our Mountain View Fit Body Boot Camp!!!

In this video, Alejandra shows us what’s possible in just 6-weeks!! If this doesn’t get you onboard to our upcoming 6-Week Body Transformation Contest, nothing will!!

Alejandra really has made some awesome life changes! There’s no reason you can’t do it, too!

Join NOW! It starts October 10th, 2011 and they’re only 13 spots left!!

In my opinion, the biggest thing Alejandra had going for her since the beginning, besides the accountability and support from boot camp, was her mindset. Did you notice in the video where she talked about the people in her life basically telling her she can’t do it, that it’s too hard, that she’ll fail!!

We all have those people in our lives…and in our heads!!

If you let fear and doubt run your life, you’ll never get anywhere and you’ll always be a slave to that fear. It will keep you captive, like a prison inmate, and you’ll live your life in a “frozen” state always asking yourself “what if?” instead of “what’s next!”

Use this inspiring video and Alejandra’s story as fuel for action! Like she said in the video “If I can do it, anyone can do it!”

Please leave a comment for Alejandra below!!!

Thanks for leading by example, Alejandra. You and your good friend, Darelda, make our Mountain View Fit Body Boot Camp a very special place to train at!!

15 Spots Open, Going Fast!! 6-Week Body Transformation Contest!

Sep

2011

Are you tired of feeling like this?

If you are, we’ve got something for YOU!

If you haven’t heard already, we’ve opened up the 6-Week Body Transformation Contest to NON-bootcamp members, and we have 15 spots available. We’re setting up the teams now, and it’s first come first serve basis.

First prize wins an iPad 2!!

ATTN Bootcamp members: You DO NOT have to buy a ticket to enter the contest. Your membership includes the contest, so you are already automatically enrolled!

This is a great opportunity to anyone needing a push right now before the holiday season kicks in!

You can enroll NOW by purchasing a ticket through this link:

The contest starts Monday, October 10th, 2011!

We WILL see you there!! Don’t delay, time is running out! We need your starting measurements and “Before” photo the week prior to the contest!

Go to this link to purchase a ticket to enroll in the contest:

http://6weekbodytransformationcontest.eventbrite.com/

6-Week Body Transformation Contest Starts Oct. 10th, 2011

Sep

2011

Imagine stepping on the scale. You smell the stale air of the gym around you. The instructor,clipboard in hand, pens in your starting weight. You feel the sweat on your palms as you hold out the Omron Bodyfat Analyzer and wait 3 seconds, seemingly an eternity, for your body fat percentage to appear on the screen.

Doh! Not the number you wanted, but hey, that’s what you signed up for, right? You’re ready to change your body, your life, and take on the challenge ahead.

You strategize with your trainer on your nutrition plan, tell him you’re “ready to do this” and give him a stinging high-five as you head straight to your bootcamp class – the cornerstone of your transformation to come.

In the class your head trainer goes over the exercises of the day, a brutal mix of beat-down dumbell work, jump squats, lunges and medicine ball ab twists. He mentions 3 rounds, but all you can think about is the water churning in your stomach as you wished you ate some apple slices or raisins beforehand to pick up your blood sugar levels and you think “why don’t I just listen to my trainers!” You’re throat runs dry as he continues to demonstrate more exercises – an advanced push-ups drill and those damned Burpees.

As you start the warm-up jog, you go over in your head your victory. You see it, smell it, feel it, and hear it take place in your mind.

You’ve already made up your mind that YOU are the winner of the 6-Week Body Transformation contest. You see an image of yourself next to your before photo. In the picture you see how much you’ve changed. Your face looks thinner – no more extra chin. Your arms have a tone line showing your triceps…you’ve never seen that before! Your inner thighs no longer rub together and your stomach looks flat – spare tire gone.

You see yourself being awarded the brand new iPad 2, Forrest, Roy, Dan and the other trainers stand there with ear-to-ear grins, thrilled at your victory.

The crowd of bootcampers breaks into applause, and you can’t help but feel a warm-glow of victory swell out past your body, spilling into the room. The iPad 2 feels sleek and light in your hands, and you pause to think about all the cool apps you’ll soon be downloading when you get home to show your friends and family your hi-tech trophy.

Hey, WAKE UP! Instructor Dan yells to you. You’ve got push-ups to do. Get to work!!

You wipe the drool off your face…oh, yes, you were drooling…

The smell of victory is just that good.

——————————————–

Hey Bootcampers! Forrest here!

We’re starting our 6-Week Body Transformation Contest on Monday, October 10th!

Both the Mountain View and Foster City locations will be divided into 3 teams – a RED, WHITE and BLUE team.

Points will be awarded by pounds lost and bodyfat % dropped. For example, if you lose 5 lbs and 2% bodyfat, you’ll have a total of 7 points.

The male and female with the most points will win an iPad 2!!

The winning teams from both locations will receive a party in their honor! Location and date to be announced…

Right now we’ve only opened it up to current bootcampers…we’ll see if we have room to add non-bootcampers as well. If you’re a non-bootcamper and really want to do it, call me at 650-771-5149 and leave a message. If we do open it up, we’ll only have a few spots and they’re sure to go fast. By calling in ahead, I’ll make sure you’re first on the waiting list if we do open it up, but you must call me ahead of time or I can’t promise anything…

That’s all for now, stay tuned for more info!!

Bootcampers Exit Interview – Katie, Dan and Kerry

Sep

2011

Although it’s sad to see our bootcampers leave, it unfortunately does happen. The good news is that we know they will continue to maintain a fitness lifestyle using the tools we’ve provided them, and that their experience with us has been a positive experience we’re they’ve not only learned great exercise and eating habits, but have made great friends and had experiences they will never forget.

Here’s Katie, on of the most amazing bootcampers of all-time. We can’t wait for the day she returns to train with us, but for now, her busy schedule as a school teacher in East Palo Alto is keeping her busy. We ALL LOVE YOU Katie, and having you and Stacey made our bootcamp a better place to be. I know Dan really misses you two as well, and we wish you the best!

…And here’s Dan and Kerry, an wonderful couple who trained with us in one of our intro programs. We’ll miss these two. Training them was a pleasure. They are a fun, great couple and just good people!! In this video they tell us a little about what it was like to train in our bootcamp as a couple:

Please leave your comments for Katie, Dan and Kerry below!

We are the BEST Bootcamp in Foster City / San Mateo / Mountain View!

Aug

2011

I’m up at 1:41 am on a saturday night, researching what makes bootcamps successful…and thinking of how we can make our bootcamps earn the right to be called the best in the Bay Area!

I came across a website I never knew about called Cityvoter.com and saw that we didn’t make the top 5 for boot camps on the Peninsula!! ARRGGGGHHHHH!!!!

Well, it’s because we didn’t know about the website, so we never asked anyone to vote! I saw that Toshiko voted for us, though…thanks Toshiko!!

Oh well, at least for 2012 we’ll be prepared! I’m confident we can become the best boot camp in the entire Bay Area! I have no doubts we can do it!!

In my research, here’s what I’ve seen makes a successful bootcamp. I’m also going to give our bootcamp an honest rating of where I think we’re at, and state some remarks on how I think we can improve. I’d love to hear your feedback in the comments section below!

Top 2 Successful Bootcamp Factors:

1) It’s fun! It seems that the best bootcamps have a strong “FUN” element to them. They figure out a way to keep people coming back because of the fun atmosphere and good vibe of the people and the instructors in the camp.

I think we do a great job at keeping a fun and supportive atmosphere in our camps. In Foster City we incorporate games (dodgeball, free-throw contests, monkey-in-the-middle, etc.) and in Mountain View we have “Block Push” and a fun and challenging circuit every class.

Forrest’s rating on the FUN factor: 8 out of 10.

What I think we can do to improve is add a group challenge such as the “300″ every 4 weeks or so, and a game or parter component every class. What do you think? Leave your comments on how you think we can make our bootcamp more fun in the comments section…

2) It gets you results! The best bootcamps have BEFORE and AFTER photos all over their websites. Getting results is what makes or breaks a successful bootcamp.

Well, we have plenty of BEFORE and AFTER photos, but they’re kinda mixed up in different blog posts. I think I’d like to showcase them on a specific page on our site. That way, you can get inspired and know clearly inside of yourself that YOU can do it! There’s just something very inspiring to see someone similar to you who has gone through a transformation which makes you strive for those results, too!

Just check out some of these before and after photos from people JUST LIKE YOU in our bootcamps!

Forrest’s rating on the RESULTS factor: 8 out of 10.

Although we get great results, the highest percentage of those results comes from people who are doing food logging. I’d like to run periodic workshops in the form of Webinars to teach people how to food log correctly and to start a Fit For Life Food Logging Group on Facebook! I think we’ll get a lot more compliance with it if we do it as a group.

POW! LOOK AT THOSE TRICEPS!!

I’m also looking in to a 21-Day Detox program to help people kick-start their fat loss and get the weight on the scale to move more quickly for everyone.

I’d love to hear your feedback on how we can improve our bootcamps! Please leave a comment below!

I won’t get any sleep until I feel we are a 10 out of 10 in the categories of FUN and RESULTS!!

Kara Chan – 3 Fitness and Life Success Qualities for YOU!

Aug

2011

Here’s one of our Rock-Star bootcampers in our Foster City / San Mateo Boot Camp, Kara Chan!

She’s on a mission to save lives (see below…)

Also, below is a video of her talking about her experience and weight loss results with bootcamp, but before we get into it, I’d like to mention 3 things YOU can start doing today that will help you dominate your fitness goals.

Kara does all these things, and they have to do with having the mindset to create a fitness lifestyle…not just to going for the “quick-fix”.

Here are my observations of why Kara is so extremely successful, not only in fitness, but in life.

1. Kara always creates win-win scenarios. Kara doesn’t just come to bootcamp and go through the motions. She actually creates the environment by taking action and bringing the energy. She smiles, she talks to and encourages others, and she interacts with the instructors about ways we can improve, and offers to help out!

2. Kara has a positive attitude. It’s never easy to keep exercising as intensely as we do in bootcamp, but Kara makes it seem easy. Her thoughts give her power. Listen to her in the video and hear how she talks. What words and phrases does she use to give her strength in maintaining a fitness lifestyle? Think about the “mental tapes” that go on in your head.

Are you creating a positive world for yourself, or are you cynical? Try to be aware of your thought processes through journaling or periodic observation and when you catch yourself thinking negatively, replace it immediately with a positive thought of your choice. By doing this, you actually change your brains mental patterns to start working for you instead of against you!

3. Kara pays it forward. She is always referring friends to try out our bootcamp because she wants her friends to benefit from a healthy lifestyle, too!

If YOU have any friends who could benefit, don’t keep us a secret! Bring them in for a 1-week FREE trial, and if they like it and decide to stay, you get 1/2 off your next months bootcamp!

…Also, please support Kara in her upcoming event! Here’s the link to find out how you can support:

http://pages.teamintraining.org/sj/nikesf11/kchand

…And here is a special message from Kara directly to YOU about her upcoming event!

———————————–

Hello best bootcampers in the world…

First of all I thought you guys would appreciate this message as I know you are such charitable, generous, and driven fitness enthusiasts like myself. : )

Plus this is for health and fitness!

Anyway, I am raising funds for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) as a participant in their Team In Training program and I’m asking you to help by making a donation to my fundraising campaign.

BUT WAIT! Before you dismiss this thinking “I can’t afford to donate any money right now with this economy the way it is.” I want you to consider a few things…

1. The money you donate not only goes to fund research, but it also finacially helps families deal with the cost of hospital stays and medication.

2. 100% of whatever amount you donate to LLS is tax-dedcuatable. PLUS 75% fo the money you donate goes directly to fund research and patient services.

3. If that doesn’t inspire you, how about this, Luekemia is the No. 1 disease killier of children under 14 years of age and strikes 10 times as many adults.

No donation is too small! Please use the link in this email to donate online, it is quick and secure. You will receive a confirmation of your donation by email and I will be notified as soon as you make your donation.

http://pages.teamintraining.org/sj/nikesf11/kchand

Thank you so much!

Best of health and life,

Kara Chan

P.S. I would appreciate it if you would forward this blog post to as many people as you can and post it to your FACEBOOK to encourage them to donate as well. Thanks again!!

I hope to see you in bootcamp soon!

Kara

P.S. – If events and fun times are more your thing, come join me here on September 15TH!

Create your own MASTERPIECE!

A hosted night out where you can be creative. Adult drinks and heavy appetizers will be served at this private fundraising event. Express yourself and make your own custom ceramic artwork and hang out with friends.

You could paint your own pottery from mugs, serving dishes, teapots to martini and wine glasses. You can also create glass fused pieces such as candle holders, great serving platters, bowls and even hung artwork for the wall or window. Here is an idea…these masterpieces will be great for customized gifts for X’mas, bdays, anniversaries…or just for yourself!

Proceeds go towards the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

I hope to see you there, let’s raise some money to help find a cure. Friends and family are welcomed and invited!

Please RSVP. Text or call Kara at 650-787-2011.

Location: Town and Country Village
855 El Camino Real, Suite 108, Palo Alto, CA 650-323-1515

Date: Sept. 15th 2011, Thursday

Time: 6:30-9:30 pm

Isaac loses over 20 lbs in 12 weeks!

Aug

2011

Here’s a video from one of our All-Star bootcampers, Issac Lee, from our evening bootcamps in Foster City!

Isaac has been working hard, but more importantly having a ton of fun in our bootcamp! His enthusiasm and energy is highly contagious, and now that he is leaving for L.A., we will miss him. This is his last week with us, so make sure you wish him luck when you see him!

We wish you the best, Isaac!! Thanks for being a part of the Fit For Life Bootcamp family!!

In this video, Isaac gives us his common sense approach to a fitness lifestyle. Enjoy!!

Fitness Success Tips Video – 3 Part Series by Forrest Folen

Aug

2011

Here is a video series I put together for you that will help clarify why we train in specific ways in our bootcamp and personal training programs.

Our training, although fun, is really geared toward getting YOU great results. After all, results are the “life changing” aspect of fitness, and that’s our biggest motivation pushing us…CHANGING LIVES!

We live for the day you tap us on the shoulder and say, “Hey, it’s because of you that I went to my high school reunion and felt great about myself”, or “Because of your training I went to Vegas and took my shirt off at the pool and I looked damn good, too!” or even “I sleep better, and I have more energy for my kids, and my husband is happier because I’m happier!”

These types of breakthroughs are what fuels our fire as trainers, ya know? It really does make my day to hear the little things. Like this morning in Mountain View Stacey did her first plank for an entire minute! …And Yvonne told me we’re getting too expensive because she spent $400 on a new wardrobe after losing 40+ lbs with us!! Soooo awesome!!

And so that we can get more fuel for the fire, we need to hear more success stories…cuz we love ‘em!

…And to hear more success stories, we need to give you the information you need to be successful, right? RIGHT!!

SO THAT’S WHY I CREATED THIS 3 PART SUCCESS TIPS VIDEO SERIES FOR YOU!

We really want to earn the right to be called the best fitness boot camp in Foster City / San Mateo and in Mountain View. We want you to lose weight, drop clothes sizes, feel high energy, lower your body fat %, and dominate in your bootcamp or personal training program.

By the way, if you’d like more info on our NEW NLT personal training program, CLICK HERE.

The first video explains some of the reasons why we know what we should be doing, but for some reason avoid doing it!

The second video gets into why we do resistance (or weights) training and how it helps you build your metabolism so that you’re burning more calories even in your sleep!

…And the third video I discuss things like supplements, and negative self-talk, and give you some cool resources to help you in your training.

Enjoy!!

Thanks for checking these out! Please be sure to leave your comments below!

Band Ranking System Reviewed

Aug

2011

Left to right: Katie, Donna, and Erica

Several months ago we at Fit For Life Solutions started a colored band-ranking system in our bootcamps. Similar to martial arts belts, the colored bands represent the levels a student progresses through during training. Although we do look at tangible results as part of the equation, our main criteria for deciding when and if a bootcamper advances in rank are the intangibles such as attitude, energy, enthusiasm, being a leader, supporting others and self-development.

ATTN: If you’ve been given a band, please wear your colored band proudly at every bootcamp class. Thank-you!

Displaying rank allows for the instructor to make better judgments when forming groups in circuits, and allows instructors to see at a glance how to tailor exercise difficulty and intensity according to level.

Also, you will be challenged to strive for your next level, and those with bands will receive more personalized attention during bootcamp training sessions.

If you’d like a complete break-down of the ranks and what they mean, you can view the PDF file we’ve included below:

Banded Bootcamp System

Instructors will also carry a colored-band rank. Soon, we will have silver writing inscribed on them to differentiate them as instructor bands. Here are the ranks the instructors carry:

Roy: This monday Roy is being promoted to Red w/ Black Stripe. Join us for Roy’s official testing and award ceremony this coming Monday, August 22nd!

Roy will be demonstrating his “Superman push-ups!” for everyone. You will be amazed at this!! He will also be leading the 6pm training session!

Dan: Recently was promoted to Blue Band. Dan is our Head Bootcamp Instructor and does a fantastic job. He has grown tremendously as a trainer within the past year, and we look forward to seeing his future development as he moves up in rank.

John: John holds Purple Band, and is our Bootcamp Safety Instructor. John makes sure everyone in bootcamp is exercising correctly, using proper form and technique. John also helps clients set and reach targeted goals and counsels on the topics of health, fat loss, stress and wellness.

Leslie: Leslie is soon to be given her first band-rank. Leslie is the newest active instructor with the Fit For Life Solutions team.

Forrest: Black Band. ”Of course, I invented the system!” ; )

I’m not an ego-maniac (at least I hope not!), but you may want to know why I’m qualified to create such a system, and what my accomplishments as a trainer and bootcamp instructor are.

Forrest’s Accomplishments: 11 years in the fitness industry. Nationally certified trainer 4x’s over. Owner of 2 successful training businesses (my first business was a mind/body training business called Way of Life Personal Training 2005 – 2008). Second Degree Black Belt in TaeKwonDo. Published author with Examiner.com as a bootcamp expert. Published blogger with over 1,500 readers here at www.FitForLifeSolutions.com. Co-Owner and operator of Fit For Life Bootcamp in Foster City (began May 2008) and Fit Body Boot Camp in Mountain View. Has clocked over 12,000 hours of training experience and has helped countless clients lose weight, transform their bodies and gain a fitness lifestyle.

How does all this help you?

More accountability
More results
More incentive to succeed
More confidence
More appreciation
More results!!

Thanks for reading this blog post! Hope to see you in bootcamp soon!

-Forrest

Linda S. – August 2011 Bootcamper of the Month!

Aug

2011

We’re starting a Bootcamper of the Month on our blog today! Every month we will feature a NEW bootcamper and include a video or write-up about them!

…And who better to start it off with than Linda S., from our Mountain View Fit Body Boot Camp!!

Linda has been training with us for over one year, doing a combination of bootcamp training and at-home personal training with Roy and her BFF, Yvonne.

Stepping it up as a true leader in the MV bootcamp, Linda has some wise words here for new bootcampers. Check out the video! …And don’t forget to leave your comments for Linda below!! We are a community…don’t be a silent onlooker! YOU, our Fit For Life Solutions blog reader, are part of this!! Thanks!

Serious Fun in Foster City! Legs and Abs!!

Aug

2011

We had some serious fun on working the legs and abs in Tuesday nights bootcamp in our Foster City location. Here’s a slideshow to see some of the action!

Forrest and Roy Thrash the Scale!!

Aug

2011

In fitness, it’s easy to get caught up on the numbers.

I was reminded several times over the last few days that numbers should be used just like a map…and you shouldn’t confuse the map with the territory.

For example, I’ve been doing people’s measurements (we take everyone’s weight, bodyfat % and their chest/waist/hip measurements when they first start their training) and sooooo many people are getting wise to the fact that the key is not in the numbers, but in their energy level, how they “feel” in their clothes, and in feeling better about themselves.

However, having scientific minds (at least part of the time) we’ve come up with 5 ways to measure your success without having to think about the weight on the scale.

Start measuring in these 5 ways to help Roy and I thrash the scale once and for all!!

1) Days of exercise per week. Here’s a great motivator. Take a calendar and post it on your wall (not on your phone or computer…you want to see this every day…). Put a big red “X” on every day where you get in an exercise session. It might be a bootcamp workout, maybe you take an hour bike ride, or maybe you just took a walk for 20 minutes. Whatever it is, see how many “X’s” you can get on the calendar. Then try to beat your score the next month!!

2) Bodyfat %. I like focusing on this number more than the scale. You might be working out for a full month, and you go to step on the scale and….AAAARGGGGHHH!!!! The weight is the same!!! BUT O-Contrare!! After reading the bodyfat % you find you actually lost 4 lbs of fat and gained 4 lbs of muscle. Your bodies totally changed, but the scale weight stayed the same!! Yet another reason to thrash the scale, yes?

3) Energy levels. Three times during the day, set an alarm on your phone and when it goes off, give yourself a number on the 1-10 scale to monitor your energy level. Over time, you can look back on this “energy level log” and get terrific insight on how you’re general energy levels have improved. With this information, you can also get great insight on whether you’re getting enough calories and sleep, as well as get an understanding on how exercise plays a role in giving you energy throughout the day. The more energy you give (within balance) the more energy you get back!

4) Clothes. This is the best indicator of your body changes as you go through an exercise program. Have you gone up a notch in your belt? Are you finally able to zip up those jeans without giving yourself a hernia in the process? Use your clothes as an indicator, and you’ll find that it becomes a great motivator at the same time!

5) Track calories…or any macronutrient. Studies show that tracking something gives better results than just saying “Well, I eat pretty healthy most of the time…”. Track calories or even just protein, or just fats, or just carbs…there was even a guy I read about that lost 50 lbs just because he tracked how many times he chewed with each bite of food! The key isn’t in the results…it’s in the awareness that opens up in YOU during the act of tracking!

9 Success Factors for Fat Loss and Bootcamp Training

Jul

2011

All these “Guru’s” and success coaches have their “3 Steps to This…” and “7 Steps to That…”.

What I always say is if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em…and do it BIGGER and BETTER!

In this blog I’ll expose the method for success in fat loss and in your personal training or bootcamp training so that you can be truly successful. Here are the 9 Success Factors for Fat Loss and Bootcamp Training:

1) You Gotta Love It! If you don’t absolutely love it – the people, the approach, the exercises, the challenge, the journey – you won’t last. If you’re having fun, you’re way more likely to stick with it and get results.

2) Accountability. If there’s no one to hold you accountable, it’s too easy to go watch American Idol instead of hitting the weights. You and I both know it. If you haven’t made a commitment to train by signing up for a program like our bootcamp or NLT program, do it now!

3) Results motivate! Let’s face it. Nothing motivates better than results. I can tell you all the benefits of training – more energy, lose weight, feel great – and that will help, but NOTHING motivates better than putting on a pair of pants and noticing that they used to be tight, but now they fit just right! Or even better, having to go out and buy new pants like Marcella talks about in this video!

4) A Fitness Lifestyle. As a trainer, to get you started I’ll often show you a website or flyer that says something like, “21-Day Fat Loss” or “Lose 4-10 lbs in 4 weeks!” Hey, fast results are great, and I’m all for it. BUT…let’s be real here. If I were to tell you “Get Fit in Just 6 Months!”, you’d probably run the other way! I have to get you pumped up about getting there fast, but we both know that there are NO QUICK FIXES! You have to put in the work, develop the physical, mental and emotional patterns that keep you attuned to a fitness lifestyle if you want to be truly successful.

5) Log Your Foods! We’ve said it over and over and over again…LOG YOUR FOODS! All the research (not to mention my 10+ years of experience and over 12,000 hours of training) say that when you log your foods you will see results…PERIOD! Stop procrastinating! I’ll even make it easy for you. Here’s a video tutorial I made for you on food logging. Start today!

6) Have a strong WHY. It’s great to hear you want to “be healthier” and you want to “get in better shape”, but WHY??? Unless you get in touch with your WHY, you may never get past the first few weeks. If you try digging a little deeper than what’s on the surface, I bet what you uncover may even surprise you! Some strong reasons I’ve seen people have are things like, “I have a Vegas trip in 6 weeks” or “My dad suffered a heart attack and I don’t want that to be me” or “I want to be able to keep up with my kids”. This is what I mean about having a strong WHY. What’s your why? Let’s hear yours in the comments section below…

7) Create Urgency. In the mid-nineties a guy named Bill Phillips authored a book called “Body-for-Life” and it revolved around a 12-week challenge. It was the most successful fitness program EVER, and now everyone from Oprah to Stallone looks to Bill as the ultimate body transformation guru. What Bill did was he created a sense of urgency. You had contestants compete for his red lamborghini (a $250,000 car…) in a 12-week contest. How’s that for a challenge and creating a sense of urgency!

8) Mix it up! To get results, variety works. Changing it up not only keeps the body from adapting to the same workout routine, but it keeps you mentally fresh and guessing. In all our bootcamps and training programs we give a new workout each time to keep it fun and to add variety.

9) Gratitude! Having gratitude is an important and sometimes overlooked factor of success in anything you do in life. Be grateful to yourself. Show gratitude to your instructors and mentors. Display gratitude by paying it forward and encouraging others to make fitness a part of their lifestyle, too! Speaking of gratitude, here’s Tanya, who I am very grateful to have in my life…and she is very grateful to be alive! Look at this video to see why she is so grateful:

Tough Mudder Training w/ Forrest in the forest!

Jul

2011

Here’s a quick video to see me training for Tough Mudder in September. I’m still looking for people who want to team up with me to tackle this event. It looks crazy, so you’ll see me get a little crazy in this video!

Here’s the video to see what it’s like. Are you scared yet?

Let me know if you want to do this! E-mail forrest@fitforlifesolutions.com. Thanks!

Meditation and Your Fitness Goals – Don’t Miss the July 16th Retreat

Jul

2011

I get a lot of people with this problem when it comes to reaching their fitness goals:

“I know WHAT to do, but for some reason, I don’t do it!”

Knowing what to do, but somehow staying at a standstill, never reaching your goals is incredibly frustrating!

People get stuck in their patterns, and for some reason no matter how high their level of desire and intelligence, just can’t seem to break out. It can be like running around in a hamsters wheel!

You may be surprised to hear that resistance like that is very common, and even as a health professional, I find myself having to face that type of resistance, not just in fitness, but in other areas of my life as well.

I’ve found that through meditation training, I have more control over my emotions, thoughts and actions. Below I’ve included a series of video interviews I recently did with my meditation instructor of 13 years, Daniel Johnson, SBN.

Master Johnson has a system of self-development he teaches called the Selfmastery system. His upcoming workshop is a 1-day retreat in the beautiful redwoods in the North Bay. There is a video below describing more about it.

He is offering a 50% discount to all my newsletter readers and bootcampers.

I personally think this is so cool of him, because his courses are worth twice what he charges. Like I said, I’ve been training with him for 13 years and continue to get soooo much out of his trainings and programs – I know you will, too. His offer is good to the first 7 who respond, so don’t wait!

Here is the link. Just enter CENTER50 when prompted at the end of the registration to get the 50% discount.

REGISTER BY CLICKING HERE

Next Level Training Program Launches!

Jul

2011

Hi there, Forrest here,

I’ve been getting a lot of e-mails about the new NLT program we recently launched, so I’m posting this blog to get into detail about it.

NLT, our amazing NEW personal training program, is for you if you are:

1) Ready to take your bootcamp training to the next level by meeting with a personal trainer 2x/week.

2) Just getting started, and want one-on-one customized training to make sure you get the attention and accountability you need to reach your fitness goals fast.

Here are the details of the program in case you missed the e-mail that was sent out a few days ago…
——————————————————————————-

Hi there, Forrest and Roy here,

Today we’re starting a NEW program to help you reach your fitness goals faster than ever, and to magnify the amount of focus we can give directly to YOU.

It’s a NEW level of training, an exciting step-up from your bootcamp training, and a great way to get started if you’re not training at all right now – or even if you used to train, and want to get started again…

We are excited to be offering this to you, and hope that you will be one of the 20 people we can except into the program.

The program is called “NLT” and stands for Next Level Training, and it is literally our best training program EVER…and I’m not exaggerating one bit.

But before you look at the details, here are some “Before and Afters” of some of our trainee’s so you can see that we mean business…

Here’s what the NLT program entails:

2 Times per week One-on-One Personal Training

Fully customized training program

New, dynamic routine every session

A whole team of trainers at your disposal (you will be assigned the trainer(s) that best fit your needs and schedule).

24/7 text and e-mail access to your personal trainer

…and the following HUGE bonuses!!!

FREE unlimited access to all bootcamp classes…Yes, that’s right…FREE bootcamp!

Be the first to have a copy of Forrest’s new fat loss and fitness lifestyle E-Book coming out later this summer as a FREE gift!

Before and After photos! These are given to you framed as a gift after you reach just 12 short weeks into the program!

Fit Body For Life Guarantee! If you complete a full 12 months of the program, you will earn our “Fit Body For Life” guarantee. This guarantee states that if you ever leave our program and later decide to come back, we’ll train you for FREE in our bootcamp until you get back to your graduation weight – for life!

Skinny Jeans Bonus! If you complete a full 12 months of the program, we buy you a pair of designer “skinny jeans” as your trophy to show off to all your friends – up to $300!

————————————————————————

Here’s a pic of Shanon in her skinny jeans after she lost 20 lbs and went from a size 6 to a size 2!

The NLT program is the most incredible training program we have EVER offered, and is sure to be sold out extremely fast.

We’re sending this offer out to over 1,000 local residents, and I really want YOU to be one of the 20 people who’s life is changed by our NLT program!

Here’s the links to get started on the Next Level Training program today (NOTE – all training takes place at the Foster City Athletic Club):

2x/week NLT program – 30 min. sessions $320/mo.

2x/week NLT program – 50-min. sessions $480/mo

Like all our programs, we offer a 30-day 100% money back guarantee.

If you’re not satisfied within the first 30 days of your initial purchase, just let us know for a full refund, no questions asked and we part as friends…fair enough?

I can’t wait to get YOU started on the NLP program, and I look forward to seeing your Before and After photos soon!

Your Trainers For Life,

Forrest Folen, MCT and Roy Schuhmacher, BCTS

P.S. – The day after you purchase through one of these links, you will be contacted by me, Forrest, and receive another FREE bonus, which is a 30-minute fitness consultation over the phone that will give you a terrific start on your NEW journey with NLT.

P.P.S. – Remember, we’re only accepting the first 20 people and then we’re sold out for the year. We won’t re-open the NLT program until July of next year, if at all.

…And remember, the NLT program is 100% guaranteed.

You have nothing to lose (except a few pounds) and everything to gain. This is a program that beats all the rest, hands down…I’d even advise my own mother not to pass this one up!!

2x/week NLT program – 30 min. sessions $320/mo.

2x/week NLT program – 50-min. sessions $480/mo

NOTE #1 – If you’re currently in bootcamp, we’ll immediately take you off the bootcamp billing as soon as your purchase is made. You will get free bootcamp training as long as you are in the NLT program.

NOTE #2 – If you miss a session with advanced notice, it is rolled over to the next week. If you’re out on vacation more than 2 weeks, you can get reimbursed for the time you are out, if you let us know in advance.

Push Up Tutorial in the Great Outdoors

17

Jun

2011

Ever wonder what the 4 best exercises to burn fat and slim down the belly bulge are?

You may be surprised that it’s not crunches or sit-ups…it’s 4 large muscle compound movements (especially when done in circuit style, like in our bootcamp), the squat, the lunge, the row, and the push-up . Yes, that’s right, the PUSH-UP!

The push-up to me is more than just an exercise, it’s an art form.

Here’s a video tutorial on how to do a correct push-up, and how to avoid common mistakes. Enjoy!

…and at 4:13 I show the “Elevator Push-up”! Drop and hammer out a set of them, see how well you do and put your score in the comments section!

Join Exclusive Meditation Retreat w/ Forrest and his Meditation Master this July 16th

16

Jun

2011

This post is about how meditation relates to your fitness and your life, and how you can be part of an upcoming retreat coming soon on July 16th, 2011. I’ll be there. I hope you can join me! Enjoy!

-Forrest

——————————————————————————————————————————————

Although I’m successful at what I do, there was a time in my life when things didn’t come so easy for me. Much of my success I attribute to my martial arts and meditation training. It was this mind/body training that propelled me forward in life, and gave me the tools I use today to stay focused and disciplined in what I do.

I’m lucky enough to have found a meditation master who knew how to teach meditation as a method, rather than a religion. When I first started, I had no idea really what meditation was…I mean, they don’t teach us how to do this in school (which now that I understand it, I do believe they should).

Learning to meditate, as a skill, gave me a whole new mental clarity that I never had before. When you’re mind is clear, it’s easier to break old habits and create new life patterns that serve rather than destroy. It’s hard to do the things in life you want when fear or limiting self beliefs are holding you back. It is this training that I would love for YOU, my blog readers and bootcampers, to have a chance to experience.

Without a direct experience it’s hard to convey the true power of this type of training. I urge you to come with me on this 1-day retreat and see for yourself how you can improve the quality of your thinking, and to see how quickly it improves the quality of your life.

Read below to see a Q and A with Master Daniel Johnson, SBN. Please e-mail me if you have questions at forrest@fitforlifesolutions.com. Hope to see you there!

-Forrest

Here’s a video where Master Johnson talks about his “Finding Your Center” workshop, which is similar to the one on July 16th. The one coming up on July 16th, “Quality of Thinking” is good for people interested in fitness because it gives you tools to use to hit your fitness goals using the unstoppable power of your subconscious mind.

—————————————————————————————————————————————-

Dear Daniel,

Q. Most of us believe that success in our lives comes down to having the right information and the right plan. So why is it so hard to meet our goals?

A. Perhaps it has to do with the Quality of Our Thinking.

The ideas and knowledge we value so highly are merely the surface manifestation of more fundamental aspects of the mind. The ideas themselves are shaped by other aspects of our thinking. We call this How We Think or the Quality of Our Thinking.

Enhancing the Quality of Your Thinking enhances the quality of your life.

This may sound esoteric, but it has very practical and immediate effects on your life. Changing the Quality of Our Thinking has an immediate effect on the results of our thinking, as well as any interaction in our lives. Long-term improvements to the Quality of Our Thinking lead to lasting effects on the quality of our lives. In fact, the direction that we take in our lives is due in no small part to the Quality of Our Thinking.

Special offer: All Fit For Life Solutions clients get 50% off the price of tuition.

What is The Quality of ThinkingTM Workshop?

Conducted in the peace and tranquility of nature, The Quality of ThinkingTM workshop gives you a chance to gain powerful new insights into yourself and the forces the govern you.

Through guided physical and mental exercises, students have the opportunity to look at themselves and clearly understand the fundamental forces that govern them.

The one-day workshop is no more demanding than a five-mile walk in the forest.

The Quality of ThinkingTM integrates Zen and Taoist techniques such as tai chi, chi gung, sound, and other traditional meditations into an effective program that appeals to the modern mind.

The Quality of ThinkingTM was developed by Daniel Johnson SBN, a meditation master with more than twenty-five years’ experience in practicing and teaching meditation.

Special group offer: Sign up as a group of four and one comes FREE.

(Follow the link www.selfmastery.com/workshops and use code -Center50- to register three; send all three names to info@selfmastery.com; fourth person is registered FREE)

No previous meditation experience is necessary. The workshop will guide both novice and experienced meditators to experience the diversity and potential of their minds.

You will learn powerful mental tools to take control of the direction of your life – by taking control of the direction of your thinking.

The Quality of ThinkingTM is the second in the Selfmastery ExperienceTM workshop series. It is a one-day self-discovery workshop held in the seclusion and beauty of nature. It is a delightful mix of centuries-old meditation techniques explained in modern context. Students become both relaxed and energized as they gain greater understanding of themselves and better control of their lives.

Take a break from the chaos around you, and discover the true power of your mind!

To learn more about the Quality of ThinkingTM and our other workshops, please go to www.selfmastery.com/workshops.

Forrest’s Birthday Gifts to YOU!

15

Jun

2011

Hi there, Forrest here,

Well, I turned 34 today, and I’m feeling pretty good about it (besides this damn poison oak!). But I feel really good about my age, and my life right now. I’ve got everything a guy could ask for. Great friends. Great family. A wonderful girlfriend. Two beautiful kids. Great co-workers.

…And of course, my awesome bootcampers and blog readers! Yes, that’s YOU! ; )

So for my birthday, nothing would make me happier than to give you some gifts! I’ve put together some of my best for you to download right here from the blog!

Let’s see, I’ve got my color-coded bodyfat % sheet, my weight management worksheet, my Eco-Tox Cheat sheet PDF, my 7-day carb rotation and 12-Day Fat Blaster PDF, and I’ve even included my favorite fitness lifestyle quotes you can print out and put on your fridge to remind you to keep on track with your fitness lifestyle!

…And it’s all yours, FREE!! It’s just my way of saying thank-you, and letting you know how important YOU are!

THANK-YOU!!!!!!!

FFLB Bodyfat Worksheet
FFLB Weight Management Worksheet
Eco-Tox Detox Program
FFLB Hierarchy of Fat Loss
Forrest’s Favorite Quotes
7-Day Fat Melter Plan
12-Day Fat Burn plan

Tough Mudder coming in September!!

02

Jun

2011

Are we crazy? YES!!

Are we mad??? YES!!!!

Can we do this???? YES!!!!

Is this for everybody? NO!!!!!

We are currently looking for people to join our team for the Tough Mudder this September! Ernesto has brought this awesome event to our attention, and I’d love to get a group together to tackle this event!

http://toughmudder.com/

My friend, Gary Tanaka (founder of http://www.thefitnesstech.com/ did it last year and said it wan’t as bad as they make it seem…and that the toughest part was running the hills.

Like Ernesto said, our bootcamp training is very conducive to this type of event because we use every muscle in the body in our type of training. Leave a comment below and tell me if you’d like to be part of this!

Bootcamp Marathon 2011 a huge success!!

01

Jun

2011

We did it! The Mega Bootcamp Marathon 2011 event went all out, and was a great success! Of course it was the people who took part that made it all worthwhile, and soooo many people helped out and made this event happen.

Do you know that this event is historic? No one else has ever done anything like this before, so you’ve been a part of history! The first bootcamp marathon event of it’s kind!!

Special thanks to SNAC (Gina, Veronica, and Veronica), our trainers Kim, John, Steve, and Dan, thanks to Arleene for picking up the food, thanks to Donna for the tables, Vlad for the awesome DJ work, Sasha for the pictures, Paola and Eric for the massages, Donna Bierman for the drum set and video, Terry (FCAC manager), Mohan and Nancy (FCAC owners), Tommy Folen on the guitar, and all the wonderful people who took part in the event itself, Thank-you!! (Sorry if I missed anyone…)

Here’s a video of some of the action! If you missed it, there’s always next year!!

Mega Bootcamp Marathon 2011 – Words of wisdom

24

May

2011

Hi there,

Here are some words of wisdom for those participating in the Mega Bootcamp Marathon (this Thursday, May 26th at the Foster City Athletic Club, from 5:30pm – 8:30pm).

The Time Has Come!

Note: For those not participating in the event, please join in! You may join one of the sections below, but to stay for the entire thing and get awarded the “trophy wrist band” at the end, you must pay the $25 ($35 for non-members). You can pay at the door if for some reason you can’t pay through this link. If possible, pay through this link, thanks!:

http://megabootcamp.eventbrite.com/

Carb load: This is an endurance event, which means to carb up the night before, and eat a big breakfast the day of the event. Pasta and red sauce is a great way to go, and a big breakfast of oatmeal and scrambled eggs will work well on Thursday morning. Eat a turkey or tuna sandwich for lunch, then eat a cliff bar or some nuts and a fruit at about 3:30pm. Then at 5:10pm, eat a small apple or down a box of raisins and you’ll be set!

Hydrate: Start NOW! Seriously, go down a tall glass of water and drink twice as much water as you normally would all day Wednesday and Thursday.

No alcohol and limit the caffeine: Stay away from alcohol, and keep the caffeine to a minimum so you don’t negate all that water you’re drinking. The caffeine and alcohol will literally squeeze the hydration right out of your cells, living you feeling tired and lethargic.

Go easy on your workouts this week: Try to go easy this week. You don’t want to get too sore beforehand…

Visualize: See in your mind how you will perform. See yourself going through the workout with confidence, keeping good form, keeping a good pace, and having fun and staying relaxed.

To bring: Don’t forget your water bottle and sweat towel!

Bring a friend or a family member to watch you: Remember, this event is for YOU! Bring a friend or family member and show them how cool your bootcamp family is!

The basic agenda: We will get everyone together at 5:30 for a preliminary pep talk, then start at about 5:45. The first section will be group exercises led by Forrest, with short water breaks interspersed. Then we’ll take a 10 minute break, where participants get stretched by trainers and get 1-minute percussive massages by our massage therapists.

Then Dan will lead you through an interactive circuit for 45 minutes, with 7 trainers coming around to keep you focused, challenged and also to keep you safe and to help you keep a pace you can sustain.

Then we’ll have a 10-minute intermission, with live music! This is where you can have time to stretch, drink water, and watch the live performance!

Then we’ll go to Roy’s training for about 30 minutes. This part should be fun…good thing we brought the massage therapists. ; )

…And then at the end, all the trainers will come together, led by Forrest and we’ll do a 5 minute “grand finale” workout and end it on a high note!!

Afterwards, we’ll have food available, social time, and that’s about it! Here’s a message from one of our hired rock-stars, Gunther! (This guy’s crazy!)

See you Thursday!!

Mega Bootcamp Marathon 2011 is Here!

22

May

2011

Alright!! The long awaited Mega Bootcamp Marathon is here this Thursday, May 26th!

We look forward to seeing you there! If you’ve already signed up, you’ve been preparing, YOU ARE READY! If you haven’t signed up yet, watch this video!

Sign up here: http://megabootcamp.eventbrite.com/

P.S. – We’ll have food there for everyone, and everything else you’ll need. Just make sure you bring a water bottle and a sweat towel, thanks!

Wanted: 55+ to join fitness group. Crotchety old people need not apply.

20

May

2011

Wanted: 50 + year olds to join our strength training group 2x/week. No crotchety, old people accepted. Only cool, young-at-heart people can apply. This group is both social and fitness focused, and everyone in it engages in polite conversation and laughter. If you’re a dead-beat old person who does nothing but complain and you stink like cigarettes, please stay away.

For the past few years I’ve run a small group in the afternoons that caters to the 50+ crowd. It’s never been something I did for money, it was always something I started just because I like socializing with and torturing older people. All kidding aside, the group is great for someone who is retired (or has afternoons free – we meet at 11:15 am – 12pm on Wednesday and Friday), and wants a regular strength training, balance training, core and flexibility workout.

Although it’s not really a weight loss group, I’ll challenge people in the group at times. For example, one time we did all fat burning exercises and had a little in-group contest. One of our group, Bob, lost 12 lbs in 4 weeks!

Here are some of the reasons a 50+ year old needs a training program like this:

1) Strength. Did you know that we lose 1/2 pound of muscle per year as we age? Someone who starts training at age 50 can have the body of a 40 year old by the time they are 52 if they work at it. No joke…I’ve actually seen this with several of my clients. On the flip side, I know 40 year olds with the body of a 65 year old…sad but true.

2) Cardiovascular health and disease prevention. My clients also work their heart muscle with cardiovascular or aerobic training, increasing it’s strength and lowering their risk of heart disease and diabetes.

3) Balance. Do you know the leading cause of death of people over 65? Injuries from falling, ie. a broken hip. Balance training is super important. Nuff said. Can you stand on one leg for 60 seconds? Go try it right now…if you can’t I suggest starting the training.

4) Flexibility. We tend to move less and less. Before we know it, we end up having a tough time getting up and down off the couch. Do you moan and groan every time you sit down, stand up, or get into and out of a car? This is a sign YOU need to start training with our group, where we work on flexibility to keep you limber moving freely with less effort and strain.

5) Mental edge. When you do balance training, free weights training, and functional training, you are strengthening your mind. The latest research on neuroplasticity has shown that we can form new brain cells at any age and make our thinking and memory stronger.

6) Feel good. When you work out with a good group of people, you just feel good. You really feel accomplished for the day when you get your workout in with this group.

7) Social time. Who doesn’t like to sit around a bullshit about the news, a recent movie you’ve seen, or talk about a favorite restaurant? It’s funny, half the time we sit around between sets talking about pastrami sandwiches or our favorite mexican joint or burger spots.

I could go on-and-on about the great benefits of joining this group, but what I really want to let you know is what you are losing out on if you let this opportunity pass you by. You are losing out on the chance to be trained by a seasoned professional who has trained every walk of life with every difficulty known to man.

I’ve trained people with knee problems, back pain, hip replacements, arthritis, I’ve trained people in wheelchairs, with parkinson’s, with autoimmune diseases, broken wrists, I’ve trained 2 blind guys, and I’ve trained people as old as 97. You have no excuses, because everyone can train at their own pace in this group. Most of my clients in my 10 years in the industry have been between 55 and 65 years old…for some reason I’ve always been really good at training this particular age group…I guess it’s because I enjoy it so much. ; )

I train this group myself, and from time-to-time, I have other very qualified trainers step in when I can’t make it. However, this is a group where I started it for my own selfish reasons. I like to sit around chatting with the group. It’s fun for me! And of course I like seeing people improve their lives. Plus, I think it’s a good change to train people who aren’t as concerned with weight loss as they are being able to keep up with their grandkids and keep their body working right.

Good health is their #1 priority, and I like to train people with that kind of mindset.

The details:

1) This is small-group personal training, so I’m accepting no more than 5 people to add to the group.

2) It’s $300 per month.

3) We meet every Wednesday and Friday at 11:15am for 45 minutes.

4) The training is guaranteed. If you don’t like it, you get your money back and we part as friends.

E-mail Forrest@fitforlifesolutions.com or call 650-771-5149 if you want in

. (Or if you want to get this as a gift for your mom, dad, brother, sister, etc. call asap to reserve the spot.)

I’m only accepting the first 5 people, and since this e-mail goes out to 933 local residents, get back to me quick or you’ll be left out.

P.S. - Thanks to Bob, Maria, Susan, Pete, Carol, Mike, Tom, Anita, John, Mari Lou and everyone else that has ever been a part of this very special group that is close to my heart. You all have really made my life better for the times we’ve spent together. Thanks!

Metabolic Typing: How to eat right for YOUR body type

18

May

2011

We recently sat down and did an interview about Metabolic Typing with Liza Laurinkus, owner of The Kneaded Spot (located inside the Foster City Athletic Club). Being a holistic health practitioner, massage and Bowen therapist, and certified metabolic typing advisor, we wanted to ask her what her take on metabolic typing is, and how it could potentially benefit YOU, our newsletter and blog readers.

Forrest: Hi Liza, thanks for taking the time to sit down and talk with us.

Liza: Your welcome, Forrest, it’s my pleasure to share with you some of the amazing things metabolic typing can do for your clients, or anyone who wants to try it.

Forrest: Very cool. Tell us, Liza, what exactly is Metabolic Typing?

Liza: Metabolic Typing is a safe, medically approved program, developed from studying the fundamental body control systems such as the autonomic nervous system, oxidative system, endocrine system, blood type, etc. These systems have been researched over the past 70 years and the discoveries that have been made are amazing.

Forrest: Wow, that does sound interesting…what kind of discoveries have been made?

Liza: Well, for example, one interesting study is a health study on preventing early death. According to Harvard Public Health Study in 2009 on “Top 12 Preventative Causes of Death”, 10 out of 12 causes are diet related. That leads us to conclude that the wrong diet is now the leading cause of premature death in the US. On the other hand, the right diet can prevent or reverse 10 out of 12 leading causes of premature death.

Forrest: Man, that really shows how much control we have over our health and our lives when we know more about the right foods designed for our body type. Liza, with all the other diet programs out there, why would someone choose Metabolic Typing?

Liza: “One size fits all diets” do not work. Your body responds uniquely to food based on genetics, biochemical makeup, family history, and your own interaction with the environment. Metabolic Typing puts an end to the confusion about what diet is right for you. When you begin to eat right for your type, your metabolism will move towards balance. You will begin to experience weight control, high energy, relaxed alertness, positive state of mind, and greater mental clarity.

Forrest: I’ve personally tested probably hundreds of diet and nutrition programs on myself and my clients over my 10 years in the industry. I’ve found that there really is no “one-size-fits-all”…so I’m glad you shared that perspective, and you have an answer that I think will work well for people, because it chooses foods that are meant for their unique body. Who exactly would your program be good for?

Liza: I would say anyone with weight issues, low energy, food cravings, high blood sugar or hypertension. Even someone who may be taking medication for high cholesterol…it can be the perfect solution for anyone struggling with weight issues despite constant efforts in the gym or with other diet programs that don’t address their unique body type.

Forrest: This has been great, Liza! Thank-you so much for taking time out of your day to inform our blog readers about this incredible solution to finding the exact right foods for their body. Truly excellent stuff, thank-you! Any closing words for our readers, Liza?

Liza: Sure. I would say to your readers that if their body is out of balance, they need help. It is time for us all to understand that we are way better off by setting our focus on gaining health than on simply losing weight. Get Metabolically Typed to learn what foods YOUR BODY needs. Dieting right for your type will eliminate cravings. Your energy will increase, your memory will improve. You will eat less while feeling satisfied.

Forrest: Thank-you so much, Liza!

Liza: Thank-you, Forrest!

————————————————————————————————————————————————-

Very cool, eh? Liza is by far one of the most knowledgable people I know of on the human body and how it works on a holistic level. I agree with Liza when she says healthy living is not just a diet; it is a lifestyle of well-being that leads to happiness and longevity. To find out about Metabolic Typing contact Liza Laurinkus, CMTA at The Kneaded Spot located at Foster City Athletic Club. Liza’s # is 650-570-5101. She can also by reached by e-mail at llaurinkus@hotmail.com.

Join her for a free lecture “Creating Perfect Diet for an Optimal Health” at the Foster City Athletic Club’s Group Exercise Room Wednesday, June 15th @ 6.45 pm.

Please leave a comment below. If you don’t have a comment, then share with us a list of diets you’ve tried, and what was the short and long term results? We’d love to hear from YOU!

The 7 Biggest Fitness and Fat Loss Myths Exposed

17

May

2011

Want to be in great shape?

First you need to inform yourself about the facts of fitness. It’s imperative that you first understand that there are common myths out there that will actually hold you back from making progress and seeing those great results of a leaner stomach and toned arms and legs that you’re looking for. These myths will continue to take you off course from reaching your goals, so now is the time to learn about the facts of fitness!

You may be wondering, with all the great information out there that can be readily found in books or on the internet, why are these myths out there and why do they continue to survive? Why aren’t they exposed? Why isn’t the truth being told?

Well…to answer that, the truth is there, and you’ve found it, in this article! The reason why it’s hard to come by is the mass amounts of contradictory information that is being published because of fitness product developers and supplement companies agendas to make money.

For instance, did you know that Weider Enterprises owns Muscle and Fitness, Flex, Men’s Fitness, and Shape magazines and is the manufacturer of an enormous line of fitness equipment and fitness supplements. When I first learned this from world renowned muscle building expert Vince DelMonte, I was shocked! It just goes to show that it’s up to us to find out the truth in all this mess, and to share it with others.

Here’s a quote directly from Vince’s website, “Basically…the guys who give glowing reviews about crap…work for the companies who make the crap! And get this – Weider Publications is now owned by the same people who own the National Enquirer and Star!” Let that sink in for a moment.

So without further ado…The 7 Most Common Fitness and Fat Loss Myths Exposed

1. Women Who Lift Weights Get Bulky. This is by far one of the most prevalent myths out there and one that I am constantly educating my clients on. The first thing to understand about this myth is that it is a dangerous belief deeply embedded into mainstream culture. One of the reason women have this fear of bulking up is because they’ve seen steroid-enhanced women on bodybuilding magazines and they immediately associate that buffed look with weights training. First off, it is NOT easy to build the type of muscle mass that those women in the magazines have built. You would have to train with massive intensity, and have an incredibly focused workout and nutrition regimen, AND get pumped with steroids to get that muscle-bound and vainy body. So don’t worry about that happening to you…EVER! You will never look like that!!

Now that we’ve cleared that, let’s bring focus to the awesome benefits of building muscle. They include increased strength, increased metabolism (which means more fat burning!), and creating a toned and sculpted look in the arms and legs. Also, muscle tissue is much denser than fat, meaning that if add 3 pounds of muscle, and lose 3 pounds of fat, the weight on the scale won’t change…HOWEVER, you will have decreased your clothes size and lost inches around the waist and hips!

Also, if you are a women over 35 years old, you start losing about 1/2 pound of muscle per year as you age. That means if you don’t weight train, your metabolism is going down, your strength is diminishing, your posture is affected, and you GET FAT! I hope you can tell how passionate I feel about this. Start weight training today and enjoy a leaner, stronger and healthier body as a result.

2. Crunches Decrease Size in the Midsection and Give Your a Leaner, Flatter Stomach. Wow, has this myth done us a lot of damage. It’s also caused us to spend our hard-earned money to buy more ab-gadgets from infomercials that my grandma buys George Forman Grills (and she’s bought a LOT of George Forman Grills!). Look…I wish I could tell you a few simple exercises for your abs and have you do a thousand crunches a day to get that six-pack showing, but it just doesn’t work that way.

Your abs are a muscle…and like any muscle, they grow when worked with the correct intensity on a regular basis. This is a good thing! It means that you will get stronger, and when you do burn the fat, your muscle will show through and give your body that toned, sleek look. Here’s my advice: Get on a higher intensity cardio and strength program such as a fitness bootcamp, log your nutrition on www.myfitnesspal.com and see those abs of yours getter leaner and leaner each week until you reach your goal!

3. As Long as I’m Exercising, I Can Eat Whatever I Want

As much as I myself, wish this were true, it’s just not…sorry! When you work out on a regular basis, you have to make sure your body gets the correct amount of vitamins, minerals, and macronutrients to perform, recuperate, and re-build because of the higher demands placed on your body. Makes sense, right?

The RDA is the Recommended Daily Allowance, and that’s fine for sedentary people who are just barely scraping by. But if you are involved in fitness training that consists of more than just a walk in the park, such as weight lifting, sports, personal training or bootcamp training, then YES, YOU MUST EAT TO FEED YOUR BODY!

If you’re exercising regularly, and performing strength training with proper intensity, and eating at an even caloric level with what you expend, you will still see changes in your body. The changes on the scale may not be very significant, but you will see your body lose inches around the waist. However, if you’re trying to lose weight on the scale, then you must create a caloric deficit.

Let’s start with the macronutrients. The 3 macro’s are: Protein, Carbohydrates, and Fats.

Protein: If you don’t have enough protein, you wont be able to repair and re-build damaged muscle tissue from exercising. Protein is utilized by every tissue in the body. If you’re exercising with resistance training, then make sure you not only intake 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight, but that you spread that intake over the day by eating every 3 and 1/2 hours.

If you wait longer than 3 and 1/2 hours to eat protein, then you risk your bodies nitric oxide levels falling to a point where you become catabolic. Your body will choose to burn it’s MUSCLE for energy. Wouldn’t you rather burn FAT for energy? THEN EAT PROTEIN EVERY 3 AND 1/2 HOURS!

Carbohydrates: Carbs are necessary for energy, both for the body and the brain. If you don’t eat enough carbs, you will become fatigued, moody, get headaches and feel run-down. Besides, why would you want to skip out on carbs? Carbs are some of your favorite foods!

Fats: Fats aren’t a bad thing. Roughly 20% of your diet should be from fats. They are necessary to stay healthy, lean and fit. The problem lies in understanding which types of fats are good for you and which types of fats are bad for you.

You should include a variety of mono-unsaturated fats in your diet and look to consume omega-3’s from sources such as salmon, almonds, and flaxseed.

4. I Don’t Have Time To Exercise

Today’s research says that exercise is that exercise is key to giving high level executives and CEO’s more productive hours of higher energy during even the longest workdays. The thing is, no matter how busy your day is, when you make time for exercise, you end up having more time and energy for the things you do and the people in your life. In other words, don’t ever use time as an excuse…there’s just no time for that!

5. I Don’t Need to Log My Foods, I Already Eat Healthy.

Eating healthy is a relative statement. If you want to be able to lose weight consistently, log your food, at least for 3-5 days. Most people eat a lot of the same foods from day to day. A food log will expose the small changes you need to make that are holding you back from your goals.

6. I Need to Wait for ______________ Before I Start An Exercise Program

You need to wait? For what? To get fatter? To get more sluggish? To hit rock bottom? If not now…when? Are you waiting for the planets to come into alignment? Let’s face it, these excuses can go on forever. The time is now!

7. There is a Magic Bullet, Quick-Fix Out There Somewhere

If you look on the back of fat-burning pills, it says something along the lines of “results obtained with diet and exercise”. No matter what the claims, even if you find a quality fat-burner supplement, nothing happens without proper diet and exercise…PERIOD!

Look, if they’re were a magic bullet out there, wouldn’t everyone be healthy and in shape? The fact is you have to earn it, and once you earn it, you have to keep it! That’s why we’re all about the fitness lifestyle around here. Is there any other choice?

Star Wars Trilogy starring Fit For Life staff!

11

May

2011

We here at Fit For Life Solutions like to have a little fun, so we went to Hollywood and became stars in 3 new Star Wars films! Check it!

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

Roy stars as Lando in this one, and Steve is Lando in the 3rd video…

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

Check out who plays Darth Vader in this one!!

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

Instructor Steve gives us his EXACT nutrition he uses for body building competitions

04

May

2011

Didn’t you always want to know exactly what a body builder eats in a day to look so muscular and lean? I know that sometimes you can find this kind of stuff in magazines or online…but to actually see this straight from one of our instructors who you know and trust – what better way to get the inside info, right?

If you didn’t know, Steve Aros is our bootcamp instructor from the 9:15am bootcamp in Foster City. Steve is a very committed instructor, fitness enthusiast, fire-fighter in training, and body building competitor.

Caroline (Steve’s girlfriend) and Steve

As a bootcamp instructor, Steve continues to re-invent himself daily, always bringing new exercises into the mix, and getting the group to push past their self-percieved limitations, as he does in his own training. Here, in this raw video footage, Steve gives us the inside scoop on EXACTLY what he eat in a day. Check it out!

(Steve gives lot’s of great tips in this video, including the low-down on yogurt, fruit sugars vs. sugar, nutrient timing, protein and which carbs to avoid!)

…AND as a bonus for you, our loyal Fit For Life Solutions blog and newsletter readers, Steve has also let us in on the supplements he uses to recover from intense workouts, build muscle, and burn more fat!

If you’re a woman, you’re probably thinking “Well…that’s great if you’re a GUY! What should I eat to see those kinds of results?” Well, I would say to eat the same as Steve does, only less. Use the size of your hand to measure out portion sizes and that should be a good guideline to follow. However, if you’re interested on finding out what Steve’s girlfriend, Caroline, eats in a day, leave a comment below and I’ll see if she’s available for a video interview.

Nutrition For Life – Don’t miss out!

02

May

2011

For the next 3 Thursday’s, Donna Barnett, registered nurse and certified health and wellness consultant will be giving some live talks on nutrition. Why is this important to you?

Here are several reasons why YOU cannot miss these talks!

Learn why dieting is a temporary band-aid, and what you can do about it!

Learn how some foods you thought were good for you may be doing you more harm than good.

Learn how most people sabotage their otherwise healthy eating by eating out, and what you can do about it.

Learn how to eat for energy, and to feel good all day long!

Get to know the foods that are best for disease prevention

Burn the most fat with the right foods!

The truth about supplements

The best mix for peak performance

…And more!!

Here’s a few clips from Donna’s recent talk last Thursday! To register for the next one, call Forrest at 650-771-5149 or e-mail Forrest@fitforlifesolutions.com.

May 5th – “Eating in, eating out” – Healthy menu choices at home and in restaurants

May 12th – “The right combo to go with your mambo” – The best mix for peak performance

May 19th – “To B or not to B” – The benefits of nutritional supplementation in weight management and exercise.

Only $10 for bootcamper members, $15 non-bootcamp members.

Please remember to thank Donna for all her hard work in the comment box below!!

4 On-site nutrition talks that reveal how to lose fat and keep it off!

27

Apr

2011

Starting this Thursday we have on-site nutritionist Donna Barnett here sharing tons of VERY valuable information on how to master your nutrition and get the results you are looking for.

Want to lose fat and keep it off? Exercise is only part of the equation. Most trainers, including myself, will rightly tell you that nutrition, NOT EXERCISE, is the key to flattening your stomach and burning fat off your hips and thighs.

NOW is your chance to get your hands on the information that will get you to your fitness goals!

Here are the class topics:

THIS THURSDAY! TOMORROW!! APRIL 28TH AT 7PM!! THE FIRST 10 WHO E-MAIL A CONFIRMATION TO FORREST@FITFORLIFESOLUTIONS.COM TO CHOOSE THIS OPTION GET A FREE ONE-ON-ONE SESSION WITH A FIT FOR LIFE SOLUTIONS PERSONAL TRAINER AND A 12-DAY RAPID FAT-BURN MEAL PLAN!!

April 28th at 7pm

Fat ain’t where it’s at” – how best to permanently lose it

MAY 5TH at 7PM

“Eating in, eating out” – Healthy menu choices at home and in restaurants

MAY 12TH at 7pm

“The right combo to go with your mambo” – the best mix for peak performance

MAY 19TH at 7pm

“To B or not to B” – the benefits of nutritional supplementation in weight management and exercise.

All you have to do to sign-up for one, or all, of these events is e-mail forrest@fitforlifesolutions.com and RSVP with the event date(s) you would like to attend.

At first we only let people in bootcamp know about this, but now that it’s being broadcast to over 800 local residents you’ll want to e-mail, call or text me right away to reserve a spot – space is limited! Each of the nutritional talks are only $10, and what you’ll learn in these talks will be priceless when it comes to staying healthy and losing all the body fat you can before summer!

E-mail: Forrest@fitforlifesolutions.com

or Call : Forrest at 650-771-5149

or Text: Forrest at 650-771-5149

Don’t wait, save your spot RIGHT AWAY!

…And remember, knowledge is power!!

Your Trainer For Life,

Forrest

Roy Vs The Six Dollar Burger

26

Apr

2011

Roy and I got some inspiration from fellow trainer Josh Carter to make you this video. It’s a video that demonstrates what kind of effect your cardio has versus the foods you eat. After all, it takes a lot of your time and effort to throw in even just 20 minutes on the treadmill, so we want you to be clear about what you’re up against.

We know that the mentality with a lot of people is that it’s ok to eat whatever you want, just as long as you exercise. But is it really ok, or are we just fooling ourselves? This video will attempt to expose this “free-food-pass-for-cardio” myth once and for all!

If anything, watch this video to see if Roy barfs after eating 1,900 calories of junk food, then running at 6.5 miles per hour on the treadmill! ; )

3 Reasons taking a BEFORE photo gets you to your AFTER photo!

18

Apr

2011

I find most people dread taking before photos, but for some reason, really love to see there BEFORE and AFTER photos! Hmmmmm, imagine that!

Imagine…that’s actually the perfect word for our purposes. You see, without the ability to imagine in your mind what your life will look like and feel like when you’ve reached your goal, you’ve limited your subconscious minds ability to step in and drive you to your goals.

It’s your subconscious mind, not your conscious mind, that shapes and changes your life. Your subconscious mind controls 96%-98% of your daily habits and behaviors, and your conscious mind only controls 2%- 4%! It’s no wonder so many of us fail our New Years resolutions goals…they were never embedded into the subconscious mind!

So, if we know that it’s the subconscious that gets us to our goals, what can we do about it? Well, in terms of fitness, your BEFORE photo is something you can do to get to your ideal body. Here are 3 reasons why a BEFORE photo helps you get to your AFTER photo!

1) When you take a BEFORE photo, you’ve subconsciously stated that this is the “old me” and you are transitioning into the “new me”. Making that mental shift from who you were, to where you are going, is the first step in making a change. When my son found out he was in danger of being held back for poor grades, he told us, that was the “old me” and now I’m the “new me”. Every time his old patterns crept back in, he was able to recognize them and label them as the “old him” and he was able to correct his course. Last week he got an “A” in his science and his spelling test!

2) BEFORE photos really help you visualize your after photo. Actually, here’s something you can do today that is very powerful! Have a trainer or a friend take a BEFORE photo of you and print it out. Then, find your ideal body in a magazine or on the internet, print it out, then take a cut-out of your face and post it on the picture of your ideal body. Then post your faux BEFORE and AFTER photo somewhere you’ll see it every day, let’s say…your bathroom mirror or by your bedside. Visualize the transformation as though it’s already happened every morning and evening. This is a very powerful way to put your subconscious to work for you!

3) Another reason to take a BEFORE photo is to pay it forward. After you reach your goals, you’ll be kicking yourself if you never took a BEFORE photo, and the reason is because once you do hit your goals, you’re going to want to share it with others. Think about how great you feel when at a holiday party you whip out your BEFORE and AFTER photo’s to show your aunt Betty! And when you inspire someone else you know to get fit by showing them your photos, you create a ripple effect that spreads health and fitness into the world! Now that’s powerful stuff!

Motivation to make you RISE ABOVE!!

13

Apr

2011

We all need motivation from time-to-time. I dare you to watch these videos and not go out and conquer the world!

This one gives me chills when they all rise up at the end! Nice job, coach!

“Nobody’s gonna hit as hard as life. It’s about how much you can take, and keep moving forward!” – Stallone

This guys got no legs and no arms and is the most inspiration dude I’ve ever seen!

This is for all you people who’ve ever failed at something…

Gloria shows us results do happen!

13

Apr

2011

Here’s one of our all-stars in the evening bootcamp in Foster City, Gloria! We recently did her measurements and found out she’s made some progress that will help inspire YOU!

“Forrest and Dan are the best! The bootcamp helps me to achieve my fitness goals. I feel I have more energy, more strength, and it motivates me to maintain a healthy lifestyle. I went from 25.4% bodyfat to 21.9% in 5 months!”

-Gloria L.

Just like many of our bootcampers, the goal is to take the bodyfat percentage from the yellow or red zone, and bring it into the green zone.

Gloria shows us here that with dedication, commitment and focus, it will happen! She’s taken her bodyfat from 25% down to 21% in just 5 months!

As you can see in the image above, Gloria has taken her bodyfat % from the yellow zone, straight into the green! This means that her waist and hips are smaller, she has more muscle tone, she’s flattened her stomach and she looks and feels great.

Want to do what Gloria did? Easy! Just keep coming to bootcamp and make it happen!

Here’s a list of 3 of our best blog posts on fat loss to help you out:

1) Foodlogging!! You need to get this one started today if you’re serious about fat loss!

http://www.fitforlifesolutions.com/myfitnesspal-food-logging-tutorial/

2) Combat Fat FREE Report

http://www.fitforlifesolutions.com/combat-fat-report-our-early-holiday-gift-for-you/

3) 21 Tips to ROCK your fitness training!

http://www.fitforlifesolutions.com/21-tips-to-rock-your-fitness-training/

Fit For Life Solutions Philosophy in Twelve Easy Bites

13

Apr

2011

Everyone has a philosophy when it comes to exercise. Here’s ours in twelve digestible paragraphs:

Fitness is not a choice, it’s a lifestyle. We believe you have to make this one of your deep-rooted beliefs. Something you carry with you in your subconscious until the day you die. To have life energy, to be strong, to stay sharp and competitive in work and life, and to feel and look your best. All of these come with a fitness lifestyle. Still think you have a choice?

If it’s not fun, you won’t do it. You’ve got to want to do it to be able to maintain it. You must have the desire! We suggest regular fitness training with a friend, at a bootcamp, or with a personal trainer, then train for something like a sport (golf, MMA, softball, etc.) or a race (triathlon, 5k, adventure racing, etc.). Make it fun! Make it a challenge!

Check out our upcoming Bootcamp Marathon event! http://www.fitforlifesolutions.com/megabootcamp/

Have a reason why. Why are you doing this? Exercise is tough! It takes work, commitment and perseverance. Why don’t you just quit, sit on the couch, and drink red wine as you watch re-runs of Friends? Because you have a REASON! That’s why!! No one ever follows through unless they have a deeper underlying reason. If you tell me you want to lose 10 lbs…ok, sure. If you tell me you want to lose 10 lbs because you recently got a divorce, you feel lousy, and you’re on the lookout for the man of your dreams…LOOKOUT! There’s no stopping YOU from reaching your goals when you have a strong reason why!

Make a commitment. I used to think I could work out on my own. After all, I’ve been a trainer for 10 years, I’ve put in over 12,000 hours of pure training time, and I’m a 2nd Degree Black Belt. I have the will power to sustain my workouts on my own, right? WRONG! Look, if I can’t do it on my own, you shouldn’t try to either. Get involved with our bootcamp today!! If you have a group of people expecting you to be there, and guidance from professionals who actually care about you getting results and who make your workouts fresh and exciting…what more do you want?

Mind and Body working together. The mind is incredible in what it can do. Using it with your body brings your life to an all new level. You can do more reps, you can visualize and hit your goals, you can have increased control over every movement you do. A good example of the mind and body was a science experiment where one group did bicep curls while watching TV and the other group with mindful awareness to their muscle. Guess which group got better results? The group using their mind had significant, measurable results after only 12 weeks! Use the power of your mind!

Pay it forward. Do you have friends or family who need to improve their life? Has a fitness lifestyle been beneficial to you? Then what are you waiting for?! Get someone else motivated to get started, too! Paying it forward is one of the best things you can do to spread the good vibes of fitness. I sometimes call this the ripple effect.

Do you think Michael Jordan never had a setback? He was cut from his high school basketball team!

Expect setbacks and find the silver lining. Do you think Michael Jordan never had a setback? Did you know he was cut from his high school basketball team? It’s true!! You see, we all have set backs. It’s not separate from training, it’s a part of training. When you get sick, have an injury, or can’t make it to the gym, do you give up? If that’s your character, sure, go ahead and quit. But if you’re made of something stronger than that, rise up. What can you learn from the situation? Can you find something else to focus on and learn during your down time? There’s always a silver lining in every obstacle we face.

Make the right friends. If you’re getting fit, make it a social thing. Here’s why: Ok, let’s say all your friends are party people. They go to clubs, they go to bars, they have cocktail parties, they watch sports 6 nights a week and they drink beer. What kind of person are you if these are your friends? That’s right…a boozer! Now, let’s say all your friends play chess. They’re in chess clubs, they play chess online, they read books on chess, they hang at chess tables in the park. What kind of person are you? That’s right…a chess player! Are you getting the point here? Find some friends who do fitness for fun and you’ve got it made.

Change it up. If you do the same thing all the time, it gets boring. Don’t be afraid to change it up every so often. There’s a million things you can do. Change just one thing and see your results take off! Add in 20 extra minutes of cardio every day. Try doing food logs for 3 weeks. Set yourself a goal to lift 100 lbs on the bench press. Any change will do, just change something!

If you want results, measure, then set goals. This is why we take your measurements in bootcamp. If you want to get results then take your measurements. Measure bodyfat %, weight, tape measurements on your chest, waist and hips. I even recommend taking a before picture if you have more than 15 lbs to lose. These measurements will help you set goals, and your goals will place you into action!

Take full responsibility. There’s always something or someone to blame for your current circumstances, but if you’re always blaming something ‘out there’ then you’ll never have the power to change. Decide that YOU are fully responsible for where you are at. This may seem scary at first, but then you can be the one with the power to control your life. Don’t leave it up to someone else, or for the right time, or for the perfect set of circumstance. Decide what you want, take full responsibility, and take action!

Energy is the power behind all powers. Did you know the scientist’s of today have realized what the age-old mystics have known for thousands of years? It’s that everything in the universe is made up of energy (ever hear of quantum physics?)! This isn’t some weird esoteric way of thinking. This is your reality, and the better you understand it, the more you can make it work for you.

To start with, your thoughts are energy…and so is your body and every cell you’re made of. Your thoughts, your cells, your emotions and your actions are all interconnected. When you do something with passion, purpose, awareness, concentration and focus, you are applying energy to get the job done. This is the power behind all powers! When you learn to concentrate your energy, there’s no stopping you!

I hope you gained as much insight into reading this as I did writing it! I’d love to hear your personal philosophy on fitness below! Please add something into the comments section! Consider it good karma! ; )

-Forrest

How events help you conquer your goals!

05

Apr

2011

Do you know the best way to reach your fitness goals?

Is it by eating right? Is it by doing the right exercises? Is it through knowing the right information? Maybe it’s the right fitness program?

To tell you the truth, it’s none of these things.

The real reason people get results is because they have a purpose. The people who get results have a reason to train. PERIOD.

Now, there are many reasons, but training to get healthy or training for fat loss is not one of them. Sure, that may work for a couple weeks in the beginning, but if you don’t have an underlying reason, you’ll fall off 100% of the time.

If you’re in our bootcamp, or want to start a fitness program, you need a deeper underlying reason to get you to your goals besides “I want to lose weight” or “I want to be healthy”. If those are your only reasons, the first time you hit a barrier in your training (which is inevitable), you will quit. It’s really that simple. You’ll just give up, because you have nothing driving you to overcome the obstacles before you.

One way you can ensure that you succeed is to have something to train for, such as a fitness event or challenge. A fitness event is something that will push you to overcome barriers, and to get you focused on training for a deeper reason – to conquer the event itself!

Many people do triathlons, marathons, 10k’s, adventure racing and the like. The problem with some of these events is that they’re often very expensive, and put a lot of pressure on the average person to raise sometimes well over $1,000 (and if they don’t, they have to pay it themselves.)

What we at Fit For Life Solutions has done, is created a fitness event made for people in fitness bootcamp and personal training programs. We’ve made it fun and affordable, and doable by anyone willing to work and condition themselves for it. The event we’ve created is a Bootcamp Marathon, and I don’t really know if anyone besides us is doing anything like this on the planet right now…but hey, we’re trend-setters. ; )

By committing to training for this event, you not only get to accomplish something great, but you put yourself in a position to succeed in your training, because now you have a reason to train! I urge you to get your ticket right away. We have limited positions in the event, and we don’t want you to miss out!

Click here to learn more! http://www.fitforlifesolutions.com/megabootcamp/

Remember this - You can’t fool your subconscious mind! Once you buy your ticket, your subconscious will go straight to work for you, making you push harder, eat better, achieve more, and conquer your goals!

Transformation starts in the mind

01

Apr

2011

Change starts in the mind. It’s something we at Fit For Life Solutions truly believe. I’ve included a short audio clip with our philosophy on change, along with the link to Bill Phillips new program, Transformation. If you’re in our bootcamp, or even if you’re not exercising at all right now, take a look at this program. These mindset tools could change EVERYTHING. Don’t take my word for it. Try it out for yourself.

Audio File – Fit For Life Solutions philosophy on change.Mp3

Meet Trainer John!

31

Mar

2011

Do you know John?

He’s one of our trainers, and you can get to know more about him in this post. John isn’t just amazing because he’s a 73 year-old bad ass. He’s amazing because he is incredibly knowledgable and passionate about fitness. He’s here to help YOU succeed!

Here’s John’s Bio

——————————————————————————————-

John T. Ficarra

John holds certifications as a Personal Fitness Trainer, Sports Nutrition Consultant and as an Older Adult Fitness Trainer from the American Aerobic Association International and the International Sports Medicine Association.

John has developed a Path to Wellness program and has taught it at Samtrans and San Quentin with excellent feedback from the participants. He is currently working on converting his course into book form. He is dedicated to preventing obesity which leads to diabetes and high blood pressure. His mantra is that “inch by inch anything is a cinch”

John was an instructor at the Empire Military Academy in New York State and was responsible for the training of National Guard Officer Candidates in physical training and academics. He is also a lifetime California Community College Instructor in teaching Management courses. He loves to teach and share his knowledge about improving ones health overall.

John is also a licensed professional engineer and approaches each client with the discipline of analyzing each clients individual goals and turning them into a reality. He is dedicated towards getting the most out of every moment you spend with Fit For Life Solutions.

Learn about John in this video:

John gives you 3 simple and effective exercises while you’re traveling:

Let’s help Sara raise funds to cure diabetes!

28

Mar

2011

Hey ya’ll, Forrest here,

I don’t ask this often, but PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE help our rock-star bootcamper, Sara, get to her goal. All she needs is for you to donate, $5, $10, $20 or more dollars. ANY AMOUNT WILL DO!!

Sara is always there in bootcamp for us, motivating others, working hard, bringing the energy. Let’s show her we got her back and at the same time support finding a cure for diabetes!!

http://main.diabetes.org/site/TR/TourdeCure/SanFranciscoArea?px=6468089&pg=personal&fr_id=7618

TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE! WE SUPPORT YOU, SARA!!

P.S. – To show my support, I’m sending anyone who donates my top-secret, plateau busting “12-Day Rapid Fat Burning” nutrition plan. Just donate through the link above, then e-mail me at forrest@fitforlifesolutions.com to request your nutrition plan. Thanks!!

Will Smith will motivate YOU today!

28

Mar

2011

I’ve brought along a guest to the blog today.

His name is Will Smith.

Check this out:

MEGA BOOTCAMP MARATHON 2011 IS COMING!!

25

Mar

2011

We’ve officially announced it. Our new event, Mega Bootcamp Marathon 2011, is coming soon and tickets are available NOW!

The Fit For Life Solutions team has put this event together to give you, our newsletter readers and bootcampers, a challenging and fun fitness event that you can put on your calendar and train for! Yes, studies show that when people train with a purpose, they get better and faster results! It’s a winner!

…and Dana, one of our new bootcampers had the great idea of giving some of the proceeds to the Red Cross to aid the victims of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan. Thanks for the great idea, Dana! We will be giving 25% of all proceeds directly to the Red Cross.

Tickets are only $25 (for band-ranked bootcamp members) or $35 (if you are not a band-ranked bootcamp member).

We’re going to have 3 hours of grueling bootcamp action (so start training for it now!), a live DJ, a live musical performance (by Forrest and his brother, Tommy Folen), free supplement samples, and more! (We’re working on getting some massage therapists in for free massages!).

CLICK ON THIS LINK TO FIND OUT MORE, AND TO PURCHASE YOUR TICKET:

http://www.fitforlifesolutions.com/megabootcamp/

Our new Yelp video is up!

25

Mar

2011

Thanks to our bootcampers and friends in Mountain View and Foster City for helping us with this video. And thanks to Steven from Turn Here who filmed and edited it!

This video was for our Yelp page for Fit Body Boot Camp in Mountain View. Now we just need actual Yelp reviews! Please Yelp us by clicking this link:

http://www.yelp.com/biz/fit-body-boot-camp-mountain-view#query:fit%20body%20boot%20camp

Special thanks to Veronica, Doug, Leena, Adelle, Geralynn, and Elizabeth.

Don’t “Sweat” the small stuff!

25

Mar

2011

You know, we are some stressed out people, aren’t we?

I mean, really…sometimes we’re wound up so tight, that people can just push our buttons and make us flip out!!

As horrible as it feels when we do lose our temper and fly off the handle, you must agree, that when someone else does it…it’s actually pretty darn funny. Here’s something to lighten up your day, and remember…don’t sweat the small stuff! ; )

Don’t “sweat” the small stuff.mp3

And while we’re on the topic, here are some interesting facts about stress:

41 Random Facts About . . .

Stress

Stress has been called “the silent killer” and can lead to heart disease, high blood pressure, chest pain, and an irregular heartbeat.^d

While it is a myth that stress can turn hair gray, stress can cause hair loss. In fact,telogen effluvium (hair loss) can begin up to three months after a stressful event.^j

In 2009, the top most stressful jobs were a surgeon, commercial airline pilot, photojournalist, advertising account executive, and real estate agent. The least stressful jobs were actuary, dietitian, astronomer, systems analyst, and software engineer.^l

The top three stressful cities in America are Chicago, Ilinois; Los Angeles, California; and New York, New York.ⁱ

Stress alters the neurochemical makeup of the body, which can affect the maturation and release of the human egg. Stress can also cause the fallopian tubes and uterus to spasm, which can affect implantation. Stress in men can affect sperm count and motility and can cause erectile dysfunction. In fact, stress may account for 30% of all infertility problems.^b

Stress can make acne worse. Researchers say stress-related inflammation rather than a rise is sebum (the oily substance in skin) is to blame.^p

Laughter is a powerful stress reducer

Laughing lowers stress hormones (like cortisol, epinephrine, and adrenaline) and strengthens the immune system by releasing health-enhancing hormones.^o

The stress hormone cortisol not only causes abdominal fat to accumulate, but it also enlarges individual fat cells, leading to what researchers call “diseased” fat.^d

Stress is linked to the six leading causes of death: heart disease, cancer, lung ailments, accidents, liver cirrhosis, and suicide.^f

The stress of caring for a disabled spouse increases the risk of stroke substantially.^o

Chronic stress can impair the developmental growth in children by lowering the production of growth hormone from the pituitary gland.^m

A 2009 CNN poll reveals that the number one reason for stress in most countries is money. The countries most stressed about money are Malaysia, China, Singapore, and the United States. The countries least stressed about money are Russia, France, and Italy.^a

The term “stress” derives from the Latin stringere (to draw tight).^j

Stress causes capillaries to close, which restricts bleeding if a flesh wound should occur.^f

Pupils dilate (mydriasis) during stress much the same way they dilate in response to attraction: to gather more visual information about a situation.^f

Chronic stress floods the brain with powerful hormones that are meant for short-term emergency situations. Chronic exposure can damage, shrink, and kill brain cells.^o

A 2003 study found that women with moderate levels of stress were at lower risk forsuicide than those women who had very high or very low levels of stress.^j

Scientists suggest that stress is part of the evolutionary drive because it has enabled humans to survive. Specifically, stress temporarily increases awareness and improves physical performance.ⁿ

Stress makes the blood “stickier,” in preparation for an injury. Such a reaction, however, also increases the probability of developing a blood clot.^d

Eating moderate levels of dark chocolate reduces stress hormone levels

Research has shown that dark chocolate reduces stress hormones such as cortisol and other fight-flight hormones. Additionally, cocoa is rich in antioxidants called flavonoids.^o

Chronic stress increases cytokines, which produce inflammation. Exposure to constant inflammation can damage arteries and other organs.^j

Stress can alter blood sugar levels, which can cause mood swings, fatigue, hyperglycemia, and metabolic syndrome, a major risk factor for heart attack anddiabetes.^f

Chronic stress worsens irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), a condition that irritates the large intestine and causes constipation, cramping, and bloating.^j

For the rest of facts on stress, please visit http://facts.randomhistory.com/stress-facts.html

Q and A Basics on BOOTCAMP

14

Mar

2011

Q. Where are your bootcamps located?

A. Our bootcamps are held in two locations, Foster City (located inside the Foster City Athletic Club) and Mountain View (located inside Gold Star Gymnastics).

Q. What are the days and times you offer bootcamp?

A. In Foster City we offer 9:15 am, 5pm, 6pm and 7pm.

In Mountain View we have 6am available.

All classes are Monday – Thursday.

Q. How long does each class last?

A. Approximately 45 minutes.

Q. Do I need to be in great shape first?

A. Of course not! That’s our job!

Q. What fitness levels can attend?

A. We cater to beginner, intermediate and advanced fitness levels. We accomplish this by running circuits where beginners can go at their own pace, while intermediate and advanced levels can push at a higher intensity level.

Q. How do I schedule my first class?

A. Right here! Choose your location, then pick a time! (SCHEDULE YOUR FIRST CLASS ONLY!)

Q. What kind of results can I expect in bootcamp?

A. It all depends on what you put into it. After 4-weeks, you’ll lose a few inches and feel way more energy. After 3 months, you’ll drop a few sizes and you’ll be getting, “What have you been doing? You look great!” from your friends and family. After 6 months you’ll be at, or close to your goal. And if you stick to it, after 12 months you’ll graduate with our “Fit Forever” program where you get all kinds of recognition for your achievement in bootcamp!

Shanon Before

Shanon After – Shanon lost 20 lbs and over 7% bodyfat in just 12 weeks!

Q. What do I need to bring to my first class?

A. A water bottle, a small sweat towel, comfortable workout clothes and your sense of adventure!

Q. Do we ever workout outside?

A. Of course…but only when the weather is nice! That’s the beauty of an indoor bootcamp. ; )

15 Awesome Fitness Blogs

11

Mar

2011

Although we, at Fit For Life Solutions, constantly update our fitness blog to keep you informed, entertained and in the loop, I thought I would take the time and introduce to you some other amazing fitness blogs that will help you with fat loss and maintaining a fitness lifestyle. These are inspirational to me, so I hope they help you too!

Fitness Blogs

http://www.ttfatloss.com/

Want to know how much protein your body can process at one time? Want exercises to break through a plateau? Then check this blog out. Craig has a great blog. He’s the same guy who invented Turbulence Training. We do a lot of the same exercises in our boot camp! He’s got some very solid content here on his blog.

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/

Want to understand how to eat like we are supposed to eat…like the caveman thousands of years ago? Then check out Mark’s blog!

<http://www.theiflife.com/blog/

Here’s an interesting blog. Have you ever heard of intermittent feeding/fasting? Yes, sounds crazy…but I guess it strikes a chord with a lot of people who like to lose weight simply, without jumping around to a bunch of fad diets. Is it another fad itself? You be the judge…

http://www.nakedfoodcooking.com/blog/

Want to cook food while standing around naked? Well, that’s not exactly what this blog is about…but food can be sexy, right?

http://conditioningresearch.blogspot.com/

The Conditioning Research blog is an interesting spin on fitness, performance and training with a lot of research to back it up…

http://fitnessblackbook.com/

Fitness Black Book is a great fitness blog all around. I like the clean look and the cool choice of pics. This is for people that want the Hollywood body type, not the Bodybuilder body type. There was a cool post I just checked out here on how to “MacGuyver” your own gym equipment! Cool!!

http://www.adonisindex.com/category/podcasts/

This one is all about targeted muscle building and fat burning for the perfect physique. Straight to the point.

http://zentofitness.com/

Personally, I’m into anything Zen. It’s all about living a simple life with fitness being a core element in it. Sounds like the kind of thing I’m into!

http://fitandbusydadblog.com/

Fatherhood, a fitness lifestyle, health…they must have made this blog for me, Roy, Dan and John!

http://fatburningtips4women.com/

This is a great blog focusing on women’s fitness. Angie is a passionate trainer. I found it funny she shares Roy’s last name…but it’s spelled a little differently. Angie Schumacher is a Certified Fitness Professional who trains clients in her home and is a Women’s Boot Camp Instructor in Colorado.

http://zacheven-esh.com/blog/

Zach is a trainer in the circle of trainers I follow, and this guy is the real deal. He’s all about no B.S., underground strength training with tires and sledgehammers and whatever else works.

http://www.fatmanunleashed.com/

If you’re a guy and are over-weight, follow along with Isreal and his weight loss journey to keep you motivated!

http://www.getfitandyummy.com/

Fit Yummy Mummy is a great blog for mom’s and will help get you motivated if you’ve recently had a baby, or are just getting back to fitness as a busy mom.

http://www.burnthefatblog.com/

Tom Venuto kinda reminds me of “Tony” from “Who’s the Boss”, that old TV show from the 80′s. That said, Tom V. is a very knowledgable and passionate guy when it comes to fitness.

http://alwyncosgrove.com/

Alwyn Cosgrove is a personal hero of mine. This guy is a “trainer of trainers” and a great leader in the industry. Read his blog and learn from the best!

http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/

This blog is meant for nerds like me! So cool!! Check out his post on the “Angry Birds” workout! Hey…I wonder if I can get him to send me a free Nerd Fitness T-shirt by pumping up his blog!

Ok, that’s it for my favorite fitness blogs. I went to 16 blogs, not 15 for two reasons. The first is I like to over-deliver. The second is something anyone who’s ever worked with a trainer knows very well…trainer’s can’t count!

If I missed any cool fitness blogs, please leave them in the comment section. Thanks!

Roy’s tips for fitness beginners

09

Mar

2011

If you’ve been in our morning boot camps in Foster City or Mountain View, chances are, you’ve had the experience of being trained by Roy Schuhmacher, co-owner and COO (Chief Operating Officer) of Fit For Life Solutions. Roy’s no-bull approach and hammering workouts are his trademark. He’s the guy that if you walk onto the training floor and you don’t see any equipment set up, you know you’re in for a hurricane of a workout.

Recently, I’ve given him the boot camp trainer nickname of Roy “I’ll murder you” Schuhmacher, because of his hard-hitting style during bootcamp training.

However, another side of Roy is that he is very in-tune and sensitive to beginners, and is always helping people struggling with weight loss or muscle gain. He knows first hand what it’s like to feel the frustration of knowing you can improve, but not quite knowing the keys to getting there.

When Roy first started out, he had the frustrating experience of working out for over a year with practically zero results…that is, until he found himself a mentor. Through following his coach’s training regimen, Roy had one of the most dramatic changes I’ve ever seen in just under 2 years.

As you can see in this picture, Roy is the classic “Scrawny to Brawny” guy. Can you imagine the sense of empowerment you’d get by creating the body you’ve always wanted? It’s enough to change your whole life, and with Roy, it did.

Roy knows the power of change, and how it affects everything else in your life, including your self-esteem, the relationships with people in your life, and how you carry yourself from day-to-day. This is why Roy does what he does, and why when I found out he was going into fitness full time a few years back, I jumped at the chance to be able to partner up with this driven, high-energy fitness guru madman.

From fat loss to sculpting to muscle gain, Roy is the guy to learn from.

Here’s a video of Roy breaking it down from square one. Hope you enjoy!

Yelps filtered reviews found!

03

Mar

2011

Did you know we have a 5-Star rating on Yelp? However, they only posted 11 of our 25+ reviews. But now I’ve unlocked the reviews they never posted – see below!!

If you want to see our posted Yelp reviews, go here:

http://www.yelp.com/biz/fit-for-life-solutions-foster-city

I just found out how to look at the reviews of our bootcamp that Yelp has filtered out. Yelp likes to filter out reviews because it mostly includes reviewers who are active on Yelp. Here are the reviews they’ve been hiding from the world.

trish W.
San Carlos, CA

1/20/2011
Amazing program. This is the place to go to see results while working out. Not only will you lose the weight and inches quickly, it is fun at the same time. Forrest and Dan were awesome. Very friendly, motivating, and make working out a comfortable experience. You’ll definitely be sore, but it is well worth it.

Brian S.
Fresno, CA

11/3/2010
Best bootcamp/trainer experience ever!   Let me preface this by saying that I’m a guy who likes to feel fairly ‘macho’ about things, was very active in high school / college sports, have self trained to complete endurance events such as marathons in the past, etc, but this Bootcamp was exactly what I needed to jumpstart myself back to life [i.e. I'm now in my mid-30's, overworked, have kids...am sure you get it]. I had heard about Forest and Roy through a friend who was going to their bootcamp and so my wife and I went to check it out.

The process and their strategy are amazing, and while they kicked my butt, they did it in a nice way so I kept coming back. Forest does an oustanding job following up with emails, tips, and both my wife and I felt a very noticable difference in my strength/weight even after just 1 month working their program. Since then I have used my bootcamp experience (I attended back in Nov and Dec 2009) as a catalyst to get back into shape and have since competed in a number of triathlons and half-marathons. I’ve probably lost 35+ pounds and feel awesome!   They also have child care available, and Forest has his own kids, so that part was really convenient.   I highly recommend the Fit For Life BootCamp and/or using Forest or Roy for personal training.

Julie n.
San Mateo, CA

12/10/2009
I have been working out with Forrest and Roy for almost a year now. I couldn’t be any happier! Their support has really gotten me to where I am today. When I first started I wasn’t sure what I was in for, but I quickly found out!! I have worked out my whole life and am experienced in a gym, but this was something I never expected!   Forrest and Roy look at every person individually and challenge them to go beyond their comfort zone. They found a way to make me bring out the best in myself. I was on my way to a more healthy body, but Forrest and Roy took me even further than I could have expected to go. Their encouragement, energy and diversity in activity keeps me coming back for more. I still have more that I want to accomplish, and with the support of Fit for Life, I know that I will be successful. I have learned more about exercise this past year than I ever did in my 5 years of college training!   The greatest thing about Fit for Life is that it isn’t just for gym rats, but instead there is something for everyone!! This is just the place for anyone wondering, “Where do I start?”

S M.
San Carlos, CA

2/13/2009
I have been training with Forrest in a small group setting for about two years. The routines are always varied and challenging, and he pays close attention to each participant – helping each of us to attain our personal best. I could now go to the gym on my own and do selected routines; but I much prefer to stay in Forrest’s class, as I know that I get a much better workout with him. He is very knowledgeable about nutrition and fitness in general. He is a pleasant and effective communicator, and I read his excellent newsletter faithfully. He has a great sense of humor. On a ten point scale, he is an eleven!

NAHLA s.
Foster City, CA

2/11/2009
I’ve known forest for years. He used to be my personal trainer. He’s a wonderful person and trainer. He motivates me to come to the gym. I am so lucky to have him as a trainer.

Koshali P.
San Mateo, CA

2/11/2009
I have known Forest since last 2 christmas. Me and my daughter joined his bootcamp for getting fit and we sure did. Forest is a great person and a great trainer. His training has given my daughter confidence about exercise and training. Thank you for all your help Forest and his bootcamps with Roy rocks!!!!!!!!

Teri M.
San Mateo, CA

2/11/2009
I’ve been working with Forrest Folin for several years now. He is an exceptional trainer who not only knows all the “proper” training techniques but he also knows how to consistently motivate clients. The additional assistance of Roy (also an excellent trainer) has added even more reinforcement to the training program. I’m in my mid-50′s and go to the training sessions to give myself the extra push that regular exercise classes just don’t seem to give me. It’s a fun, but challenging – and I like that fact that the boot camp sessions are never monotonous. Forrest and Roy set up the workouts so that there are different rotations on the various days you attend. Never a dull moment with these guys!

Amy s.
Foster City, CA

2/11/2009
I love reading the newsletter from Fit for Life. It’s got great recipes and is a real motivator.

Carl T.
Foster City, CA

2/11/2009
I have dealt with Forrest privately and in small groups over the last few years. He is very educated in what he knows and how he helps his clients out. One big item with me is his patience and his willingness to go the extra mile with his clients to ensure they are working out correctly. I really think the Fit for Life Solutions, boot camps are a great idea and he has partnered up with someone of the same philosophy. Fit for Life Solutions is a solution for any and everyone’s life. Thanks Forrest and Roy; keep it up.

Deborah W.
San Carlos, CA

2/11/2009
I have worked with Forrest in private training sessions and was so impressed with him. He knows how to communicate effectively to teach the correct way of learning exercise equipment!!! I was so impressed with his gentle manner but postive way of reinforcement and encouragement. My only issue on continuing with the training was my financial situation. Right now I am trying to save as much as possible in my 401K to hopefully retire some day!! Then I will join the bootcamp or continue privately with Forrest.  Debbie in San Carlos.

3 Part Mp3 series. “Mindset for Success – Desire”

28

Feb

2011

I’ve put up Part 1 of a short 3-part audio series entitled “Mindset for Success”. This is “must-know” information to create success in fitness, and in life. I recommend it highly if you’re just starting to get involved in an exercise or fitness program, such as our Fit For Life Bootcamp in Foster City and our Fit Body Boot Camp in Mountain View.

Mindset for Success Part 1 -Desire. Mp3 audio file by Forrest Folen, MCT

Next time I’ll share part 2 in the series, entitled “Mindset for Success Part 2 – Commitment”.

Cheers!

What’s all this talk about Coupons?

23

Feb

2011

Hi there, Forrest here,

I’ve been getting a lot of questions lately about the coupon promotions we’ve been doing, so I thought I’d post a blog to answer them.

Q. What are these coupons I keep hearing about?

A. Well, because Roy and I want to spend more time developing our bootcamps and training programs, we’ve been handing all our marketing over to daily discount websites. They sell a 4-week intro bootcamp program for around 85% off, so people can come and try out our program to see if they like us. If they do, they continue on at regular price.

Q. I’m already attending the bootcamp, can I buy a coupon?

A. No. This is designed as an intro program, similar to our “1 Free week” or our “21-Day Rapid Fat Loss” programs we’ve done. Sorry, but it’s for new peeps only.

Q. Can I buy multiple coupons or combine offers?

A. Of course not, don’t be silly! ; )

Q. I’m already a bootcamper. If the bootcamp keeps growing, won’t that take away from the training you were able to deliver when the bootcamp was small?

A. I know exactly how you feel. However, when there’s more people, there’s more dynamic energy, more enthusiasm, and we get to focus on creating cool programs like the “Fit For Life Band Ranking System” and the “1,000 lbs Fat Loss Challenge”. It also allows for us to hire cool new trainers like Dan, Steve, John and 3 more trainers we have yet to introduce. There are so many things we can do for you guys if our bootcamps are running at full speed!

Q. I feel totally ripped off! Can’t you give me a discount? 24 Hour Fitness only charges $25 a month!!

A. We are NOT 24 Hour Fitness. ; ) We are the #1 indoor boot camp program on the Peninsula! No one is doing as much for their clients as we are, and we are proud of it. We have proven results, proven retention, proven satisfied clients, a 5-star Yelp review, and we have created the environment for our bootcampers to reach a higher potential in fitness and in life. Did I mention we’re proud? If all you want is a gym membership, be my guest. We want to weed out the people who aren’t serious and just work with the people who are.

We’re a growing business, but this growth would never have happened without the help of all the original bootcampers during our first 2 years in business. THANK – YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING A PART OF THIS AMAZING JOURNEY!!!!!

This post is dedicated to Nahla Shoman. She recently came up to me to congratulate me on this success we are having, and she made me stop for a moment and truly realize how far we’ve come, and how many wonderful people we have in our bootcamps. Thanks for getting me to stop and smell the roses, Nahla!

Your Trainer For Life,

Forrest Folen

5 Rainy Day Exercise Tips, Plus Forrest Crazy Exercise Video

17

Feb

2011

It’s cold, windy and rainy outside. Last week the Bay Area was 75 degrees and sunny, and this week…well, let’s just say we shouldn’t complain. Compared to the rest of the country, even our rainy days are considered good weather. I thought I’d shoot you 5 Rainy Day Exercise Tips to help you get motivated.

Rainy Day Exercise Tip #1 – Hit the gym. That’s right, there’s no excuse now! It’s time to get yourself out of the rain and into the warmth of the gym where you can stay dry and get your workout in.

Rainy Day Exercise Tip #2 – Try something new. The definition of insanity is repeating the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results. Now is the time to try something new. If it’s weight loss you’re after, ask yourself, “What can I do differently that will produce the results I’m looking for?” All too often we don’t get what we’re looking because we ask ourselves the wrong questions.

Rainy Day Exercise Tip #3 – Pay it forward. The secret ingredient missing in a lot of people’s exercise lifestyle is that they don’t give. This is a universal law. When you give, you get! It’s just that simple. Invite a buddy to exercise with you. They’ll thank you and you’ll be more pumped-up and motivated to take your workout to the next level.

Rainy Day Exercise Tip #4 – Join an indoor bootcamp. Most bootcamps are outdoors, and when it’s rainy and cold outside, no matter how many times you tell yourself that it adds to the fun, soaking wet socks, cold-blue hands and convulsive shivers aren’t pretty. With an indoor bootcamp you’ve got the benefits of staying dry, plus you’re sure to get a great workout and have a good time.

Rainy Day Exercise Tip #5 – Go jog in the rain. I know it’s counter to what I said in #4, but hey…jogging in the rain revitalizes you! It’s makes you feel like a kid again and you can really wash away all the negative effects of work, daily craziness, and stress. Just make sure you’ve got a nice warm shower to come home to!

Here’s a crazy video I’ve recorded for you to watch strictly as entertainment. DO NOT TRY ANY OF THESE EXERCISES. I’m a trained professional and I don’t want anyone to get hurt. Stay dry!

-Forrest, Owner of Fit For Life Solutions

Day 0 – The “Slow-Carb Diet” Shopping Day

09

Feb

2011

Ok, like I’ve been saying – it’s not about balance anymore, it’s about cycles (which is how nature balances herself out). Lose 10-15 lbs in a month, then get back to balance and maintenance. I think where people go wrong with dieting is that they’re either 100% on or off. Why not be 100% focused for 30 days, then go into a more balanced approach to maintain that weight loss?

This is what I’ve taken from Timothy Ferriss’ new book, The 4-Hour Body. Hit a cycle of weight loss to get fast and immediate results, then go to a balanced cycle.

A balanced approach would be to enroll in a bootcamp, such as our bootcamp in Foster City and Mountain View, so that way exercise and accountability is covered. Even if you’ve hit your goal, it would still be a good idea to come at least 2x/week to maintain, and get weighed-in regularly. There’s no way the scale could sneak back up if you’re committed to a healthy lifestyle with a bootcamp program or a personal trainer. ; )

…and considering a personal trainer costs over $500 – $600 per month at 2x/week, doesn’t it make sense to spend $200 per month for bootcamp at 4x/week so that you can keep up your fitness lifestyle? In my opinion, it just makes way more sense, because who can’t budget $6 per day to stay in bootcamp all year long?

Yes, you may have to stop eating out as much, or skip the $5 lattes at Starbucks, or maybe cut back on the Heineken’s…but it’s all for YOUR HEALTH, right?

Our nation is in serious trouble right now. With 1/3 of America obese, we need to stop criticizing each other, and have the courage to love ourselves and our families, starting today. We have to start with our own fitness, and pay it forward. We’re on a mission! More organic, less processed. More slow, less fast. More exercise, less TV. More walking, less sitting in cubicles. More sunshine, less florescent lights. More awareness, less tuning ourselves out. More giving, and less taking.

Sorry if I’m ranting now…but it’s important that we look out for one another, and working on ourselves first is the way we can ripple the effect out to our families, kids, friends and communities.

So…now that I’m off my soap box. Here is a video with us at Safeway starting up the “Slow-Carb Diet”. Enjoy!

Forrest goes to New York, plus hotel workout from New Jersey!

06

Feb

2011

I went on my first ever trip to New York, and besides freezing my butt off, and being sick, I had a wonderful time!

I’ve always wanted to travel to New York. Keep in mind, the only places I’ve ever been are: Hawaii, Mexico, Canada, Oregon, Nevada, and Minnesota…and maybe some others, but I was too young to remember. I’ve never been to Europe, and I’ve never been to any Asian countries, but now I can say I’ve done New York!

What amazed me most about the Big Apple was the skyscrapers. They seem to go on for miles, and seemed surreal, kind of like in that weird movie with Leonardo Dicaprio, Inception.

Traveling can be a time when many put their workouts on hold – besides, there’s so much great food when you go on vacation, right?

Well, I think it’s because of all the great food available that we should keep up our workouts while traveling. That’s why when I was in our hotel in New Jersey, I snuck away for an hour or so on my vacation to shoot this hotel workout video for you!

Even when I’m away, I’m always working…that’s how much I love what I do, and how much I appreciate YOU reading our newsletters and blog posts! Thanks!!

Oh, and I also put together a montage video, film noir style, of Arleene and I in New York. Enjoy!

Fit For Life Solutions Band Ranking System

04

Feb

2011

Today we’re introducing a new system of bootcamp ranking that will give our bootcampers a way to succeed and develop in their training that has more to do with their overall attitude, improved performance on an individual level, desire, commitment and perseverance than it does numbers on the scale.

The idea was inspired by my training in the martial arts. Going through the belt levels was always something that kept my focus strong, kept me moving forward in my training, and gave me that sense of earned accomplishment for meeting the standards of the next level of training.

In bootcamp training, it’s not how we are compared with others, but how we improve for ourselves that matters. This is why the ranking system benefits all of us in bootcamp, including the instructors. It gives us a chance to strive for growth and to develop ourselves, mentally, physically and emotionally through our training.

Here is the descriptions of the bootcamp levels, along with the requirements for advancement within the system:

Banded Bootcamp System

I’ve started giving out rankings to individuals in bootcamp already, and I will give rankings out to other bootcampers who are ready shortly. I hope to give you your ranking soon!

What’s so special about bootcamp? Enter Paul Perry…

28

Jan

2011

In today’s post, I’d like to share with you why I feel that bootcamps are the superior choice when it comes to fitness training.

I remember the old days, when I worked for Bally Total Fitness in Hayward. It was an interesting time for me as a trainer. I started there as a level 1 trainer, and because I was so successful at getting my clients the results they were looking for, I quickly rose through the ranks to a level 4 trainer (at that time Bally had 5 levels).

Bally Total Fitness in Hayward. You can't see it here, but walk 15 steps out the front door of Bally's and you're standing inside a McDonalds. Great location for a gym, huh?!!

I trained people on a one-on-one basis for a long time. One of the frustrations I had as a trainer was getting someone to attend more than twice per week. It seemed most trainers worked this way, training there clients two times per week. With 2 times per week I saw clients get stronger, clients learned the techniques and biomechanics of proper exercise, they gained flexibility and muscle balance, and their bodyfat % became low enough to make their clothes fit a bit better.

But weight loss? Extreme body transformation? Life changing fat loss that makes your friends say, what the f%#*!! have you been doing? Well, only to those who were disciplined enough to follow the meal plan exactly and to work out on their own another 5 days per week, on top of the 2 days with their trainer, saw those kind of jaw dropping results.

One day, all us Bally trainers from all over the East Bay were taking a stretch course. The instructor of that course had been a trainer for something like 30 years. The guy knew his stuff. We learned a lot about stretching that day, and he even taught us some things on muscular balance, training to correct postural disfunction and client motivation.

But when he talked about fat loss, he had little hope that anything we did as trainers working out with our clients twice per week, could actually get them to lose fat. You see, even a full hour with a trainer at full intensity, you’re only burning about 600 calories. At twice per week, that’s 1,200 calories.

As you know, it takes a little over 3,500 calories to burn off 1 pound of fat. That means that the remainder of the fat loss deficit came from restricting calories and exercising 4 or 5 more days during the week without the trainer to see real fat loss results.

Of course, our twice per week clients gained muscle, gained energy, and they did drop some fat, but to lose 20 or 30 or more pounds…there had to be another way.

This high-ranked senior trainer had clearly given up hope long ago. You could just tell he had abandon improving his clients lives with fat loss strategies and instead resorted to improving their muscular balance and teaching them to stand on one-leg while balancing a medicine ball on their nose and barking like a seal. Fat loss was hopeless.

Enter Paul Perry

After the depressing matter-of-fact statements of our limitations by this seen-and-tried everything, seasoned professional trainer of 30 plus years, a hand went up in the room. The arm that belonged to the hand was full-sleeved tattoo’d, and the full portrait of the guy was pure punk-rock reggae, black dredlocks seemingly down to the floor, and tattoo’s and piercings covering the rest.

“All my clients come 4 days a week.” Said Paul, matter of factly.

Paul was a different kind of trainer. He made his own rules. While most trainers worked a burned-out 6 days per week, taking clients and spreading through their day from 5am to 11pm, Paul’s approach was different. All his clients attended 4 days per week – no exceptions. His schedule was 3pm – 8pm Monday – Thursday. The rest of his time he spent playing music with his band (at the time Insolence, which at one time was signed to a major record label) and riding around on his Harley.

Here's Paul with his dog.

As an interesting side note, Paul was also known for having Bally Total Fitness, a huge multi-million dollar corporation, have to change it’s handbook to include full sleeved tattoo’s must be covered during work hours, and all face piercing’s must be removed prior to a shift. Did I mention Paul drove a Harley…yes, the dude was a bad ass. He was also my best friend during that time of my life – someone I could confide in.

“What do you mean, 4 times per week?” Said the senior Bally trainer of trainers.

“They all come 4 days a week. And they all lose weight.” Replied Paul.

Every trainer in that room was amazed.

It was true, I’d seen Paul do it. In one of the poorest East Bay neighborhoods, somehow Paul was getting people to fork over $1,500 per month for personal training. All his clients came 4-days per week, and through it he was changing lives and everybody loved him for it.

Amazing – and obviously unheard of by the 20+ trainers in that room. The senior trainer that was there to teach us a thing or two about how to be a good trainer probably felt pretty lame at that point in time.

Fast forward a few years, and here I am working as a cardio kickboxing instructor, abs class instructor and a personal trainer at the Foster City Athletic Club. Working now as an independent contractor, I had started my own mind/body training business, Way Of Life Personal Training. As a trainer I was doing well, and my clients were happy. They aren’t coming in 4 times per week, but they are happy.

One day, I hear about bootcamps, and think to myself – That’s it! This is how I can make bigger impact in people’s lives! What a genius option!! I can train people 4 days per week, and instead of them having to pay $1,500 per month, like Paul’s clients did, they can pay closer to $200 per month and get the same amazing results!

I was thrilled. I had found the holy grail of training. My life had purpose. It felt like all the hard times meant something – and led up to this day. I would forever be able to train people in large groups and still give them the attention they need from a personal trainer. I talked about my vision with the baddest young trainer around, Roy Schuhmacher, who was on board 100% from the start, and the rest is history.

Hope you’ve enjoyed my little story on how I got into bootcamps, and why I think they are the best value to YOU.

Today, we are busier than ever in our bootcamp. However, we’ve got a few spaces left! If you hurry you may get your spot locked in! CLICK HERE TO LOCK IN YOUR BOOTCAMP SPOT TODAY!!

Here are the benefits of training bootcamp vs. other methods of weight loss:

Bootcamps are clearly the way to go when it comes to results!

Fit For Life S.O.L.U.T.I.O.N.S.

19

Jan

2011

When Roy and I started our bootcamp biz in May 2008, we didn’t just jump right into it. There were a lot of factors involved in getting our bootcamps to where they are today in January of 2011.

But before I get into that, let me remind you of our history.

When I was younger, I didn’t have any special talents, I was shy, I was on the “B” team in 6th grade basketball, and by the time I reached high school I had a C grade average, I had no real direction, and I didn’t even play any team sports (although I loved playing basketball, skateboarding, and I was a mad-man during high-school P.E. class).

Mostly I hung out with my friends, I partied, smoked and drank and to tell you the truth, I became kind of a burn-out.

Despite that, I always had this belief that I was special…made for something…that life had a deeper meaning and that I could somehow make a big impact. Maybe I got that from my mom, I’m not sure, but it was there. A deeply rooted sense that life was leading up to something, and that my journey in it could somehow impact people in a positive way.

I won’t get into my whole story here, for that, just check out this link: Forrest’s Story

Instead, let me get back to how Roy and I got this bootcamp thing started. Roy had been a skinny guy with a good heart and a cocky attitude. He spent his time with video games, and was immersed into the gaming world for years. Of course he did other things with his time, but there was definitely a lot of RPG gaming going on in Roy’s world for a long time.

One day, Roy snapped out of it and had an epiphany. He figured if he put the amount of energy he was putting in to video games into his self instead, he could really make things happen. He started lifting weights and went from a 6’3″ 150 pound “skinny guy” to 215 pounds of solid muscle in 2 years, and the effect of changing his body in turn changed his life completely.

The biggest thing that changed in Roy was his mindset. In fact, if you ever sit down and talk with Roy, it’s sometimes an odd experience because you start to notice by the way he talks that he doesn’t ever think about things that can stop him or get in his way. Even through tough times, he’s never doubtful and always 100% sure of himself that he can get the job done.

So here’s what happened – Roy and I were friends from the neighborhood (Shoreview area of San Mateo) and we were co-workers at Key Market grocery store for a while. Roy heard I had been working as a fitness trainer for a few years, and gave me a call one day. I remember I had been wanting to get started with bootcamps, and I asked Roy if he’d be interested in pursuing the idea with me, and he was all for it.

There’s something that happens to a person when their life is transformed by fitness. It can only be described as this intense passion that really makes you want to share fitness with others, because you want to show them how empowering it is to live that “fitness lifestyle” and how it changes your whole mindset and outlook on life. I could tell Roy had that passion, and that’s the reason I knew we had the winning combo.

We started the bootcamp at the Foster City Athletic Club in May 2008 and never looked back. Since then, we’ve grown a bit, mostly by word of mouth, and we’ve added a location in Mountain View (Fit Body Boot Camp in Mountain View). We also have a small staff that helps us with the website, our bookkeeping, programs, and we even have a few new dedicated and passionate trainers on staff.

As we look forward, the most important thing for us is to add value into the lives of our clients. We want to share that same passion that Roy and I feel about fitness and training with others. We want the training to be more than a class, or a place to exercise.

Our goal is to create a feeling of family amongst the bootcampers, while at the same time provided the training and the mind-set tools for creating measurable and tangible results from our programs.

We are continually striving to re-invent ourselves, and I really feel this is key. When people, businesses or training programs get stagnant, they get complacent. I want every training session to be a new experience for people. Something where they come in and say “I wonder what they heck we’re going to be doing today!?”

Not only do we want the exercises to change daily, but we want the energy to continually grow and stay dynamic. That’s why we are adding the 1,000 lbs Fat Loss goal into the mix this year. By working as a team, we can do things that make us reach outside of ourselves, and push ourselves to being better people.

The teams we’ve set up will change as we go, but what will remain the same is the underlying focus, which is we are all leveraging off one another to make positive change in our lives. From instructors to team leaders to team members, everyone is involved and the unity of what we are doing will make this year something that we will all remember being a part of.

Although it is a weight loss challenge, it’s more about developing ourselves as people, and that’s why I’ve created this acronym for you.

You see, it’s easy to get caught up with the numbers on the scale, but don’t lose sight of the bigger picture, it’s really about the journey along the way.

S.elf reliance
O.ngoing commitment
L.ove for yourself and others
U.nity of mind and body
T.rust in yourself
I.ndomitable spirit
O.wning up to yourself
N.ever giving up
S.triving for excellence

I encourage you to copy this acronym and print it out. Post it to where you can see it every day and connect with each part of the acronym and what it means to you. By doing this you help cultivate the mindset you need to succeed in fitness and in life. I’ll leave this post with the following quote:

“The greater danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it.”

-Michelangelo

Teamwork! Burn 1,000 lbs of FAT!!

04

Jan

2011

Alright, this is crazy. I’ve only been away from boot camp for one week and I’m busting open at the seams! (No…not from too much food…)

I can barely sleep at night, I’m sooooo fudgin’ excited about getting things going for 2011!

There are NEW programs going into launch ASAP, such as our Leadership program, the Banded-Fitness Ranking System, the 1,000 lbs of Fat Loss community weight loss goal, the Beta version of my Elevated Fitness Lifestyle Coaching Program (It’s almost ready to launch…), and a massive amount of energy going into our training programs and boot camps!!

Some details about the 1,000 lbs of Fat Loss goal: We have set a high goal of getting our community to lose 1,000 lbs in 2011! How are we going to do it? With everybody working together as a team, that’s how! We’re going to break it into chunks and hammer away at this goal piece by piece until it’s done!

If we get 100 people to lose 10 lbs, we’ve hit our goal! We will collectively burn off 1,000 lbs of fat!!

However, we can’t do this without TEAMWORK! We need YOUR HELP! We need 25 leaders to step up and create a team of 4 or more people to make this happen. (1 leader + 4 team members = 5 people per team).

With this team system in place, we will hit our goal and beyond!! This brings us to what the NEW Leadership program is all about.

I need 25 leaders to step-up, and lead a team of people to victory!

More details: We will help you form a team of 4-8 people, give you the tools necessary, and cut you loose! With you as the team leader, your bootcamp instructors as your guides, and a willing team ready to follow orders, we can’t miss the target…1,000 lbs of fat lost by 2012!

Well, it is going to be the end of the world, but who cares!? Let’s leave this world in the best shape of our lives!! Just joking here…hehe. Nothing wrong with a little end-of-the-world humor, is there? Besides, if you can’t take a joke, hit the unsubscribe button! We get edgy from time-to-time, so if you’re as cool as I know you are, and you’re still with us, let’s go for it!!

Here’s how you can get involved as a leader:

For the most part, you’ll be hand-selected by Roy, Dan and myself. We are choosing the leaders based on positive attitude, results you’ve achieved (or are determined to achieve), performance in bootcamp and leadership ability.

One of the cool things about being a team leader is that you have a chance to win every month.

What do we win?

The team leader wins free bootcamp the following month, and we take the whole team out to dinner! Pretty cool, huh? I thought so… (Don’t worry, no McDondalds!). We’ll go someplace fun like sushi or something.

I will e-mail the people I’d like to see step up as team leaders, and we’ll get going on this ASAP. It needs to launch by next week, so I’ll need at least 15 team leaders ASAP, and we can add more as we go.

Here are some teamwork quotes to inspire us to accomplish our goal of collectively burning 1,000 lbs of fat by 2012!

“Teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision. The ability to direct individual accomplishments toward organizational objectives. It is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results.”

- Andrew Carnegie

“T.E.A.M = Together everyone achieves more.”

- Anonymous

“A group becomes a team when each member is sure enough of himself and his contribution to praise the skill of the others.”

- Norman S Hidle

“Individual commitment to a group effort – that is what makes a team work a company work, a society work, a civilization work.”

- Vince Lombardi

“A single arrow is easily broken, but not ten in a bundle.”

- Japanese proverb

By the way, IF YOU HAVEN’T TRIED OUR BOOTCAMP YET, NOW IS THE LAST CHANCE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE 21 DAY RAPID FAT LOSS PROGRAM, OUR BEST BOOTCAMP INTRO PROGRAM EVER!!

Forrest and Elvis burn some calories!

15

Dec

2010

Today I’d like you to ponder the idea of capturing 30 minutes out of every day to exercise, and make it your new rule.

Lately, I have been very busy getting ready for New Years, which is the typical busy time for us trainers and bootcamp instructors. In being so busy, I’ve put exercise to the side for the past 3 weeks (yes, it can happen to trainers, too!), and I can already feel a loss in strength and energy, which is a reminder to get started again right away.

I’ve made it a rule, starting today, that I’m going to exercise for 30 minutes every single day!

I’ve got tons of “30-minute ideas”, now I just have to put them into action. Hmmmm, maybe I should just sign up for my own boot camp!

Depending on how intense my 30 minutes of exercise is, I will burn between 200-450 calories per workout. Being that my goal is to keep my muscle while shedding body fat, I will make it a point to eat lots of protein, (my protein goal is about 160 – 200 grams per day, which if I eat six meals, it comes out to about 30 grams of protein per meal.)

If your goal is to lose fat, protein is a must. Not only does it keep you feeling satisfied, but it will be broken down into the amino acids necessary to help you build and repair your muscle after your workouts.

Today for my 30 minutes of exercise, I did 30 minutes of running Elvis out behind my apartment complex. Check out our calorie burning adventure below.

By the way, if you think of exercise as a “calorie burning adventure” it puts a whole new spin and perspective on the actual time spent working out, don’t you think?

The Ultimate Annihilator Workout! Burn 764 calories in 45 minutes!

14

Dec

2010

Happy Holiday’s! Here’s an early holiday gift for you! It’s our “Ultimate Annihilator Workout”! This one had everyone feeling totally worked last Monday in our Fit For Life Bootcamp, the most awesome indoor boot camp in the Foster City and San Mateo area! Enjoy!

Here’s a break-down of the “Ultimate Annihilator Workout”, a 764-calorie burning extravaganza!

Directions: Perform each exercise for 1-minute, with 15-second rest periods between exercises.

1) Annihilator push-ups. A push-up with 4 pauses on the way down, then explode up with the exhale.

2) Wayne Gretzky’s. Side to side, lateral jump crossing the leg behind you (leg behind you doesn’t touch the ground). Move arms like you are shooting a slap-shot, and use the core muscles.

3) Bruce Lee’s. Balance on left leg. Raise right knee to hip height. Kick with right foot and punch with right hand at the same time. Retract foot and punch with left hand while foot is in retracted position. Repeat in a coordinated rhythm. 30 seconds each side.

4) Terminator 2′s. Legs up and crossed. Ten crunches, reaching up and to opposite side of body. On tenth crunch hold, then do 10 squeeze-pulses from the abs as you reach up. Switch sides and do another 10. Then go into double tuck crunches, both legs out, then crunch in for remainder of minute.

5) Commando’s. Crawl out in bear crawl count of 3, then back, then burpee (jump with hands reaching up). Less advanced can do a squat instead of a burpee.

6) Capoeira Lunges. Start with feet together in a squat, then extend leg back while putting hand flat on floor outside of front leg, opposite arm reaches over head. Switch back and forth, staying low. It’s ok to lean, this movement is not a traditional lunge, but a martial arts movement called an Esquiva from the Brazilian art of Capoeira.

7) Navy Seal presses. Bodyweight shoulder press. Advanced go with feet on bench, hands on floor, with butt way in the air (upside down pike position) and head and neck straight. Intermediate can do them straight on the floor. Beginners can put hands on the wall instead of the floor.

Then take a 2 minute break. Repeat a total of 3 rounds. Have fun!

Disclaimer: This is a very advanced full-body exercise routine. It should be performed under professional supervision from a personal trainer or fitness coach. Please check with your doctor before starting this, or any other fitness routine or exercise program.

Here’s a video of us doing the “Ultimate Annihilator Workout”, and some of the “Turkey Burner” workout from Thanksgiving. Enjoy!

People are crazy!

05

Dec

2010

Usually I don’t post crazy videos like this on the blog, but this video is the exception because it is so crazy and inspiring at the same time. Thanks for sending it, Paul. Enjoy!

People Are Awesome – Watch more Sports

5 Tips empowering moms through fitness

30

Nov

2010

I’ll just come out and say it. Mom’s are the backbone of our family. Our mothers give us strength, encouragement, advice (even when we don’t want it), and most of all, unconditional love.

I’m writing this post as a thank-you to all the moms out there, and if you have a mom, send her this post and tell her how much you love her! Don’t wait till Mothers Day, do it today!

I’ve included this video starring some of the awesome moms in our bootcamp!

Here are my top 5 fitness tips for moms:

1) Make exercise a habit. It’s not enough to exercise once in a while, you’ve got to turn exercise into a habit, just like brushing your teeth. Research has shown it takes 21 consistent days to engrain a habit into our lives. Try our 21-Day Rapid Fat Loss program to start your habit. (Hint – Don’t wait until the New Years trap, do it today!)

2) Exercise from the inside out, not from the outside in. In other words, start with a mindset of exercising because it makes you feel good about yourself, that it gives you confidence, that it empowers you, that you make friends and enjoy coming in to workout because it’s time set aside for YOU. Don’t simply think that the only reason you exercise is to look like a woman on a magazine rack. Eat right and exercise because of how it makes you feel!

3) Reduce your stress. Especially if you want to lose weight, you need to reduce stress. High stress releases a hormone called Cortisol in the body and it’s stored in the stomach region. This gives your body instructions to store fat in that same area! Start a meditation practice and reduce your stress and anxiety big time. You’ll feel better, you won’t have all that “mental chatter” that keeps you up at night, and you’ll have a new perspective that will stop you from over-worrying about things. I’ve actually started a new blog as a meditation resource. Check it out, it’s at www.yourzenpractice.wordpress.com.

4) Give back. Find another mom that you can buddy up with and take a fitness class together. You can do a bootcamp, or even split the cost of a personal trainer. There’s power in numbers! Not only that, but the people you work out with inevitably become great friends, so you have fun in the process.

5) Lift weights. Mom’s more than anyone need to lift weights. The myth is that it’s for men or for bodybuilders. That’s simply not true. Weight lifting is for everyone, regardless of age and sex. The best thing for you as a mom is to learn how to pump iron! You’ll have a strong body, healthy and strong back, core and ab muscles that are conditioned, and legs and arms that give you the confidence to take on the world!

My mom and dad. This post is dedicated to my mom. I love you, mom!

Getting Over the Thanksgiving Binge Eating

27

Nov

2010

Well, it’s the day after Thanksgiving, and I’m in recovery mode from all the turkey, mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie. Actually, if I really got into the list of foods and beverages, you would probably start looking for another fitness coach!

We did the traditional dinner on Thursday, and we all went over to my parents house in San Mateo. My dad set up the old pool table in the back room and we played pool, ate, sat in the hot tub, and ate some more. I also helped my brother, Tommy, get started with a blog about his musical adventures with his bass guitar!

Quick side note – one funny moment we had at dinner was when Arleene accidentally hit her hand on the plate, splashing up some gravy. It shot across the table and hit Tommy right in the eye! Never a dull moment! Haha!

Today, we had a huge crab, shrimp and clam dinner at our place. (I won’t mention the chocolate mouse and toffee almond bars…and the chocolate chip cookies.) My 7 year-old daughter did a full-on comedy round, doing imitations of everyone there at the table. Kids say and do the darndest things!

As for me, at least I can say I don’t pretend to be perfect, and luckily for me, Thanksgiving is a day we can all relax a little and have a free pass to eat to our hearts content.

I’m well aware that some people get the holiday guilt going a little too much because of the high-calorie Thanksgiving dinners. However, Thanksgiving dinner is NOT the problem. The problem is the days AFTER Thanksgiving that put us in the “binge-guilt-binge-binge-guilt-screw it, I’m just going to binge again” cycle. And all the while we keep telling us that the extra cardio we are going to do is going to balance it all out. Well, it might help, but I wouldn’t count on cardio to save you if you’re downing 4,000 calories a day for 4 days!

So the reason I’m posting today’s blog is to get to you BEFORE monday hits!!

I suggest planning something active for Saturday and Sunday. Get out for a jog, a walk, or go to the gym. And if you’re like me and you’ve got more social events a-comin’ for the weekend, so you need to stay committed to limiting your food intake.

A great and simple trick is to just keep drinking large glasses of water all day…and night. Keeping a glass of water in your hands at all times prevents you from snacking too much (you’re hands are busy with the glass), and it keeps you from the high-calorie beverages you’d otherwise be consuming. By the time lunch or dinner rolls around, your stomach will be full and you won’t eat as much. This simple trick could save you thousands of calories over the course of just a few days.

For me, I plan on taking a jog behind my apartment in the Belmont hills tomorrow. Maybe I’ll video tape some of it…should be fun!

Happy Holiday!!

I scoff at Daisy Fuentes…

17

Nov

2010

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve walked down a checkout line at a grocery store and scoffed at a fitness magazine…then picked one up!

Even though I think this ‘ideal image’ thing has gone way to far, it’s always fun to see what Kim Kardashian eats for breakfast, or exactly how Daisy Fuentes stays stress-free and sculpted, or how to walk away every bulge in 3 weeks!

Usually they show them doing some exercises like a lunge, or an ab plank, then they tell you that they eat 5-6 small meals a day, eating oatmeal, egg whites, brown rice, chicken breast, salads, and avocados.

They also might have talk about how their trainer has them log their foods to stay on track with their calorie intake.

Then they tell you that they take a multivitamin, a fish oil supplement, and drink a protein shake with blueberries when they’re “on-the-go”.

That’s when I stop and think to myself, “Hey, Self! These Hollywood Stars are doing the exact same thing you preach to people in your personal training programs, bootcamps, and on your newsletter!!”

The secret is OUT!!!!!!!

It’s true. The information is all right there. We have it! Now we just need to apply it!

John Assaraf, from “The Secret” says his most influential life coach asked him if he was “interested in being a millionaire, or if he was committed to being a millionaire”? (Today John earns multiple 7 figures…)

If you’re interested, you’ll do what is convenient to succeed. If you’re committed, you’ll do whatever it takes.

When I decided that I had enough of my unhealthy lifestyle back in my early twenties, I started on a path to fitness training and I began my martial arts journey. Even though I told people I was just doing it for “fun”, I was seriously committed and would play a ‘mental movie’ in my mind, over-and-over, seeing myself fit, full of energy and life, seeing myself as a Black Belt Instructor, and seeing myself teaching and coaching others through fitness training.

Guess what? It all came true! This law of attraction stuff they talk about worked! And it wasn’t just “wishful thinking”.

Every day I used visualization and affirmations to change my base behavior and thought patterns. I engrained my goals into my subconscious mind with emotion, imagery and thought, and I did it consistently, with burning desire, and I took massive action to get me to where I wanted to go.

Do you think I feel proud of my decisions? Do you think I can use this as a platform to do even bigger and better things in my life now? Heck YES!!

So I ask you, are you interested in looking and feeling your best, or are you committed to looking and feeling your best?

Forrest with the 6am Mountain View crew!

Your Trainer For Life,

Forrest Folen

P.S. – By the way, if you’re having a tough time with the mental imagery stuff, here’s a link to a cool program I found that will help:

Click Here

Results! Results! Results!

11

Nov

2010

Every time I talk fitness, I tell people about the many benefits regular training has…especially the training in our boot camp! Benefits like having less stress, feeling more energy, having more stamina are just icing on the cake. Here’s a list some of the many benefits joining a fitness boot camp such as our can provide:

Variety in your workout, never get bored!

Drop 1%-3% bodyfat percentage every 6-8 weeks

Drop pants or dress size every 6-8 weeks

Get toned!

Look and feel awesome!

Get your “Me Time” and get more energy

Flatten your stomach, lift your butt, and tone your arms

Get a no-brainer nutrition program, not a diet!

Get inspired and motivated by surrounding yourself with like-minded people

Reduce the risk of diabetes and heart disease

Get professional coaching and accountability from certified instructors

Reduce anxiety and stress

Become a role model and inspire others!

Get healthy

Lose weight and feel great!

Usually, after I’ve told someone about the many benefits of training in our bootcamp, they are intrigued, but they aren’t convinced. The reason they aren’t convinced is that they’ve heard it all before…but they aren’t sure if they can do it. They think it’s for “other people” and they start making excuses in their mind why it won’t work for them…or maybe it will work, but in some far off future that never quite gets here.

Through the years, I’ve found that there is one thing that gets people seeing and believing they can do it, too. I can talk to people until I’m blue in the face, but it still won’t convince someone to take action until they’ve heard from other people like them, who’ve seen success!!

This blog is dedicated to all the bootcampers and people in training who’ve seen success, and continue to motivate and inspire others to live a healthy and fit lifestyle. Here are just a few of the people who’ve seen amazing success from our program, and who inspire others (and inspire me!) on a daily basis:

First, meet Sara! I sometimes call her “Sarah Conner” as in the movie Terminator 2 where Linda Hamilton looks totally ripped and pulls off those bodyweight pull-ups. Our Sara is equally inspiring! Check out this short video!

Next, meet Doug! He’s the male-model for what you can do with dedication and determination! He and his wife Geralynn rock our bootcamp to the core! He’s not 100% to his goal yet, but so far he’s seen great results, and he’s just getting started!

Here’s Amie, our awesome-mom bootcamper from our Mountain View location! Listen to how she lost her “mommy pounds” here:

And how about Julie, who’s is one of the leaders and pioneers of Fit For Life Bootcamp in Foster City. Many people have been inspired by Julie’s story (she lost over 60 lbs in her journey), and she continue’s to maintain her fitness even with her busy-mom schedule!

Julie BEFORE

Julie AFTER

And there’s Shanon, who completely transformed. She’s lost over 20 lbs, dropped to a size 1, and is now training to be a personal trainer! Way to go, Shanon!!

Shanon BEFORE

Shanon AFTER

In fact, there are way too many success stories to list, but here are a few more!

Yvonne, who lost 30 lbs in our Mountain View bootcamp!! She’s been training with us since July 6th, and she is doing great! I saw her this morning and she is just beaming with confidence. Keep it up, Yvonne! (I’ll see if I can get a BEFORE and AFTER photo from her soon!)

…and here’s a picture of Veronica, who got great results from us in less than 3 weeks!

Veronica is happy with her results after just 10 days!

“Fit For Life Bootcamp was amazing!” I was very happy with my results and couldn’t have asked for better trainers. I lost 2% bodyfat and 3 lbs in just 10 days! Would I do this again…heck yeah!!!”

…And here’s a few more!

Tod Steinfeld from our Foster City boot camp has lost close to 30 lbs and over 5 inches around the waist!

Linda Segal from our Mountain View location has lost over 15 lbs and 7 inches around the waist! When she first started she could do 35 push ups from her knees, and now she can do over 35 push-ups from her feet!!

Elaine Eggen lost 4% bodyfat and went from being able to do 130 bicycle crunches in 2 minutes to 220!!

Leah Naniola lost 27 lbs in just 12 weeks!!!

Here’s a happy bootcamper, Racquele, talking about her experience…

…and of course, one of our most awesome super-stars, Kristen G.!!!

Our boot camps are in Foster City, bordering San Mateo, and we also have a new boot camp in Mountain View. Come check us out! If you’re a San Mateo, Foster City, or Mountain View resident, come join us for a FREE trial week! Just call 650-771-5149 and ask for Forrest!

Please leave your comments below! Your comments fuel my blog, so please leave a comment! Thank-you!!

5 Fitness Concepts to Apply to Your Daily Life

05

Nov

2010

The mental aspect of fitness training is something that applies to your daily life, and having an understanding of these concepts will make you more aware of how you can apply them to your life.

Every day we are confronted with challenges and conflict from the people and situations in our lives. I’ve put together these 5 fitness concepts for you to apply to your daily life:

1. Desire. In fitness, the first thing you must do is have desire. You must desire to look and feel your best. This often comes about through enduring the exact opposite, feeling horrible and looking your worst! If you’ve ever been down and own with your health, or with the way you look and feel, you know that feeling of desire to achieve and succeed! The same is true with your life.

If things aren’t going your way, sit back and remember what it feels like to desire a better way. Then start a plan to improve your situation and get to work!

2. One more rep! You’ve heard us trainers say it a thousand times. “C’mon! ONE MORE REP! You can do it!”. In life, we have to push through the hardest part of our day the same way. You may have had to answer the phone, or deal with a customer, or stay for those last 2 hours of your shift.

Mentally, if you’ve been working hard in your training, you will automatically start to apply this type of perseverance into your life. “ONE MORE REP!” is a powerful mantra to say to yourself when the going gets tough.

3. SMART goals. In fitness, we set SMART goals. SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely. If you have other goals in your life, you can create the same framework for them. You may have a goal to start a business, improve your love life, or fix your finances. SMART goals is a great way to apply a fitness concept to the rest of your life.

4. Back to the drawing board. When things aren’t working in your fitness routine, then it’s time to go back to the drawing board. Are you working out with the proper intensity? What kind of exercises are working the best for me? Do I need to be taking supplements? How much rest should I be getting? These are all questions to ask when your fitness isn’t working. But how about when your life isn’t working?!!

Ask yourself questions and go back to the drawing board. Am I giving time to myself and my family? Do I worry too much? Am I drinking to much coffee and alcohol? What do I want to achieve in life? What’s my life purpose? Just like you would set up goals in fitness and have to adjust if things aren’t working, your life can be approached the same way.

5. Have fun! If you’re not having fun, or at least enjoying the challenge aspect of fitness, it’s not going to last. Your workouts get dull, you’ll start making excuses not to go, and you’ll quit. Don’t let this happen to you in your life! Make sure you make your life fun. There’s always going to be problems and things to worry about. That will never go away. The only thing you have control over is your attitude towards those problems. A shift in attitude is your secret weapon…it’s very powerful!

Give yourself time to have fun! When was the last time you laughed so hard your stomach hurt the next day?!? That’s the kind of fun you need in your life!

Click here for my 7 Martial Arts Concepts to Apply to Your Life

Bootcamp for Newbies

26

Oct

2010

Lately we’ve been getting into advanced weight lifting routines, nutrition and motivation strategies for success in fat loss, body transformation and developing a fit lifestyle. Today I’d like to get back to basics and outline some information for newbie bootcampers.

You see, when you first start a bootcamp, it can be a little intimidating. There are people of all fitness levels in the camp, and the tendency for newbies is to follow the fittest person in the camp and try to keep up. Bad idea.

First of all, you need to leave the ego at the door. If you were the US track and field champion10 years ago, but haven’t done anything since, you still need to take your time to get your body, ligaments, tendons, muscles, mind, and coordination up to speed and use to the activity.

Secondly, with both our Fit For Life Bootcamp serving San Mateo and Foster City and our Fit Body Boot Camp in Mountain View, we recommend you stick with the beginner level exercises your instructor will review during the beginning of class, after the warmup.

A typical boot camp class is as follows:

1) Set-up. If you arrive when the instructor is setting up, it is your responsibility to ask your instructor if he needs help with his setup. Often times there is a short window for setup, and to bring in lot’s of fun equipment for you to use (tires, medicine balls, dumbells, etc.) your instructor will need your help. Not only does helping to set up help you and your instructor, but it shows you’re a team player and have everyone’s best interest in mind.

2) Warm-up. Follow along with the instructors warm-up (which sometimes can be easy, other times challenging…it just depends on the day). This is a time when you are not only warming up your body, but also your mind. It’s your opportunity, as you warm up, to start tuning into your body and your breathing, and to leave the rest of your day, including your worries, behind you. In boot camp things like taxes, family arguments, and work just don’t exist. It’s time to key into the present moment…it’s BOOTCAMP TIME!!

3) The circuit. Your instructor will “break down the circuit”. He will go through the exercises, and include beginner, intermediate and advanced levels for the stations that need it. Now is the time to ask questions, or ask for modifications or alternate exercises if you know a particular exercise may be difficult for you. The circuit is typically 1 minute per station, but even that can vary sometimes.

4) Break time. After every round of the circuit, your instructor will give you a water break. You get 1-3 minutes to get some water, walk around, and even chat with your fellow bootcampers. Boot camp is a place to make friends and have fun. This is your chance to not only get your breath back, but to make a friend!

Boot camp is always different. We’ve found that the best results come with “muscle confusion” workouts. To trick your body to respond and burn the most fat, and to keep your mind fresh and avoid boredom, our workouts change every day. This is demanding for us as instructors, but it’s worth it when assessment day comes and we see you’ve lost inches and pounds as a result. We like to see our clients smiling. ; )

5) Clean up. After the workout, you may or may not be expected to help clean up. If you must leave right away, that’s ok, just let us know. Make sure you say good-bye to all your friends and as a courtesy it’s always good to thank your instructor…I always do.

Those are the basics for bootcamper newbies. Hopefully this will help you as you get started, but just remember this:

You must be willing to “jump into the fire” if you really want to learn, get results, and have the best time. Whatever you put into it is what you’ll get out of it, just like anything else in life!

Your Trainers For Life,

Forrest, Roy and Dan

Forrest’s Story

20

Oct

2010

It never really occurred to me to tell my story until I watched a video of a life coach yesterday saying that if you have a business, or a blog, you’ve got to tell your story…people want to know.

I thought about it, and it made sense, so here’s my story. If I put you to sleep, alienate you, or make you feel let down about me through sharing my story with you, I apologize. In fact, you may be shocked to know I wasn’t always positive and into fitness as people know me today. Actually, my life has been pretty screwed up at times. Ok…here it goes… (at least the short version).

I was born in Palo Alto at Stanford hospital in 1977. I was raised in San Mateo. I went to Bayside Middle School which was a rough school (I was stabbed in the hand with a pencil because I didn’t give some kid my last stick of gum). I graduated Hillsdale High School in 1995.

I was always the shy kid. When I walked I looked down at my feet, always avoiding eye contact with others. I barely graduated from high school with a 2.0 average. I drank and did drugs since I was 13. I had low self-esteem. My best friends were potheads and drug dealers. I was super-skinny, ashamed of my body, and didn’t have any direction in my life. I enjoyed playing basketball and skateboarding during that time, and my dad showed me how to lift weights.

At age 17 I was homeless. I remember walking down the street one gloomy night, when my grandmother pulled up in her car and rolled down her window. She said, “Forrest, take care of your body. If you take care of your body, your body will take care of your mind, and your mind will take care of your life.”

Her words hit me like a bell in the head. They wouldn’t fully resonate until a few years later. I was 21, working a dead-end job at a grocery store, and taking classes at CSM with no direction or end in sight. I drank beer at night, and rode my mountain bike in the day in the Belmont hills before I started the swing shift at 2pm.

One day, I was walking up the hill at CSM. (At that time I was smoking cigarettes, about a pack-a-day, and had been for 10 years. Sorry to share it…but it’s true). I got up to the top of the hill and I had to sit down, wheezing and coughing. I felt light headed. I barely made it up that hill. It was then I had the realization that my health is in my own hands. I was hitting rock bottom. I had no money, I lived in a flea-ridden house where I rented a small room, I used drugs and alcohol to hide away from the world.

That night I found a martial arts school in Foster City, signed up for a class, and changed my life forever.

I found fitness! I re-learned weight training. I trained hard in Tae Kwon Do. I drank protein shakes. I broke boards with my bare hands. I learned to meditate. I practiced Tai Chi. I played basketball again. I stopped eating fast foods (well, for the most part…). I quit watching so much TV and playing video games. I started training my mind to think in a positive way.

My grandmother was right. For the first time, everything started to feel right. I had energy. My mind felt clear. I looked at people in the eye when I spoke to them. I worked on developing myself, becoming a trainer, a communicator, a coach, a leader.

I earned a second degree black belt, and began a career as a personal trainer. I worked hard, training people all day long, 6 days per week for years. I eventually started my own business, and teamed up with my business partner, Roy. I had two kids in that time, and after a rocky 7-year marriage, got a divorce.

Today I have my two kids full-time, and I have a wonderful girlfriend who, “gets it” and “gets me”…I am very in love. I am grateful to them and we make an awesome family. Go fam-bam’s!

I’m blessed to have many incredible clients who show up to work out with me and our staff, and I love them all very much. They inspire me every day, and I am so grateful to them. They work on their bodies to improve their entire life – and it’s happening!! I’m so excited to be a part of the positive changes, and I am at their service always.

That’s my story in a nutshell. It’s not easy sharing my story with you, but hopefully you can understand from my story that out of struggle, obstacles and hard times comes success, appreciation, love and compassion.

Your Trainer For Life,

Forrest Folen

Special thanks to my mom and dad, Tom and Anita Folen, my brothers, Tommy and Doug Folen, to Arleene (love of my life) and my two great kids (Jesus and Jadalina). I’d also like to thank Roy, Dan, Rachel, and Bill, the Fit For Life Solutions staff and staff volunteers, and all my past and current clients. Thank-you!!

Fat Loss Trifecta

13

Oct

2010

Roy and I want you to check out this Fat Loss Trifecta below!

When it comes to fat loss, even though we know it takes time and a long-term lifestyle change to really stay healthy and fit, we all want that quick-fix from time to time. As your trusted fitness pro, I’m here to tell you the cold, hard truth about quick fixes…they never work.

Sure, you may go no-carb for a while, or try a detox plan, or go really low calorie for a while, but it will eventually catch up to you.

My advice is this: If you do go for a quick-fix plan, do it, but understand what it is. It’s a short-term kick-start, designed to kick you off the couch (or out of your fast food rut) and get you some results which in turn motivate you to continue a fitness lifestyle!

I see people go both ways with this, and every time it’s the people with the awareness of living a fitness lifestyle that come out ahead.

Did it take you 2 weeks to gain that 20 extra pounds you’re carrying? Then why would you think you can really lose 20 lbs in 2 weeks time?

Now, this isn’t to discourage you, but I do want you to start reading between the lines a little bit here. The next time you read a magazine headline of “Kim Kardashian shed 2 dresses sizes in two weeks!” or “Lose 11 lbs in 7 days“, or even “21-Day Rapid Fat Loss” I want you to see it for what it is, a chance to get your butt into gear and kick-start YOUR FITNESS LIFESTYLE!

Here is the Trifecta for getting you fast fat-loss results, AND creating and maintaining a fitness lifesyle:

1) Get your butt into gear by starting off with a “kick-start” program. This is the time when it is desirable to go for the quick fix, as long as you take it for what it really is…a way to get you started!! Try a 7-day fat loss plan, or our 21-Day Rapid Fat Loss program that we offer in Foster City and in Mountain View.

The point is to get started with something that gets you to the “snowball effect”, which is when your motivating starts rolling, and you gain unstoppable momentum, which leads you to the next phase in the trifecta…

2) Join a long-term fitness program. Now this is where the rubber meets the road. Are you going to just go back to your old habits of no exercise, of feeling down on yourself because you feel guilty about not being active and eating right, of hitting the couch instead of hitting the gym? NO WAY!!!

This is where you have to be strong and make a decision to commit to something. Here’s a secret. No one cares if you don’t make a commitment, it only effects YOU!! YOU are the one you need to worry about. Stop feeling guilty about putting energy into yourself, because when you put energy into yourself, everyone in your life ultimately benefits!

I say, start a fitness boot camp today!!

Here are the common objections I hear all the time:

-I just don’t have time right now.
-I don’t think I could afford it.
-I have to make sure my husband or wife approves first.
-I’m not sure if I could do it.
-I have to think about it.

Do you see how ridiculous these excuses are? If you really examine these excuses, they are all different ways of saying “I don’t have the courage to do what I know needs to be done”. Remember these words from America’s general…General “Stormin’” Norman Swartzkoff: “Indecision has cost Americans more money than making the wrong decision.”

3) Log your food…PERIOD!! This is one of those must do’s that nobody ever does!! And it’s totally easy once you get into the habit. I won’t spend too much time on this one, because I’m always talking about this one, but I urge you to get over to www.MyFitnessPal.com and start a free account (there’s even an iPhone app for this!), and start logging your foods and exercise!

So that’s the “Fat Loss Trifecta” for you. For those who are already doing this stuff, keep up the great work!! You are inspiring others to do the same, even if you’re not aware of it, your actions ripple out all around you!

Your Trainer For Life,

Forrest Folen

To Infinity and Beyond! GO Rachel and the MV boot camp!

27

Sep

2010

Hey there, Forrest here,

I’ve got our rock-star trainer from our Mountain View Fit Body Boot Camp here today to talk about her journey and experiences to help inspire YOU to be your best! So without further ado…
————————————————————————–

Hey there, Rachel here – yes, I stole that line from Forrest and I’m proud of it!

For those of you that do not know, I am part of the wonderful and awesome team of trainers that help to change your health and lifestyle every step of the way.

My Mountain View bootcamp class has been up and running for over two months now and I could not be happier with the group of hard-working, dedicated people that have joined in on the fun and “torture,” as they like to put it – what can I say, they’ll thank me later!

(Don’t worry – I get my own boost of “torture” in Dan’s 6pm class at FCAC). The class continues to grow and the results continue to be phenomenal. There is no where to go but up.

Many of you have come up to ask me how long I have been a trainer, so I thought it fitting to share my story, or rather, my journey to the road I am now on.

Five years ago I met Forrest, and, thus began a very long, but rewarding road. Let me just say, the road will never end – I’ve hit speed bumps and stop signs and construction zones that would not let me through but I have worked and continue to work to overcome the obstacles we all endure every day of our lives, whether they are physical or mental.

Over the years I have learned that it is never about being physically ready, but more-so, mentally. The mind is a very powerful tool and you can use it to do just about anything.

Upon meeting Forrest, I had just ended a very long, unhealthy relationship that left me lost and unhappy with my physical appearance as well as my inward attitude towards life. In the early days of what would soon be called Fit For Life Solutions, we had an awesome kickboxing class. This is where I began. What a great and safe way to release the anger and pent up frustration!

As the results started showing, I got excited, and decided this is going to be part of my every day life for the rest of my life. When we began incorporating the boot camps, that’s when results really started to kick in. I changed my eating habits (LOG YOUR FOOD…IT REALLY DOES WORK!!!), became more active, and ultimately found the real “Rachel” again.

Long story, short – in a matter of three years (yes, I said it was long!), I lost 25 pounds and 8% body fat. In the last two years, with some (very normal and expected) fluctuations here and there, I have managed to keep the weight off and still reach for new goals – this, as most of you have noticed, is the hardest but one of the most rewarding parts of the journey.

This is the part of the road where you can challenge yourself to push further than you ever imagined – don’t confuse this with ALWAYS believing in what you are capable of from the very beginning. I always tell my boot campers that it is okay if you are unable to do what someone else may be able to do – you WILL get there, but you have to work your way up.

Now – to the “becoming a trainer” part of my story. My personal journey really inspired me to help others make a change in their lives. I know how hard it is in the beginning and what the feeling of giving up really is like. I was there. I still go there sometimes.

We are all human. I’ll admit – I say I’m going to follow through with something, and, usually it is just this awesome thought I have in my head but never end up bringing to life. I knew when I told Forrest I wanted to train that it was going to happen.

One year later – I stuck stuck to my word! Nothing is more fulfilling to me than seeing all of your awesome results and the commitment to reach past your goals; and, of course, watching those puddles of sweat build puts a nice, big smile on my face! (cue Mr. Evil laugh).

I am proud to be your trainer for life and will always be there to help keep you up. As my Grandpa used to say, “patience is a virtue” – don’t let those speed bumps and stop signs and construction zones deter you. Who knows, maybe one day you’ll decide to join the Fit For Life Solutions team as well! In the meantime, have fun and keep going!

Your trainer for life,

Rachel

Arleene, Forrest and Bill Phillips…Oh My!!

22

Sep

2010

“The Greeks, thousands of years ago, were convinced when you strengthen your body, when you strengthen your muscles, you strengthen your mind, you strengthen your character.”

-Bill Phillips

With everyone around me that I train and work out with losing weight, getting toned, and seeing results from their workouts, I thought to myself, “Self…I’d better practice what I preach and focus on ME for a while!”

You see, one of my core life philosophies is that if you want to help others, you have to help yourself first. So I’ve decided to undertake a fitness challenge, the tried-and-true challenge put together by Bill Phillips in the 90′s, the Body-for-Life Challenge!

Now you may be thinking…aren’t you and Roy called “Body for Life”? Well, no, we’re not. Don’t get Bill Phillips program, Body-for-Life, confused with our business name, Fit For Life Solutions (but I was and still am inspired by Bill, and his program, which may have had some influence on our business name…)

So, back to my core philosophies in life, one of my other main philosophies in life I live by is that helping others is key to success. Without helping others, what’s the point? When you elevate others, you elevate yourself and the World through what I call “the Ripple Effect”. It’s like dropping a stone in the water, the ripples from your actions continue to ripple out and effect the world around you.

With that said, Arleene and I are doing this together, and we are in the middle of week 3 right now, and the full program lasts for 12 weeks. The Body-for-Life Challenge consists of working out 6 days per week (3 weight training days, 3 cardio interval days) and taking the 7th day as a cheat day/rest day.

“You never hear people say, I didn’t have time to brush my teeth today, or I didn’t have time to shower, but they always have an excuse for not finding time to exercise. But what you realize is that if you’re not exercising your wasting time, because your body is not running at full speed.”

-Bill Phillips

When Arleene and I first started, we took half naked pics of each other for our “Before” photos, did our weight and bodyfat % measurements, and prepared our foods for the week. At the beginning of each week, we stock up on fresh fruits and vegetables, chicken breast, fish, oatmeal and eggs. We make life easier by stocking up on pre-made wraps from Trader Joe’s that are about 500 – 600 calories, and can be divided into 2, so we can eat part as a lunch, the other as a snack.

We also are using whey protein. We sometimes do a whey protein shake for breakfast, or sometimes it’s a dessert for after dinner, or even a post-workout recovery.

To log our foods, we’ve been using www.myfitnesspal.com, because it’s a very easy-to-use food logging software, it’s free, and it syncs with the myfitnesspal iPhone app…very cool! I used to recommend Fitday.com, but since Doug and Geralynn (two of our rock-star bootcampers) showed me the myfitnesspal app, I’m a true believer in it’s vast powers!

Also, in our bootcamp this week we’ve started a 14-day Fat Flush program, and we are using myfitnesspal along with an “accountability partner” (AP) to keep our nutrition on point. As you may already know, if you want to lose weight, nutrition accounts for 80%!

“Bodybuilding, to me, is life building. It’s structure, discipline, organization and making a commitment to something.”

-Bill Phillips

For cardio, Arleene and I are mixing it up. Some days she will do bootcamp, other days jogging with intervals. For me, it’s going to be a combination of jogging with intervals, and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu training.

When you see us, make sure you ask how we’re doing. We need motivation, too, ya know!

Your Trainer For Life,

Forrest

P.S. – I’ve included this video on the Body-for-Life nutrition strategy that I think will be extremely helpful to you.

“The people that say that they are going to wait until everything is just right in their life before they start exercising are going to be waiting forever. Things are never going to be just right. The time to do it is now.”

-Bill Phillips

Forrest and Roy pull-up face off!!

09

Sep

2010

Ok, I know I usually say that the only person you need to compete with is yourself, but today I felt like bringing my guns to the showdown.

Roy and I have a little competition here to see who can do the most pull-ups. Pound-for-pound, who do you think is the strongest, Forrest or Roy?

Find out in this video!!

Tips for great pull-up form:

1. Keep your back slightly arched with your eyes up slightly. This helps you engage the latissimus dorsi, the large back muscle that gives people that V-shape.

2. Don’t hang there at the bottom and rest between reps…that’s cheating!

3. Bringing your chin above the bar isn’t necessary to achieve good form, but it should be within 2-inches.

Winner of the iPad!!!

31

Aug

2010

We wanted to announce the winner of our recent referral contest in Foster City, Therese!!

We also want to thank the following people for referring their friends during the contest:

Alissar, Lisa, Leah, Elaine, Robin, Tod and Evangaline. Thanks guys!!

Roy and I build our business primarily from referrals. Just so you know, you will get 1/2 off your next months boot camp for referring a friend who participates in our 6 or 12 month bootcamp program. And, If you’re not in the bootcamp and you want to refer a friend, we will pay you $50 cash!

I’m curious. What do you think would be a good prize for upcoming referral contests? Please leave your comment below.

Product Review and Notes – Zero Resistance Weight Loss (Part 1)

30

Aug

2010

The following is what I learned so far from Dr. Robert Anthony’s program, Zero Resistance Weight Loss. I bought his program because I strongly believe it is the mind and your day-to-day thoughts that will ultimately get you results in our bootcamp or any other weight loss, body conditioning or fitness program.

I purchased this program myself so I can review it for you, and I highly recommend it to you because it get’s to the root about the reasons for gaining excess weight, and how if you remove the root cause, you will release your excess weight automatically. You won’t even have to worry about dieting, because the program gets you to naturally pick foods that are the right kind, and in the right amounts, without resistance.

If you really want to lose weight, and you are tired of making excuses, failing or not seeing results fast enough, this is the program for you.

Here are some things I learned from part 1 of the Zero Resistance program (these are my actual notes from the program):

Go for weight release NOT weight loss (if you lose your keys, you want to find them. You don’t want to find your weight again, do you!?)

Your “subconscious emotional weight survival program” is the software you are running inside your mind that keeps you at a subconsciously selected weight. The good news is that you can override this programming!

Normally, weight loss involves a constant struggle, but not if you remove your subconscious resistance first!

To be successful, you need to align subconscious with conscious. Your thoughts might say you want to lose weight, but if your subconscious mind says something else, it will override your conscious mind every time.

Weight loss is more than calories in vs. calories out.

If your subconscious emotional weight survival programming is set for you to be overweight, you will continue to not lose weight.

All diets fail in the long run.

Overriding your subconscious programming doesn’t work in the long run. You can’t simply use “will power”.

Trying to get results with only your conscious mind is like driving your car with the emergency brakes on. (I personally thought this analogy hit the nail on the head.)

If your emotional survival switch is turned off it will be easy and effortless to lose weight.

Addiction is having a lack of choice. Compulsive and emotional eating is an addiction.

Will power does NOT work. This is trying to override your subconscious programming and is the path of resistance.

Stopping smoking by willpower is difficult. However, stopping smoking by having the same thoughts as a non-smoker is easy. You simply won’t be interested or you’ll be repulsed by the idea. This same idea works in releasing your excess weight.

Mental, emotional or spiritual stress is perceived as a lack of something. Brain takes the message of not enough, and turns it into something physical. Food, shopping, alcohol, caffeine, ect. may be what your mind will look for.

Being overweight is serving your emotional needs.

If you believe you were meant to be fat, or born to be fat, you have your emotional weight programming turned on.

Weight loss becomes effortless with the fat switch turned off.

Systematically eliminating the mental and emotional factors.

Emotional eating – eating purely for emotional reasons. Distracts you from what is really bothering you. Cope with negative emotions. Physical tension or anxiety then triggers the physical response to eat. When I’m stressed, I tend to eat, because it calms me down and makes me feel better. Anticipatory anxiety or worry is a stress that can create emotional eating. Associate love, comfort and security with eating. Brain is programmed to use food to fulfill these needs. Ex. Your a child, you get cake for your birthday. Your mom gives you candy when you are good, or to make you feel better. People use food as a treat or a reward. When you’re stressed, the candy bar wins out over the fitness strategy every time. Dopamine is released and leads to patterns of addiction and leaves a permanent identification of where pleasure comes from. We all engage in emotional eating to some degree. Healthy people eat to live. Emotional eaters live to eat. This means your fat switch is turned on.

Emotional obesity – Is the actual need to be fat as an emotional survival mechanism. When you have emotional obesity, you come to the conclusion that consciously or unconsciously being fat makes you feel safer. Not good, but safer. Being fat or overeating becomes the best way to protect you.

No weight loss program will ever be able to work for you. When you turn off your fat switch and emotional obesity you will succeed.

If you do not change this, you will find a way to sabotage your weight loss. Even if I said you will lose weight just by snapping your fingers 30 seconds per day, you would find an excuse, lack of time, etc. why it will not be possible to do this. Your emotional obesity will always win out.

Fat can create an emotional “distance” in relationships or in being harmed in relations with people.

Fear can make people fat, or skinny (anorexia).

Gaining weight can be a way of hiding from the world, almost like a turtle. Retreating inside your body, or underneath your fat.

Some people stay fat to rebel against the people who want us to be slim. “I don’t want to be controlled, and you can’t control my weight.”

If someone else wants you to lose weight, they may stay fat just to resent you, and to maintain control.

You will have people around you that try to sabotage you, and you may want to stay the same just to keep everyone happy.

If people start giving you attention because you lose weight, and you don’t want that attention and it makes you feel out of your comfort zone, you may revert back to emotional obesity to remain in your comfort zone.
Another way we can be triggered into emotional obesity is through death or a loss of a relationship.

You cannot ignore the problem of emotional obesity. Rather than ignore it, address it, and then watch the weight literally melt off your body.

Here’s an important lesson when it comes to emotional eating, and emotional obesity, that you must learn – sometimes in life, you just have to allow yourself to feel bad. This is critically important, so it will be repeated. Sometimes in life, you just have to allow yourself to feel bad.

By bad I mean stressed, upset, dissapointed, frustrated and so on.

To fix the problems in your life, sit with your feelings. This will cause you to get to the root of the problem.

True freedom from being overweight does not involve a lifetime of dieting. True freedom requires getting to the bottom of things, and then dealing with it, so you will be released from being overweight forever.

The reasons diets don’t work, is that they require you to change your eating habits without addressing your crutch.

Food is merely a mirror that reflects what you’re feeling or what you don’t want to feel.

The old behavior was to eat.

The new behavior is to heal and resolve what’s causing you to emotionally overeat.

Another problem with being overweight is because it’s accumulative, and it shows on you wherever you go.

All diets and even healthy eating plans are doomed for failure.

Being overweight is really a disease of MORE. No amount of food is enough. No matter how much you have, it’s not enough.

The need for food is sometimes called the big empty. If you’re spiritually feeling disconnected, this could lead to emotional overeating to fill the void with food.

It’s never about the food, it’s about the emotion behind the food.

Meaning and purpose to our lives gives us “soul food”.

How do you know when your emotional eating issues are gone? You will feel safer, better, more connected. Your fat switch will turn off, then you will have zero resistance and you will naturally drop the weight.

The NEW Bodyweight “300″ Challenge workout!

27

Aug

2010

PREPARE FOR GLORY!

We have developed a NEW fitness challenge for you, and we call it the Bodyweight “300″ Challenge. You may have heard of the movie about the 300 Spartan warriors who bravely fought 10,000 Persians in a bloody battle. Well, to prepare the actors and to get them in phenomenal shape for the filming of the movie, a workout called the “300″ was developed, which is a super-hardcore workout.

This workout we have developed, was inspired by the original “300″ workout, but we’ve changed things a bit so that it has broader appeal, and can be completed by most anyone (without injuries or contraindications).

The reason it can be completed by most people, is because we’ve developed 6 levels, from uber-beginner to advanced. Regardless of level, it’s a timed event. I’ve actually posted the entire challenge below:

Objective: Use the challenge as a way to improve your fitness level, to test your fitness level, and to improve and challenge yourself and others.

Directions: Start by choosing a level. Level 1-3 are beginner to intermediate levels. Levels 4-6 are intermediate and advanced levels.

Next, start the timer and begin the challenge, working your way through each exercise consecutively. You can take as many breaks as you wish, whenever you wish, for as long as you need to. Always rest enough to bring flawless form into your exercise technique.

The goal is to complete the challenge in the shortest time possible. Form is always more important than speed. Supervision of a professional fitness trainer is highly recommended, but not necessary. Write down your time when completed, then use it as a benchmark for your fitness level. Try the challenge again in 4-6 weeks to test improvement in your physical strength and endurance.

Note: Regardless of level, this is an advanced fitness challenge and should be taken seriously.

Disclaimer: You are advised to consult your doctor before beginner this, or any other fitness test, program or challenge. Fit For Life Bootcamp, Fit For Life Enterprises, Fit For Life Solutions and Fit Body Boot Camp and their trainers are not responsible for any injuries, including death, that may occur to you during the Bodyweight “300” Challenge.

Levels Overview:

Level 1: “100” Spartan Intro – Intro Beginner

Level 2: “200” Spartan Apprentice 1 – Beginner

Level 3: “250” Spartan Apprentice 2 – Beginner/Intermediate

Level 4: “300” Spartan Warrior 1 – Intermediate

Level 5: “400” Spartan Warrior 2 – Intermediate/Advanced

Level 6: “500” Spartan Master – Advanced
————————————————–
Here are the workouts. We will work on releasing a video with the exercises on it soon…

Level 1: “100” Spartan Intro – Intro Beginner

25 Push-ups
25 Squats
25 Hip Raises
25 Crunches to shin touch w/ legs up and straight

Record Dates and Times Here: _____________, _______________, ______________

Level 2: “200” Spartan Apprentice 1 – Beginner

50 Push-ups
50 Step Lunges
50 Crunches to shin touch w/ legs up and straight
50 Hip Raises

Record Dates and Times Here: _____________, _______________, ______________

Level 3: “250” Spartan Apprentice 2 – Beginner/Intermediate

50 Push-ups
50 Step Lunges
50 Tuck Crunches
50 Squat Jumps
50 Hip Raises

Record Dates and Times Here: _____________, _______________, ______________

Level 4: “300” Spartan Warrior 1 – Intermediate

50 Push-ups
50 Burpees
50 Jacknife crunches
50 Straight-arm plank with knee to elbow strikes (count 2 strikes as 1 rep)
25 Shot-in-the-arm triceps press
25 Shot-in-the-arm triceps press (other arm)
50 Jump squats

Record Dates and Times Here: _____________, _______________, ______________

Level 5: “400” Spartan Warrior 2 – Intermediate/Advanced

50 Push-ups
50 Burpees
50 Jacknife crunches
50 Straight-arm plank with knee to elbow strikes (count 2 strikes as 1 rep)
25 Shot-in-the-arm triceps press
25 Shot-in-the-arm triceps press (other arm)
50 Jump squats
25 Bridge kicks
25 Bridge kicks (other leg)
50 Bodyweight rows (use bar approx. 3-4 feet high. Partner can also be used)

Record Dates and Times Here: _____________, _______________, ______________

Level 6: “500” Spartan Master – Advanced

50 Push-ups
50 Burpees
50 Jacknife crunches
50 Straight-arm plank with knee to elbow strikes (count 2 strikes as 1 rep)
25 Shot-in-the-arm triceps press
25 Shot-in-the-arm triceps press (other arm)
50 Jump squats
25 Bridge kicks
25 Bridge kicks (other leg)
50 Bodyweight rows (use bar approx. 3-4 feet high. Partner can also be used)
50 Supermans
50 Coffee grinder kick-ups

Record Dates and Times Here: _____________, _______________, ______________

…and if you’ve never seen the movie, here is a trailer from the original 300 film.

Intro to Zen Meditation

25

Aug

2010

This is a short video I created to give you a brief introductory to Zen practice and meditation. I don’t get into the theory too much, but focus in on how you can start practicing the art of meditation so that the Zen mind will begin to enter into your life. The Zen mind is a mind that is focused, clear, and aware. It can greatly affect the quality of your life at a very fundamental level.

This video is a thank-you to all who joined the short Zen hike we did with Jennifer’s FunFitUnite Meetup.com group, and our Fit For Life Bootcamp group. Thanks everyone who came out and shared the experience! I’ll schedule another one soon!

-Forrest

Also, if you want to understand more about Zen, I suggest learning from the same Master I did. You can find his website here:

http://www.selfmastery.com

Trader Joe’s Healthy Shopping w/ Cassandra and Maggie!

25

Aug

2010

Hi guys,

The other day I went healthy food shopping at Trader Joe’s with two new bootcampers, Cassandra and Maggie. I must say, this was one of the funnest healthy shopping trips ever!

Here’s a video of our shopping. Hopefully it will give you some good ideas and help you with your own shopping.

Please leave a comment below. I’d really like to hear where your favorite place to shop is, and please include the name of your favorite healthy meal!

Thank you Cassandra and Maggie!!!!!!!!!!!

Cardio won’t burn fat like this will!

23

Aug

2010

I get a lot of requests from clients asking how much cardio they should do to burn the most flat, help them sculpt and tone, and flatten their stomach.

The woman in this picture used Turbulence Training. I recommend you use it to help give your training an edge you just can’t get elsewhere.

My advice to burn fat fastest is to do muscle-confusion circuit training with weights and cardio (this is what we do in our bootcamp), keep a food log, and perform interval training on days when you’re not doing circuits with weights.

I’ve been following this guy, Craig Ballantyne, for a while now, and he is on the cutting edge when it comes to fat loss. He is actually someone who I look up to and learn from, and many of my peers who own and operate successful fat loss and fitness bootcamps worldwide follow what he does, too.

If you want the secrets to burning fat fast, even in the comfort of your own home with NO equipment, then you need to check this out:

Turbulence Training for fast fat loss!

Also, if you’re in one of our bootcamps, and want a way to get faster results, you need to click on the link below.

Turbulence Training for fast fat loss!

Your Trainer For Life,

Forrest

Take a Zen day break

19

Aug

2010

Hi there, Forrest here,

Today I wanted to share this video I put together for you on how you can take 10 to 15 minutes during your lunch break and turn it into a revitalizing mini-vacation. There’s no reason to wait all year long before you take a vacation and give yourself a break…I say give yourself a vacation RIGHT NOW!

I’m putting on a Zen hike this weekend to give you a better understanding of how you can do this too. Hope to see you there. Here is the link for the hike this Saturday:

http://www.meetup.com/fitforlifebootcampmeetup/calendar/14313890/

Food Logging for Unstoppable Weight Loss Results

02

Aug

2010

Hi there fitness friends!

Today we’re bringing you 2 videos to get you great results in your fitness program. The first video is from CNN, and it shows you the importance of what we are doing here. The second video is from me, Forrest, to show you how to put this awesome weight loss strategy into practice.

If you’re not doing this, you won’t see results. Trust me, the extra work will pay off!

http://pagingdrgupta.blogs.cnn.com/2010/07/27/the-more-you-log-the-more-weight-you-keep-off/

Don’t worry about the “Pink Gremlin” walking around in the background…she won’t hurt you!

Overcoming RESISTANCE and finally lose weight!

01

Aug

2010

I’ve found it!!

This is what I’ve been searching for!

…and it’s been a long time coming. I’ve found something that’s really going to help you lose weight, and keep it off, even if you’ve tried and tried again, and failed miserably. I’ll even go so far as to say even if you’re stuck on a plateau and can’t seem to get any results, this solution will work for you!

You see, being a fitness trainer, the name of the game is change. It’s my job to change bodies. I get people to lose weight, to tone up, to get strong, to make exercise a habit, to eat right.

I’m constantly motivating, educating, inspiring people to make change.

But, when people want to change, they are in a constant battle with themselves. Why? They want to lose weight, right? They want to be healthy, don’t they?

Here’s the real deal why summed up in one word…RESISTANCE.

Resistance is the reason why change is so difficult. Resistance is what happens when you have a plan, but just can’t pull it off for some “unknown” reason. Resistance is the thing that tugs you back into your old habits when you try to quit smoking, go on a diet, start an exercise program, stick to a budget.

Remember, resistance is a good thing, because when you overcome it, you grow stronger. We know this in the gym when we lift more weight. We know this in life when we go through a tough time and come out of it as a stronger and better person. We need resistance, but we also need to overcome that resistance, or else we are beaten.

Want to beat the resistance that’s been holding you back?

Want to find out how to kick resistance to the curb once and for all?

Want to find out why you’ve tried over and over to get the same failed result?

Want to start training for results, or take your training to an all new level?

I’ve found something that will help you kick your resistance with weight loss to the curb once and for all here:

Click Here To Overcome The Resistance!

Authentic Loving and Living

23

Jul

2010

I had a cool Friday afternoon today. I went down to Mountain View to meet a woman I was thinking would be good to joint venture with. It turns out, she is. She’s an incredible lady, who’s business involves empowering women, and also showing men and women how to love and live in an authentic way.

Her website, www.theprofessionalmuse.com shows us that there is a way to become authentic in the way we connect with ourselves and others, and that becoming congruent with your mind, body and relationships is something we can all achieve to live in a more meaningful way.

I agree. I think life is about more than a 9 to 5 job under florescent lights and tight deadlines. I think that people who stop there, and work just for the new car, the weekend, and two-week Caribbean cruise are missing out.

Don’t get me wrong. Achieving goals, partying with friends and family and well-deserved vacations are not a bad thing at all. What I’m talking about is putting off living for those things. We need love, life and laughter now. We need to be able to see and feel a sense of harmony on a day-to-day basis.

Meeting Jill Marie got me thinking about how I can be more in tune with myself, my girlfriend, and my kids. How can I live more authentically?

As Jill Marie says, a lot of times we are stuck in our heads. We spend so much time thinking about what we want, but we often times forget about what our body and intuition is telling us. It’s this mind/body connection that has been lost, or perhaps covered up, in many people.

Jill Marie is hearing impaired. She spent most of her life reading people’s body language. When she finally received help in her twenties and was able to hear people, she found that the words that came out of people and their body language were often saying two different things – they just didn’t match up. Because of her unique experience, she is able to help people to get their body and mind “speaking the same language” once again. What a cool concept!

If you’re interested, join one of her Meetup groups below!

MindBody
Medical Intuitive & Authentic Love Coach
Speaker,
Author, Seminar Leader, Muse
Programs:
Love,
Sex
& Gender Alchemy
www.meetup.com/new-empowered-woman
www.meetup.com/new-empowered-divorced-woman

11 Strategies to Handle the Tough Times in Life

21

Jul

2010

A big part of fitness, is health. And as Sara (one of our all-star bootcampers) recently reminded me, health is physical, mental and emotional well-being. However, keeping yourself at optimal health can be challenging for many of us, especially when we are dealing with hard times and stress in our lives.

Lately, a lot of people have been going through some really challenging obstacles and tough times. It’s especially difficult when our loved ones are suffering, and we have to stand by feeling as though there’s not much we can do to help.

This blog gives you 11 Strategies to help you stay strong during the “tough times”, because the stronger you are, the more you can give strength to the loved ones in your life when they need it most. Whether it’s for others, or for yourself, here are the 11 Strategies to handle the tough times in life:

1) Decide. First off, you need to decide. Decide you want to stay positive. Decide you want to have the right attitude. Decide you want to help. Decide you want to change, to get better, to heal. Once you’ve made that decision, you’ve picked the side of the fence you want to be on. This alone makes a huge difference, because you’ve chosen to be positive and your mindset alone will allow change and healing to take place, and prevent you from withdrawing from the situation and shutting down.

2) Spend time in nature. The sky, the water, the trees. These simple gifts of nature allow us to re-center and re-connect with what is strong and eternal in us. Spend time in nature and draw strength from it. Going on a hike clears the mind, and allows you to get back to a positive way of thinking. If you’re in a real funk, stop everything you’re doing and just go outside for a walk. You’ll be surprised at how effective this can be.

3) Go shopping for healthy foods. A good strategy for staying healthy during hard times is to eat right. Think of food as medicine to heal and strengthen you, physically, mentally and emotionally. Find foods that are high in Omega-3 fatty acids like salmon and walnuts. Eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables. When you’re down or depressed, it’s easy to head to your favorite comfort foods like ice cream or hamburgers with fries. Going healthy shopping will help turn this impulse around.

4) Drink lots of water. When you’re depressed, the tendency is to drink less water. You’re worried, and you think less about the hydration your body needs to function optimally. Keep water on you, and drink cups of warm water throughout the day, which my acupuncturist says is really good for keeping your system in balance.

5) Don’t turn to drugs and alcohol. I know that during tough times, the biggest relief is sometimes a total escape. This is why a lot of people turn to drugs or alcohol, and keep themselves “numb”. However, taking this escape route is not without consequences. The first is that you never get a chance to really process the emotions your body needs to feel to create healing. The second is that addiction is very easy to fall into. You might want to think of an alternative escape such as:

6) Exercise. Lifting weights, jogging, and circuit training are all effective ways to help you feel better and keep you strong during the tough times. Remember, the tough times you go through are a lot like lifting weights. In exercise, it’s the resistance that makes you stronger, right? Well, life works the same way. Your tough times make you stronger as a person. Reflect on tough times you’ve had in the past. Haven’t they been a big part of creating who you are today?

7) Find the deeper meaning. Do you just look at the surface and stop there, or do you look for the deeper meaning? Often, we forget that our suffering and the suffering of others is transformative, and is a part of life we cannot turn our backs to. What is the deeper meaning for you? How will this situation affect you 10, 20 or 30 years from now. How will it affect you 1,000 years from now? Seems like a silly question, but it’s really a matter of perspective.

8) Be around positive people who care. During these tough times, don’t go it alone. Leverage off the strength of positive people in your life. They are there to help, and want you to ask them for help.

9) Notice there are other people that are worse off than you. No matter how bad it seems, someone in this world has it worse. Send a donation. E-mail someone who is suffering. Giving can be one of the greatest sources of strength we have in this world.

10) Learn to meditate. Meditation is a terrific way to practice the art of being in the present moment. It relieves stress and anxiety, and is an art form that can help you relieve physical pain as well. I learned at the Self Mastery Foundation. It’s been a great help to me and I highly recommend learning this life skill.

11) Keep the faith. No matter what your religious beliefs, your faith is a powerful thing. Your faith in life, love and happiness is a huge factor and can make all the difference. Keep your faith, and stay strong.

I hope these 11 Strategies to Handle the Tough Times in Life help. Feel free to forward this to a friend, and I’d love to hear your comments below.

Forrest’s Girlfriend: Quinoa (Keen-Wah or Quinn-o-ah) – Golden Grain of the Incas …etc.

17

Jul

2010

Below is a guest post from my awesome girlfriend, Arleene! For those of you who don’t know, we’ve been dating for about a year and on total cloud 9. …And, let me back up a little here, for those of you who haven’t heard about what I’ve been up to for a while, I got a divorce over a year ago, too.

I was married for 7 years, and I must say, it was the toughest time of my life (I’ll spare you the details). But know this…somewhere during that 7 years of turmoil with the “X”, I lost my ability to laugh. Not my conversational laugh, mind you. I’m talking about that deep belly laugh. That laugh where you’re hunched over, tears coming out, and sore the next day kind of laugh. My wonderful girlfriend taught me how to laugh, and love, again. Thanks Baby! Now, without further ado, here’s Arleene:

________________________________________________________

Hello Fit For Life Solutions Folks!

I’ve officially taken over Forrest’s blog (for just one entry), not by choice mind you but only …ONLY because Forrest’s requested my guest blog input. Honestly, it’s about 10:10pm on a Friday night and taking a good 7 hour nap sounds way more enticing than Forrest coaxing me to write something witty and entertaining. Ugh. What I do for love, and to get him off my back! =) You guys spend an hour of your lives every day (every other day…maybe even once a week) with this guy anxiously training and being motivated. Lucky for me, I get this treatment 24/7 although let me tell you…sometimes I just need a damn nap!

With that said, I’m going to go ahead and attribute this completely scattered blog to the late hours of which I’m writing it. We’re officially at 10:30pm now folks!!!

So, Forrest granted me the creative justice to write anything I want regardless that this is a fitness and lifestyle blog. He had a few brainstormy ideas in mind but I think I’ll rely on what’s always worked best for me and that is unadulterated, unfiltered, stream of consciousness, ramblings! And maybe just maybe I’ll throw in a list of some sorts. Who doesn’t enjoy reading a good list now and then!?

Hmm… What to write…What to write…tick tock tick tock 10:35pm…

So let’s get to the goods shall we? Forrest and I have been in blissful smitt for almost a year now. Maybe one sweet day you’ll read a blog on the nitty gritty details of meeting at the Foster City dog park, stars aligning, and a perfect three hour conversation leading up to facebook friendage via the iDouche. Until then, let’s just say that because of your Trainer For Life, I’ve never laughed so loudly, smiled so hard, and worked out so much in my life! OH THE IRONY that is life! I should have known from our first date after he’d ordered a chicken sandwich, on wheat, hold the mayo, with a salad on the side that life would never be the same! FYI, I ordered a crab sandwich with french fries…ON WHITE! (Dee-lish!)

With that said here’s a list of healthy/healthful shiz I’ve experienced/seen/felt/partaken in since Forrest “Rice Protein Rules” Folen entered my life:

1) BOOTCAMP!
This should come as no surprise to you all. Forrest and I met in September and I officially became a wannabe bootcamper in December. I dragged a few wonderful co-workers with me for the 7pm class and BAM, I finally got to witness my man in his element! The first day was a mixed bag of feeling awe and pride, sweating my ass off, and contemplating if having a personal trainer for a boyfriend was still a good idea. Sadly, because of the busiest work schedule of my life (and a few admittedly lazy days), I don’t go as consistently as I should, but I’m working on it!! So if you see me, by all means REMIND ME TO GO!

2) JAMBA JUICE SELLS FOOD?
Since when has the king of the fruit smoothies sold meals? No kidding Forrest LOVES this stuff! Not the sugary juices, but the chimmi-churri chicken wraps with jam packed veggies and protein galore. For a girl who’s palate has led her to chicken tikki masala burrito’s, pork belly buns, and truffle fries with a side of sparkling white sangria, Jamba Juice has never been my style. He likes that he knows what’s in it but more importantly he “likes how he feels after eating it” which is something I’d never previously considered in my meal choices. I can’t deny that I do feel much more enthused with life after a veggie wrap than Sunday dim-sum. Then again, dim sum feeds the soul =). In moderation that is. hahaha

3) THIRD DATE PANTING! (Dont’ get excited people)
I do believe that our official third date was one that I’d planned. Anyone who knows me knows that the other love of my life comes in a twelve pound, furry, white, woman’s best friend package lovingly known as Elvis Bojangles. I took Forrest and my dog Elvis to Fort Funston in San Francisco which happens to be one of my favorite places in the world. We walked high above the seacliffs overlooking the city, we laughed amongst other dog walkers and paragliders, we walked down a steep (SUPER STEEP) trail for a walk along the ocean side. You’d think I must have been on cloud nine but I was far from it. I was too busy figuring out how the hell I could walk back up the damn mountain without him noticing me out of shape, out of breath, and unattractively borderline passing out. haha. It’s a funny thought now but hey, almost a year of working out with Forrest later and I can hike up any damn mountain and still make it look cute!

4) HIKES, HIKES, and mo HIKES!
This relates to point number three of which I’ve never hiked so damn much in my life. Coming from a girl who grew up camping with electric generators, roughing it is most definitely not my forte. A few years ago, I’d hiked Bridal Veil Falls in Yosemite and thought I was going to die from the altitude and uphill climb! I’m sure I can take it now after all the weekend hike extravaganza’s with Mr. Folen and the kids.

5) KEEPING UP WITH KIDs
To truly know Forrest, one must know that he is genuine, altruistic, humble and is one of the most amazing fathers you’ll ever in your life meet. His capacity for love knows no boundaries and Jada and Jesus are testaments of this influence. The kids are rad! Though in a past life I might have run quickly in another direction, I couldn’t help but fall for them as well. With that said, keeping up with a 6 and 10 year old is no joke! Swimming, running, jumping, swerving, loving, living. It’s all new, and it’s all pretty wonderful. Just let me catch my breath once and again =)

6) 5K nuttiness!
Back in 2008 I ran (more like jogged/walked) my first ever half marathon (13+ miles). You’d think a 5K would have been nothing but WOW was I out of practice when Forrest, Jada, Jesus, and I ran a 5K at Fisherman’s Wharf last spring. What better way to spend a Sunday morning than to wake up at 6am and drive to the city to run 3-ish something miles. I think my dog ate my ribbon. See below:

7) QUINOA
Hearty, delicious, a great substitute for high carb rice, yummy, and hard to pronounce… Quinoa has it all! Where it comes from, I still have no idea, but thanks Forrest for introducing it to me.

8) AIKIDO Saturdays!
Need I say more?!?!

9) KAYAKING in my BACKYARD!
This is just one alternative way of getting a workout outside of the gym. I have to admit to you that I have a love/hate relationship with Foster City. It’s a nutty little town where people can windsurf from their homes to Safeway. I love how it’s clean, it’s safe, it’s kid/pooch friendly, it’s where I met the love of my life, it also does NOT have one friggin’ bar to save my life. (If i’m wrong, please do fill me in on your favorite Foster City watering hole).

Anyway, I do love how we can jog safely in the middle of the night, kayak and get a massive arms workout right outside my apartment. etc. etc. I’m totally straying from my initial point that should have been Forrest has taught me that fun activities don’t have to cost loads of money, can be tons of fun, and can be health benefitting outside the four walls of a gym.

10) I’m sure there is a ten but I can’t think of one. Ugh, it’s getting late and I’m starting not to make sense (12:55am to be exact!)

So that’s my list of awesome health/life benefits and experiences that I’ve experienced/adopted since Forrest entered my life. I’m not sure who’s reading this but sorry to bore. AND sorry for my punctuation errors, misspellings, and run-on sentences. I’m not a pro. I’m just sleepy. Thanks Forrest for the opportunity to write again. I do feel like a sucker though being that you’ve been sleeping for hours and I’m still typing away at 1:00am!!! Played!

See you at the next boot camp my people!

Hugs and High Fives,

~Arleene

The Shake Weight – SNL, Sooooo Funny!

09

Jul

2010

Here’s the funniest video I’ve seen since I posted that blog with the Richard Simmons video!

I had to post this because I once bought 3 of these things and we used them in our bootcamp for a workout! (I brought them back to Sports Authority since then…we tried, but just couldn’t take them seriously. LOL!)

Please don’t watch this one in front of your little kids! Thanks! : )

21 Tips to Rock Your Fitness Training

06

Jul

2010

If you’re like me, you can sometimes get motivated easily, and other days…well, it’s not so easy. Here’s 21 tips to help you ROCK your fitness training so you get focused and motivated to dominate your fitness goals!

1) Have a plan, and log your foods! It doesn’t do much good to just “jump into it” without a little bit of a game plan. Do some research. Google is a great place to start. There are so many ways to approach fitness, it’s really up to you and what you think will hold your interest, challenge you, and get you to your goals. The people who get the best results are always the people who log their foods. Use www.MyFitnessPal.com or the iPhone app, Loseit! to keep track of your calories.

2) Drink lots of WATER! Drinking a bottle of water a day just doesn’t cut it when you start exercising. Did you know 7 out of every 10 people are dehydrated right now! Are you one of them? Keep your house, car and work stocked with water bottles, and invest in one of those BPA free bottles. Staying hydrated will help pick up your energy, aid you in your workouts, and ultimately aid in fat loss as well.

3) Exercise with a friend. Isn’t it much more motivating to exercise alongside a buddy? Challenge your friend to see who can exercise the most days in a month!

4) Form a habit with 21 days. Research has shown that it takes 21 days of doing something to create a habit. Exercise for 21 days straight and it will become a regular habit that you won’t even have to think about, you’ll just do it. Just like brushing your teeth! Hopefully… ; )

5) Use interval training during cardio. If you want to speed up your metabolism, perform interval training. Periods of high and low intensity is the proven method for burning fat and getting toned and lean. (This is one of the tricks we use in our bootcamp…)

6) Grocery shop once per week. Schedule a time and day where you will go to the store and load up with fresh fruits and veggies, nut, lean protein sources and whole grains.

7) Prepare your food for the week. This is important. If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. If you take a few hours on a Sunday to prepare some meals and pack them in tupperware, it will be sooooo much easier to grab-and-go with your healthy foods during the week. You won’t even have to think about it!

8) Eating healthy isn’t enough. One of the first things I hear from people trying to lose weight is “I eat really healthy”. Don’t get me wrong, you have to eat healthy foods to feel great and stay lean, but that’s just part of the equation. You can still gain weight and store fat by eating too much healthy foods!

9) Workout with full-body exercises. If you’re doing bicep curls and crunches all day, good luck. You’re likely to get frustrated and quit because of lack of results. Use compound movements like push-ups, squats, back rows and lunges. These movements use the most muscles at once, and burn more calories overall.

10) Stop worrying about bulking up! Trust me on this one. You’re not going to get bulky. If you’re on a caloric deficit, you’ll be losing fat and creating muscle tone. Believe me, you’re lucky if you gain even 1 pound of muscle!

11) Add muscle to boost metabolism. One pound of muscle burns up to 50 calories per day. That means if you add 10 pounds of lean muscle to your body, you’ll burn an extra 3,500 calories per week! (500 calories x 7 days per week.)

12) It takes a deficit of 3,500 calories to burn 1 pound of fat. This isn’t so much a tip, but a fact. This means you can burn 250 calories with exercise and eat 250 less calories and you’ll be at a 500 calorie deficit. This adds up to 3,500 calories and will get you to drop 1 pound by the end of the week.

13) Be happy when you lose 1 pound! Sometimes people tell me, I “only lost 1 pound!” and they sound disappointed. Do you have any idea how big 1 pound of fat is?!? If I put it on a plate in front of you, you’d be impressed! Remember, slow and steady wins the race.

14) Set performance goals. Set a goal for how many push-ups you can do. Or how about going from your knees to your feet? Set a goal for how much weight you can do in a one-arm row. How about setting a goal for how long you can wall sit or hold a plank? These goals keep you motivated and help you get in great shape!

15) Join a fitness bootcamp! It’s a great way to stay motivated when you’re with a group of like-minded people. Bootcamps are challenging and lot’s of fun. Not only that, they get results. Find a bootcamp that has a 100% guarantee. This will let you know that they mean business and have your best interest at heart. Also, try out a class before you commit. You want to make sure you vibe with the energy and the instructors philosophy. Some are more “Army-style” and some are more “positive coaching”. Find what fits you…

16) Don’t set unrealistic goals. An example is, I’m going to Hawaii in 3 weeks and I want to lose 20 lbs! Remember, your body can only lose 3 lbs of fat per week. It’s designed that way as a defense mechanism for starvation during famine. If you lose more than 3 lbs in a week it’s muscle and water. And you don’t want to lose muscle! That lowers your metabolism and will make you gain the weight back…and then some!

17) Avoid starvation diets. You won’t get far with these, and you’re not likely to exercise with low energy from not eating enough. The trick is to be on a caloric deficit, while at the same time eating enough protein and essential fats.

18) Read other peoples success stories. Knowing that other people have been there and gone through the same struggles you have will help you when you are in need of some motivation.

19) Find your “WHY”. Why do you want to get in shape? You say you want to lose weight, but why? Knowing your why, will help you when you come across obstacles in your training. If your why is strong enough, nothing can stop you. Some of the strongest “why’s” are things like being in shape for the family, not wanting to die of heart failure like a parent or grandparent, sick and tired of not feeling like your old self, wanting to get back in shape after a break-up or divorce, an upcoming event like a wedding or a reunion. Do you see how much more powerful these are then just saying “I want to get in shape and lose weight”.

Exercise: Give me your why right now in the “comments” section of this blog below.

20) Don’t give up. Challenges will come up. You will get sick. You will binge eat. You will skip a workout. You will feel like quitting. What are you saying to yourself if you quit? Stay with it, and you will reap the rewards. I often tell people to imagine your life 5 years from now. One version with exercise, and one version without. Where do you want to be in 5 years, 10 years, 20 years?

21) Pat yourself on the back! Don’t forget to give yourself encouragement and a reward every so often. Buy yourself an iPod or treat yourself to a movie after you’ve exercised consistently for a month. And don’t forget to add a cheat meal once per week. You will stick to your plan better if you eat at your favorite pizza or burger joint once per week. Using this as a reward prevents you from feeling deprived and gets you to your results much faster!

There you go, 21 tips to ROCK your fitness training! Have fun!!

Your Trainer For Life,

Forrest

P.S. – Don’t forget to tell me you “WHY” below!! I want to know what motivates YOU!

3 Crazy Ways to Stay Accountable to Your Fitness Goals

01

Jul

2010

You’re about to learn about 3 absolutely crazy ways to make sure you hit the mark on your fitness goals. You and I both know it’s one thing to set a goal, but it’s a whole different ball game when it comes to staying accountable to your goal.

WARNING: These accountability strategies are not for the faint of heart. They may even offend you. But if you put even one of these strategies in place, you will increase the chances of hitting your fitness goals by 50% or more!

Now that you’ve been warned, here are our top 3 Crazy Ways to Stay Accountable to Your Fitness Goals:

1) The Alpo Diet - You’ve heard of Alpo dog food, right? Well, this strategy consists of you calling up your best friend and asking them for help with hitting a fitness goal. Once they say they will help you, tell them that you promise to lose at least 8 lbs in one month (or maybe 4 or 6lbs, or maybe stop smoking or drinking, or whatever health goal you want…), or you will eat a whole can of Alpo dog food right in front of them!

This insane strategy does two things. One, it gets your goals out of your head and into the public eye, in this case your friend, who is sure to talk this up among your entire circle of friends just for a few laughs.

And two, it makes you associate a painful situation if you don’t hit your goals. Think about it. Are you likely to miss that workout or order that scone at Starbucks if you might have to humiliate yourself in front of your friend and down a whole can of nasty, smelly dogfood!

2) The Poorhouse Method – This strategy has to do with one of the most motivating factors in your life…money.

Call a friend, family member, or even your trainer. Tell them you need help with hitting a health goal. Tell them you plan to log your foods and exercise daily. For every time you don’t exercise or log your food, you promise to pay them 10 dollars! Now that’s motivation!!

3) The “Scare You To Death” Method – Yes, this accountability strategy is the craziest of them all. In this one, you take something in your life that scares you to death (jumping out of an airplane, spiders and snakes, a class on public speaking) and you agree that if you don’t hit your goal by the end of the month, you have to do what you agreed to do that will scare you to death!

This method, although incredibly crazy, will undoubtably get you to your fitness goals and beyond!! Have fun!

Your Trainer For Life,

Forrest

Bootcamps on Youtube, and Watermelons?

25

Jun

2010

I went around Youtube today, looking at what other trainers are doing in their bootcamps. Check these videos out!

And don’t forget to check out the “Watermelon workout” at the end. We did something like this in our Foster City Bootcamp before, only with a pumpkin! Hilarious!

Roy and I open our Mountain View Fit Body Bootcamp on July 6th! For those that are signed up, we’ll see you then at 6am! We still have 3 spots left for the 21 Day Rapid Fat Loss program. Call me at 650-771-5149 to get on board with it!

We are also going to be donating $100 to CHAC to help local kids in need, so when you get on our regular program, know that you are doing your part in helping the community!

We also have a few spots left in Foster City as well, and we are close to giving away the iPad for the person who brings in the most friends by July 15th.

Right now it’s Therese in the lead, with 4 friends referred, and Leah and Elaine right behind her in second and third place! Nice job!

So without further ado, the videos…

(It’s always a good idea to see what others are doing, because you can always learn something new…) ; )

Fairfield Fit Body Boot Camp

Omaha Fit Body Boot Camp

Baltimore Fit Body Boot Camp

Watermelon Workout

FREE Weight Loss PDF For YOU!

07

Jun

2010

Here’s our FREE insider secrets report as a gift to you, just for reading our blog!

By the way, we’re now offering our 21-Day Rapid Fat Loss program for only $97!

There’s a limited number of spaces available, so call 650-771-5149 NOW to save your spot!

Win an iPad with our Bootcamp Referral Contest!

03

Jun

2010

Here’s our insider secrets report to download!

You can take it, read it, send it to your friends!

If they decide to join us, you can make some extra $ and even win an iPad! See below…

*SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT* Win this iPad!!
We are having our first ever “BOOTCAMP REFERRAL CONTEST” starting now until July 15th!

This is a great opportunity for you to get your friends and relatives healthy and happy while putting cash in your pocket!

For every person you bring in that signs up for our *bootcamp program, we will give you 1/2 off your next months bootcamp (or if you’re not currently in our bootcamp, we’ll give you $50 cash).

This means that you can literally train for FREE next month just by bringing in 2 people!

Also, anyone who brings in 4 people or more during the period of the contest gets an entire 6 months of bootcamp FREE!! Yes, that’s right. You heard it here. 4 people by July 15th gets you one 1/2 a year of bootcamp absolutely FREE!

….AND THE GRAND PRIZE WINNER WILL RECEIVE…(drum roll please…)

…AN IPAD AND A WHOLE YEAR OF FREE BOOTCAMP!!**

We’re starting right away with the contest, so the sooner you invite your friends, family and co-workers to try out a free week, the easier it will be for you to win!

Also, we are going to give you the tools to make it easier to win, such as a free give-a-way CD that includes an “Insider Weight Loss Report” with coupons included for a free week at our bootcamp (we also have it in PDF form so you can e-mail to your friends).

Just e-mail me at forrest@fitforlifesolutions.com and ask me to send you the “Insider Weight Loss Report” PDF and I’ll send it to you right away!

May the best person win!!!!!

Your Trainer For Life,

Forrest Folen

*Sign-ups must continue past their first month to be considered an actual bootcamp sign-up.

**Minimum of 4 people must sign-up to win the grand prize.

OUR NEW ONLINE MAGAZINE IS LAUNCHED!!

30

May

2010

Hi there, Forrest here,

I’ve got great news for you today! We’ve just launched our online magazine and it totally rocks! Check it out and forward your favorite articles to your friends or on Facebook!

Don’t forget to check out all the cool exercise videos! =)

Fit For Life Solutions Magazine

Fitness Magazine Articles

Your Trainers For Life,

Forrest and Roy

Hooters Girl Risks Being Fired By Being Overweight

20

May

2010

I often think of myself as a trainer who doesn’t really buy into the whole “image is everything” mentality. However, in this video, I found myself wondering this: If someone put’s themselves in the position of being valued by their body, as in…I dunno…getting a job at Hooters restaurant, why would they complain when being judged by their appearance?

I totally agree with anyone saying that looks shouldn’t matter in any job…but in a job that hires only young, pretty girls with big ta-ta’s…I just think that the girl in the video is a little disconnected with reality. Just sayin’!

FIT BODY BOOT CAMP IS HERE!

17

May

2010

We have amazing news for everyone!!

Roy and I have recently acquired rights to Fit Body Boot Camp, the most incredible fitness bootcamp business model in the world!

We are sooooo jumpin’ off-the-walls excited that we had to let you know all about it!

Here’s the deal. Roy and I went down to Fitness Business Summit 2010 in LA again this year, and we were so impressed with what they were doing down there, we decided we can make the most impact in this industry by getting on board and joining this world-wide team of trainers that are impacting the world through fitness and positive, healthy life change.

A little backstory on the creators of Fit Body Boot Camp…I have been following, reading, listening, blogging, facebooking, twittering – everything but stalking my favorite fitness guru’s, Bedros Keuilian and Steve Hochman, for years and now, Roy and I have hired them to be our personal business and success coaches! How freakin’ cool is that! These guys are the best in the biz, and they are going to be right there with us every step of the way.

WHO’S THIS BEDROS GUY?

Bedros Keuilian is THE most successful personal trainer in the industry. At one time he was homeless, living in the back of a Toyota pickup truck. Now he’s a multiple 7-figure income earner and personal trainer business coach. Needless to say he commands major respect, and he’s a super-nice guy, too!

What does this mean for you? For those that stick around, be prepared for a wild ride!!

WHAT IS FIT BODY BOOT CAMP?

Fit Body Boot Camp is the craziest, funnest, most energetic, results-oriented boot camp model ever created (not too different from what we’ve been doing actually, which is bringing you incredible variety, energy and results in your training). However, what’s different now is that will be AMPLIFIED! (You’ll see more about what I mean later).

WHERE IS FIT BODY BOOT CAMP?

We have opened a NEW location in Mountain View at Gold Star Gymnastics!

The awesome thing about doing a bootcamp in a gymnastics center is the large, open floor space with a spring-loaded floor so it’s soft on your joints! What a cool place for a bootcamp!

Big thanks to Pam for allowing us to workout in her beautiful location! If you know any kids looking for the best gymnastics facility on the Peninsula go to www.GoldStarGym.com and see the great programs they offer.

ARE YOU STILL IN FOSTER CITY?

Of course we are!! FCAC is our home-base and we hope it stays that way forever. Thanks Mohan, Terry and all you awesome Fit For Life Bootcampers!! We are always working on ways to make the training bigger and better, bringing you more variety, more options, and more results than ever!

Here is a video of Steve Hochman. He is the wild-man trainer and co-creator of Fit Body Boot Camp. Here’ a clip of him giving some good advice on cardio exercise!

We will get back to you soon on the Grand Opening for our Mountain View 6am Fit Body Boot Camp with more info! Stay tuned!

Sacrifice

14

May

2010

Yesterday we had a bootcamp class where the theme was sacrifice. It was about sacrificing what we are for what we can become. Every day we are faced with the choice to become better as a person, and unless we understand how to sacrifice, we will never evolve.

“The important thing is this: To be able at any moment to sacrifice what we are for what we could become.”

- Charles DuBois

I understand what it’s like to sacrifice, and believe me, it’s not easy to accept this thought at first…until you flip the way you think about it.

You see, if you’re going to become better as a person, and you want to make some changes in your life, you must understand this:

Sacrifice is not about what you’re giving up, it’s about what you gain.

When you give up fast food, give up ice cream, give up negative thinking, give up watching American Idol, what do you gain?

You gain more control, more energy, more time, more positivity.

Do me a favor, write in the comments section something you are going to sacrifice for the next 30 days. I’d love to hear your comments!

Here’s a crazy video for you to check out. These guys know what sacrifice is…

Don’t forget to tell me what you’re sacrificing for the next 30 days below!

Forrest Gets Published with Examiner.com!

10

May

2010

Hey guys, guess what?!

I applied for a position as a writer with Examiner.com and they’ve hired me as the local bootcamp expert! How cool is that? I’m officially a published author!

I’m thrilled to be able to offer some great insider information through a such a credible channel as the Examiner.

I do have to write everything in 3rd person, which is new for me, but it’s getting there! Check out my first article and let me know what you think?

http://www.examiner.com/x-47372-SF-Bootcamp-Examiner~y2010m5d7-Nutrition-For-Bootcampers

If there are any bootcamp topics you’d like to see covered, let me know and I’ll write about it!

Your Trainer For Life,

Forrest

Training By The Bay

07

May

2010

The good part of running an indoor bootcamp is that we don’t have to put up with bad weather. However, yesterday we got outdoors for some outdoor training. I sure do love to get outside when the weather is nice!

This session we met at Seal Point Park along the 3rd Ave waterfront in San Mateo. We ran stairs, did bodyweight rows on the bars near the water, huffed-and-puffed all the way up the stairs with brutal bunny-hops, and did a challenging but fun partner workout on the fake grass. I love the smell of fake grass in the morning (or evening)!

Now that it’s summertime, we will be getting outdoors more often. Here’s some of the cool places we can go!

- Central Park in San Mateo. How cool would it be to run through the park, do sand-sprints, work out on the monkey bars, and stop in at the Japanese Tea garden to meditate at the Koi pond afterward!

-Leo Ryan Park in Foster City. This place has the most awesome outdoor auditorium with large stairs and fake grass where we can do ab-work, push ups, and stair-drills. Afterward, we can run alongside the water on the wooden boardwalk by the gazebo!

- Coyote Point Park in San Mateo. Here we can run steep hills along the cliffside with a view of the rugged Bay waters. Then we can do lunges until we drop out by the yacht club! That’s my idea of a fun time!

If you have any other ideas, I’d love to hear about them! Roy and I are looking forward to a great summer with you!

Your Trainer For Life,

Forrest Folen

Bodybugg Product Review and Kristen G. Great Results!

18

Apr

2010

Today I’m writing to share with you two things.

1) An amazing Fit For Life Bootcamper, Kristen Gansheimer, and her results to help inspire you.

2) Our Bodybugg product review video, starring Kristen.

Kristen started up with us in early January 2010. Here’s what she had to say about us in our Yelp.com review.

(more…)

3 Fitness Survival Tips for College Students

23

Mar

2010

If you want to beat the “freshman 15″ and make your way through college in as good or better shape than when you started, here are simple 3 tips to make sure you come out on top.

1) Do your own shopping and plan your foods for the week. Getting in the habit of brown-baggin’ is the best way to make sure you stay away from the fast food and vending machines while saving some duckets for the weekend.

Yes, I know you’re a super-busy student , and it takes some prep time and extra work, but it’s all worth it. Do you think it’s going to get any easier when you’re an on-the-go working professional? The habits you start now last a lifetime.

If you want to be on your A-game, keep your energy levels up and your mind sharp, make sure you eat every 3 and 1/2 hours to stabalize your blood sugar levels.

2) Join a college fitness class, sport or a bootcamp to keep you accountable and motivated to exercise. You know as well as I do that if you don’t have to do it, you probably won’t. However, if you sign up for something, you’re way more likely to follow through because you’ve made a commitment.

Remember – If you don’t make exercise a priority, it just won’t happen. And the thing is, now that you’re in college, no one really cares if you exercise or not. YOU have to be the one that cares about your body now!

“You’re all growns up!” – Swingers (if you haven’t seen it, make sure you Netflix it!)

3) Keep the drinking to the weekends. Yes, I went there. Yes, I’m a hypocrite, looking back on my college days. But really, if you keep the drinking until the weekends, you’re not only going to be sharper during the week to stay on top of your studies, but you’ll have more energy during your day (which is way sexier than being all hung-over in class), and you’ll steer clear of tons of unwanted booze-and-brew calories.

Hope this helps!

And props go out to Greg Solin and SFSU!!

Your Trainers For Life,

Forrest and Roy

Bonus Tip: I know you need energy for those long nights of studying, but please stay away from those sugary, high-calorie energy drinks like Redbull and Rockstar. A healthier energy drink is the one Lance Armstrong endorses, called FRS Healthy Energy. Another option is to take a good multi-vitamin.

Exotic Dancer, Author and Abs Expert Darren Michaels Interview

02

Feb

2010

I hope no one thinks this blog is too “risk-ay”, because, after all, it is about male stripper Darren Michaels, his abs-o-steel and his exotic dancing. But beyond all that, this is about a guy who took a vision and turned it into a reality, through hard work, dedication, consistency and a passionate determination, he did what some might think impossible.

What did he do? Well, let me paint the picture.

Imagine a chemist with a Masters Degree, working a 9-to-5 in a lab, nothing special otherwise. The guy is shy, and I mean super-shy. He’s got no luck with the ladies (25 year-old virgin?), and his fitness level…average at best.

I was teaching abs classes at the Foster City Athletic Club when I first got to know Darren. He would join in on my half-hour, ab-marathon classes, and each time he’d push himself harder than the time before. He seemed like a man on a mission, and we got to know each other after a while. I could tell he meant business. The quiet people in the gym are always the ones to look out for, because they are the ones who get the job done.

He reminded me of myself during my martial arts days. I didn’t go around telling everyone I was going to become a second degree black belt, I just did it.

After months of taking my class, Darren showed interest in teaching abs classes, and I introduced him to the group exercise director there at the club. Sometime around then, he had an emergency appendectomy, and after the doctor said to lay of the abs training, he came back, more determined than ever to create his 6-pack abs and to teach his abs class.

Somewhere along Darren’s path, he met a professional exotic dancer, got it in his head that he wanted to become one, decided to go for it, and did it! And I’m talking from scratch!

He packed on the muscle, lowered his bodyfat to below 5%, and got the kind of indoor tan any WWE wrestler would be more than proud of. The dude didn’t even know how to dance for Pete’s sake! Not only that, but like I said, he was incredibly shy. I don’t know about you, but in my opinion, it takes a hell of a lot of courage to make that big of a life change.

Whether you agree with his path or not, I’m sure you’ll agree that he has demonstrated the exact kind of mindset it takes to make a real body and life transformation.

These days, Darren is a super-successful chemist by day, superstar exotic dancer by night. He’s found success in all areas of his life, and is sharing his passion about fitness with others. Did he ever get the girl? What do you think!?

If you want to find out more about Darren (and all his crazy stripper adventures!), I suggest reading his book or checking out his website at www.AbMiration.com.

When you break it down and analyze how he was able to pull it off, you can see the steps he took and apply them to your own life. In my view, this is what he did:

1) Desire to change. He had a desire to change because he was frustrated with where he was at in his life. He had a career, drove a Mustang, and had the looks, but no girl! Believe me, that will fuel any man’s desire to make a life change, no matter how successful you are!

2) Commitment to take action. After desire comes commitment. Through his training and mentoring, Darren made a real commitment to the type of people who would hold him accountable to his actions. You can think about something you want to accomplish all you want, but until you make a commitment, nothing ever happens.

3) Consistently taking focused action toward the goal. Although having desire and making a commitment are the first 2 important steps, the steps lead to nowhere without consistency. Darren showed incredible perseverance by coming to the gym almost every day, meeting with his dancing mentor every chance he could, visualizing how he would look and feel when he reached his goal, and never quitting, no matter how impossible things may have seemed at the time.

Great work, Darren! Thanks for being an inspiration to me, and to so many others. Although this may sound cliché, you are living proof that you really can do ANYTHING you set your mind to!

So without further ado, here’s my video interview with Darren and another video of him “doing his thang” at one of his photo shoots.

WARNING: ADULTS ONLY PLEASE. NOT X-RATED, JUST PROVOCATIVE…THANKS!

P.S. – Only cool people leave comments! Put yours below!

3 Simple Strategies to Lose 8 lbs in 28 Days

25

Jan

2010

Would you like to lose 8 lbs from your stomach, hips and thighs in the next 28 days?

This year, year of the Tiger, is the year of taking action. What better way to take advantage of the New Year? In this blog, I help you create a simple plan, go into action, then stick to it. Give yourself a goal to lose 8 lbs of fat in the next 28 days. With these strategies at the heart of your focus, you will get there!

Year of the Tiger!

1) Take control of your calorie intake. You need to start thinking in numbers (and once you learn numbers, you can think in terms of portions). It doesn’t have to be forever. Just do it for 3 weeks. I know it doesn’t seem like much, but after 3 weeks a mental shift takes place because you start understanding and memorizing the calories of your favorite foods. (Minimally do it for 3 days…you can’t make excuses about just 3 days!)

Keeping a food log really helps deter you from reaching for a donut when you think of that donut in terms of calories and fat grams instead of just Homer Simpson’s famous phrase, “mmmmmmm…donuts…”

So to take control of your calorie count. I recommend going to www.fitday.com to start logging your food. It’s free, so what have you got to lose? This one thing will be the most important action you take when it comes to understanding how many calories you consume on a regular basis. This is the key to weight loss!

A good, comprehensive nutrition program is the Diet Solution by Isabele De Los Rios. I recommend it highly.

2) Make a commitment to exercise. That’s right, I said that scary word that everyone runs from, “commitment”. I have to admit that I’ve always been scared of that word myself. But the commitments I’ve made have changed my life in incredible ways. Once you make a commitment, it makes things so much easier, and you will be amazed by how good you feel when you do finally commit. So join a gym, or even better, join a boot camp or get a trainer. Your commitment will keep you focused and clear despite the obstacles that are sure to arise.

Think about the word commitment for a second. Now ask yourself, have you ever achieved anything worthwhile in your life without making a commitment at some level? Probably not. I think the best thing to do is to suck it up and sign on the dotted line. When most people have thrown in the towel, you’ll still be moving toward your goals because of the commitment you’ve made to your training.

3) Write down your goals, then set a date of completion. You can do this yourself, or join a weight loss contest to bring in a sense of urgency. Either way, having your goals and a date written down will make you consciously and subconsciously work harder toward your weight loss goals.

Write down any goals you have for yourself.

Your conscious mind is good for setting goals, but it’s your subconscious mind that gets you performing daily habits that will get you to your goals. Your subconscious mind is like a compass. Once your subconscious mind is set properly, it will continue endlessly to follow it’s course until it reaches it’s goal for you.

Writing down your goals, setting a date on the calendar for your completion of those goals, working out regularly, visualizing how you will look and feel when you reach your goals, taking your vitamins and supplements, eating wholesome and nutritious foods. All of these things align your subconscious mind to get you to your goals. The power you possess by putting this into practice is unstoppable!

Please leave a comment about this post, it really helps me deliver you more content!! Thank-you!!

Thinking about a 5K?

22

Jan

2010

When I mention a 5K to most people, usually their initial response is “I’m not a runner” or “I can’t do that!”.

Not being a runner myself, I can relate.

I’m been a professional fitness trainer for close to 10 years.

I’m a second degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do.

I’ve hiked 30 miles in 3 days in Yosemite with giant blisters and a bruised knee, I’ve mountain biked some of the most wicked singletracks in the Bay Area, and I’ve participated in every sport known to man except figure skating.

But I’ve only done ONE running event in my life.

That event was a 5K.

It was the Carneros Valley Vineyard 5K at the Artesa Winery in Napa and it was awesome!!

This was a few years ago, and ever since I’ve really been sold on 5K’s, but haven’t done any…until now!

You see, I want to do something to motivate both myself, and YOU!

I’ve found that anyone can do a 5K. If you don’t believe me, click on this link:

http://www.active.com/running/Articles/6_Reasons_to_Run_a_5K.htm

If you want to join me and the others who have decided to challenge themselves with a 5K, just go to our 5K Club page. Make a commitment. You’ll be surprised at what you can do!

Hope to see you out there!

Your Trainer For Life,

Forrest

Fit For Life Bootcamp Amazing Transformation – Shanon Mah

02

Jan

2010

Here’s a testimonial from an amazing client of ours, Shanon Mah. From the beginning of her training, I knew there was a quiet fire burning inside her to make a change, and that she was ready to grow and develop as a person.

Shanon followed our advice to the letter, attended Fit For Life Bootcamp as much as she could week-by-week, and turned in food logs to us weekly. She pushed herself every class and she got involved with the beta version our “Accelerated Bootcamp” program (which we plan to unveil in spring of 2010!), which helped speed up her results.

Thanks Shanon for your hard-work, sacrifices, and for being a true inspiration!

-Forrest and Roy

——————————

BEFORE

AFTER

I used to be a very athletic person, very energetic, and I noticed within the last couple years a big slump, in a rut, and gaining weight. I couldn’t keep up as well with my kids and with the things I like to do. I wanted to do something about it and change it. I thought I’d try something new, that’s when I tried Fit For Life Bootcamp and I loved it, and I’ve continued on since then.

At first it was just about the “me time”, and not getting caught up in being a mom all the time, and then when I started to see results it fueled my desire to set goals for myself.

What I like most about the training, because I’ve tried personal trainers before, was that training in the boot camp was always different. I don’t think I’ve ever done the same routine, and I feel like there is a lot of individual help and a lot of change-ups so your body is always feeling it. Through the week I’ll know, ok, we’ve hit that spot! It’s just exciting to come and know that there is something different that’s going to happen each time.

Actually, I wasn’t expecting to see the kind of results that I did. I came in with expectations of losing 5 lbs and I didn’t even consider body fat % and inches, but when I saw those results come within the first 4 weeks I was amazed! It made me want to drive, go harder and go for bigger results.

Ultimately, I lost 18 lbs, over 7% body fat, over 4 inches off my waist and over 3 inches off my hips. I went from a size 6 to a size 2, which hasn’t been since high school!

A lot of my friends went away over the summer and when they saw me their response was “Oh my god! What have you been doing? I want to do that, too!” My family has noticed the changes as well.

Mentally, my whole attitude in life is so different. My confidence has been raised. I had sunk into a shell for a while, and now I feel I’m coming out of that, and it’s an awesome feeling. It’s more than just physical, it’s also mental.

-Shanon Mah

Shanon's Award for Best Results in 2009!

Drink, Party and Burn Calories this New Years 2010!

28

Dec

2009

This New Year I am really looking forward to going BIG with everything I do. Bigger focus, bigger fitness, bigger results, bigger business, bigger fun, bigger family, bigger goals. The only thing that isn’t going to get bigger are my clients! HaHa!!

So I’ll let you in on what I’m doing for New Years (especially now that I’ve set up a babysitter…thanks Natalie!).

I’m going to a place in San Francisco called the Coda Lounge to see my brother Tommy’s band play. They are called Dynamic and they rule!! You can check them out at www.dynamicliveband.com.

If you don’t have plans yet, you should go!! www.CodaLive.com to make a reservation. (It’s only $20 without dinner, and I think it’s $60 with dinner.)

I’m looking forward to dancing the night away (I may look like a fool, but hey, I have fun doing it!)

I checked out how many calories a 160 lb person burns in 1 hour of dancing and it’s about 350. (If I dance for 3 hours that’s over 1,000 calories!!) Not bad for a fun night out, eh? I’m sure that a few drinks would cancel that out…but I don’t think I’ll have more than 3 drinks, so I think I’ll come out ahead.

My favorite drinks when I go out are either a Guiness, a Hefeweizen, or a White Russian.

Here are some calorie counts for beers to help you plan your night. (I got this from: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_many_calories_are_in_beer)
—————————–

Calories in Beer

Here are some calorie counts for 12 ounces of different beers:

Sierra Nevada Pale Ale: 175
Sam Adams Lager: 160
Pilsner Uruqell: 160
Michelob: 155
Guinness: 153
Heineken: 150
Corona: 148
Budweiser: 145
MGD: 143
Stella Artois: 140
Bud Light: 110
Coors Light: 102
Budweiser Select: 99
Michelob Ultra: 96
Amstel Light: 95
Miller Genuine Draft Light: 64
Anchor Steam – 153
Bass Ale – 160
Beck’s – 140
Budweiser – 140
Corona Light – 105
Guinness Draught – 126
Guinness Stout – 153
Miller Lite – 96
Sierra Nevada Pale Ale – 175
Sierra Nevada Stout – 210

By the way, the average wine has about 275-300 calories per 12 ounces. Of course, one glass of wine isn’t usually 12 ounces. You might drink half as much wine as you would beer, making wine slightly lower calorie.

Mixed drinks are about the same. Gin & tonic or vodka cranberry have about 300 calories per 12 ounces. Margaritas are very bad: they might have about 750 calories!
————————–
Well, there you have it!

So have fun, eat, drink, dance, and enjoy life, cuz come January your butt is mine!

Roy and I look forward to seeing you and helping you achieve your fitness goals this 2010!

Your Trainer For Life,

Forrest

The Cycle of Addiction and Green Tea

12

Nov

2009

I was standing in line at Starbucks once again. I had told myself I wouldn’t do it anymore. “Just one more time” I said to myself, as I stood browsing at the display case of scones, giant chocolate cookies and yogurt parfaits. I wanted to turn and walk out of there. I wanted to run away. But hey, I deserved this. It was my “daybreak”.

“I’ll have a grande caramel macchiato, please.”

“Sure, what’s your name?”

I wanted to tell them it was John, or Mark. Who knows who might be listening in.

“Forrest”, I would say in a low voice.

“GRANDE CARAMEL MACCHIATO FOR FORREST, PLEASE!!”

There it was. The call of shame for everyone within earshot. My sugary, highly-addictive, four dollar caffeine fix had been called out for all the world to hear. But hey, like I said before, I deserved this. It was my “daybreak”.

This caffeine and sugar affair went on for some time. Oh…for a while I would quit. But once something happened to stress me out and my energy felt low, I would get the uncontrollable urge to stop by a Starbucks.

And who can blame me? They were popping up everywhere. I had four of them within a 3-minute drive from my work in Foster City. I lived a five-minute walk from the Carlmont Shopping Center Starbucks in Belmont. Near my kids school, I would sometimes stop at the Crystal Springs Starbucks (it was a nice one, too; fireplace and cozy seating) just before I had to pick them up.

Even my favorite place to hang out and kill time, the Barnes and Nobles Bookstore, had an in-house Starbucks. As did Safeway. As did Target.

With dealers on every corner, it was not going to be easy to quit. I needed help. I had an addiction. No more excuses. Where would I turn?

Then, I found my answer – to replace my addiction with another, more healthy addiction! I was going to drink Green Tea!!

You see, all addictions are cycles. They start with a feeling of unhappiness or a feeling of being un-fulfilled. Then there is a trigger, such as a thought, image, emotion, or a combination, that sets the addict to find his addiction of choice. After the drug or action has been completed, there is temporary relief and satisfaction, followed by a feeling of guilt, which then cycles back to being unhappy, which starts the cycle all over again.

One could be addicted to many different things. Shopping, TV, drugs, gambling, anger, compulsive eating, alcohol, cigarettes, control over others, being a victim, abuse, and caffeine.

Some addictions may even be beneficial. Exercise, reading, practicing music, yoga, dancing…drinking green tea.

So, in my opinion, learning to replace one addiction with another can be an effective way to change unwanted behavior patterns. After all, I had done it before to great effect.

When I was younger and in the “party scene”, I knew I needed a big change. That’s when I found martial arts, and turned to exercise and mind/body training instead of going out to bars, clubs and parties (best thing I ever did, by the way).

When I noticed I was watching too much TV, I got rid of cable (yes, I got rid of cable. It’s not necessary people!) and started reading again. Reading is another great addiction. I read books on motivation, diet and exercise, science and religion, books for entertainment, books for self-growth and inspiration.

And now that I came across another pattern I wanted changed, I knew what to do. I wanted to stop giving my body these sugar/caffeine hits and start giving it a more balanced energy.

Since I’ve been on the green tea kick, I’ve felt much better. I’ve been going with it for a few months now. I still drink an occasional Starbucks, but now it’s more like once per week, not once or twice per day. Not only have I saved a lot of money, but I’ve felt much more emotionally balanced, I’ve had better sleep, and I have longer lasting energy levels.

Green tea has tons of benefits. I’ve been reading about them in the book, Green Tea – The Natural Secret for a Healthier Life, by Nadine Taylor, M.S., R.D.

Some of the great health benefits of drinking green tea regularly are:

Boosts your immune system
Helps prevent cancer and heart disease
Helps metabolize body fat
Slows the aging process
Lowers blood pressure
Fights harmful bacteria and viruses
Helps the body regulate cholesterol levels

If you have an addiction (I think close to 99% of all people do in some form), don’t run from it. Stare it straight in the eye and ask yourself, what can I do to replace my unhealthy addiction to a healthy one? There’s always room for improvement, right?

I’ve included this very interesting video that explains more in depth on why we get involved in habitual patterns that don’t serve us, and what we can do about it.

Your Trainer For Life,
Forrest Folen, MCT

Cure for Type II Diabetes?

18

Aug

2009

As you may know, diabetes is one of the biggest problems with America’s growing obesity epidemic. I personally know quite a few people who are pre-diabetic, people with type II diabetes, and even type l diabetes (I have had 2 cousins with type l diabetes – it really sucks.)

My take as a fitness lifestyle and fat-loss pro is that we need to address the root of the problem. Granted, we can use exercise as a way to combat type II diabetes in a big way. The guys over at WebMD.com (full article at http://diabetes.webmd.com/guide/exercise-guidelines) said this:

Exercise is very important in managing type 2 diabetes. Combining diet, exercise, and medicine (when prescribed) will help control your weight and blood sugar level.

Exercise helps control type 2 diabetes by:

Improving your body’s use of insulin.
Burning excess body fat, helping to decrease and control weight (decreased body fat results in improved insulin sensitivity).
Improving muscle strength.
Increasing bone density and strength.
Lowering blood pressure.
Helping to protect against heart and blood vessel disease by lowering ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol and increasing ‘good’ HDL cholesterol.
Improving blood circulation and reducing your risk of heart disease.
Increasing energy level and enhancing work capacity.
Reducing stress, promoting relaxation, and releasing tension and anxiety.

Take a look at this video (keep in mind many, perhaps most, doctors say curing type II diabetes is impossible)

PART TWO…HOW THE BODY LOSES WEIGHT

26

Jul

2009

In part one we talked about how the body gains weight, which is little by little over a period of months and years.

It all goes back to lifestyle.

If you want to create a lifestyle where you are lean and fit, you have to alter what you are doing. It’s the day-to-day stuff that matters.

If you want to lose weight you have to create a caloric deficit, and you have to do it CONSISTENTLY.

In fact here are 6 things you must have to lose the weight.

1) Burning desire. You have to really want it!

2) Catalyst. What is going to be the motivator to get your inner voice to say, “It’s Time!”

3) Commitment. Nothing in life gets accomplished without commitment.

4) Patience. Be patient. It’s a process, and it doesn’t happen overnight.

5) Perseverance. You have to keep at it, despite the obstacles, you must stay focused on your goal!

6) Sense of Urgency. If you don’t say to yourself that you have to get it done NOW, other things will always come first and sabotage your plans.

So if an added 116 calories per day is all it takes to gain the weight (see previous blog), then that’s all you need to do to lose it too, right?

WRONG!

If I told you to go home and count every single calorie to lose the weight, would you?

You might for a few days, or possibly a few weeks, but the chances are you wouldn’t keep up with it. That’s my experience. It’s unrealistic to maintain food logs for a long time.

Over a short time, food logs are great to understand your eating patterns and get a general take on how many calories you are consuming. However, for the long term I recommend a more common sense approach.

In the Part One, How The Body Gains Weight, I talked about a study done by the New England Journal of Medicine that said that of different types of diets such as low-carb, low-fat, and mediteranean, it was the total amount of calories, not the type of food, that led to weight loss.

With that in mind, the question to ask then is: How can I maintain satiety and even blood sugar levels (so my energy won’t crash and I don’t go off and binge) and eat less calories at the same time?

(Keep in mind, that if you want to lose 1 pound a week you have to burn 250 calories a day through exercise and eat 250 calories less per day. A deficit of 500 calories per day is 3,500 over the course of a week, and 3,500 calories equals 1 pound of fat.)

The answer is both simple and complex.

Eat less. Burn more.
You have to create a caloric deficit consistently to be able to create a consistent rate of weight loss.

How can you do it?

Meal by meal.

Workout by workout.

Day by day.

Week by week.

Month by month.

It’s called a FITNESS LIFESTYLE. You have to want it. You have to go out and get it. You have to put in the work. You have to sacrifice.

But the rewards are worth it!

Your Trainer For Life,

Forrest Folen, MCT

My Most Closely Guarded Secret Revealed

13

Jul

2009

Ever feel like you’re a sports car that’s stuck in first gear?

Wouldn’t you like to see what it’s like to go to second…third…fourth or even fifth gear?

Let me explain.

Not sure if I’ve told you guys this before, but I wasn’t always Mr. Positive or Mr. Fitness Guy.

Heck, I was neither!

I used to have low expectations of myself.

I used to need the world to tell me if I was good enough.

I used to have a lot of bad habits…I even used to smoke cigarettes (I hate to admit it, but it’s true).

So what turned me around?

Well, it wasn’t easy but I met someone who turned my life around 180 degrees.

I’ve included a video in my latest blog to show you the exact skill that turned my whole life around.

You’re never going to guess what it is!! It’s my most guarded secret, and I’m sharing it with you here today!

Click here to see my secret: watch?v=wKyXanJYFHY

The man in the video is Daniel Johnson, SBN. He’s a true meditation master and the best life coach around. You HAVE to go to his upcoming workshop and experience it for yourself!

Go to this link for more info on the upcoming workshop:

http://www.selfmastery.com/workshops_center.html

Bowen Therapy to Relieve Your Pain

10

Jul

2009

I think we all know what it’s like to have pain in the body. It’s just not fun. Joint pain, an injury, muscle fatigue, and other bodily aches and pains drain our life energy and prevent us from doing the things we want to do.

We at Fit For Life Solutions have found a local solution for your aches and pains right here in Foster City at the Foster City Athletic Club.

In this 6 minute video, you can learn directly from massage and Bowen therapy practitioner, Liza Laurinkus, about her approach to pain relief. She may be just the person you’ve been looking for to help your body return to a state of balance and health.

Your Trainers in Health,

Forrest and Roy

5 Tips to a Slimmer Stomach!

24

Jun

2009

Don’t waste time with crunches. In real life the deeper core used for stabilization and strength are the ones you want to develop. That means that variations of plank exercises are the best for a strong core. If you really wantto cut down that layer of fat to expose those abs of steel that are lying underneath, view #2 below!

Focus on compound movements and work them in a circuit. Compound movements such as Push-Ups, Squats, Rows and Lunges use the most muscles AND burn the most calories!

Concentrate on eating foods that are in their natural state. I call it “Eating Clean”. Brown rice, oatmeal, salmon, chicken breast, tuna, fresh fruits and veggies, avocados, almonds, egg whites, extra virgin olive oil, salads. In fact, if you stuck with just these foods for 2 weeks I guarantee you will see incredible fat-burning results as long as you….. view #4!!!!

Eat 6 small carb/protein meals per day. You want to eat every 3 and a half hours…. even if you’re not hungry! You’ll be doing yourself a favor by stabilizing your blood sugar levels, keeping your hunger at bay, and burning more calories through thermogenesis. But you still have to…… View #5!!!!

Stop making excuses for yourself to eat fat and sugar. Look, I like sweets as much as the next person, but if you keep reaching for that after dinner cookie or ice cream despite your desire to lose weight, you’re being controlled by an addiction. Do what i do, eat every 3 and a half hours to curb hunger, then eat a small piece of dark chocolate, savoring it, to satisfy that sweet tooth!!

BONUS TIP!!!!!!

Join our fitness Bootcamp! Research shows that accountability and professional instruction are two key factors for success in any weight loss program. In fact we are having a limited time promotion to kick off our NEW Fit For Life Bootcamp membership!!!

You can catch the details here :

www.FitForLifeSolutions.com/bootcamp

Your trainer for life,

Forrest

P.S.- This promo expires Thursday the 25th at 11:59pm. Don’t Miss Out!!!!!

www.FitForLifeSolutions.com/bootcamp

Fitness – It’s gotta be a lifestyle!

23

Apr

2009

Weight loss can be a great motivator to start working out, eating right, and getting in shape. However, if weight loss is your only motivation, it won’t work out in the long run. Eventually, weight loss, as a goal, will become a superficial reason for working out and staying disciplined to eat healthy. Why? Because weight loss, on it’s own, has no purpose. You have to have a reason why that weight loss is important to you.

I received an e-mail today from a client thanking me for helping her with her new healthy lifestyle and achieving a bodyfat percentage under 20%. I wrote her back and asked told her that she is a success story that is sure to inspire others. Her response was “I am not sure what happened, I guess I just got focused on working out to make me feel better. As soon as I stopped obsessing about getting back to where I was, it just sort of
happened.”

That’s it!!

When she wrote that I knew that she had shifted her perspective and is now training as a part of her lifestyle, and not just a superficial goal. That’s why she became a success story! That’s also why she will continue to gain the great results of more energy, less stress, and a strong body and mind!

I’d like to thank Crystal for inspiring me to continue to help others make that lifestyle switch!

Thanks Crystal!!

Your Trainer For Life,

Forrest Folen, MCT

Amazing Results in April ’09

16

Apr

2009

The April 2009 Client of the Month is Steve Stirling!

Here’s someone who took his DESIRE, made a COMMITMENT, and applied CONSISTENCY to achieve incredible fitness results!

You have to look at the underlying qualities in order to make a real change. Personally , I learned how to apply this in my life from studying with my meditation and martial arts Master, Daniel Johnson, founder of the Self Mastery Foundation (visit www.selfmastery.com to learn more about his amazing, life-changing programs).

When Steve first started, I could see it in his eyes, and tell in the enthusiasm in his voice that he was ready to make a real life change. He had DESIRE, and it burned deep!

However, that desire could have just as easily burnt out, and he could have gone back to the way things were. Back to the cycle of unhealthy eating habits, back to having low energy, back to feeling sluggish and overweight.

What did he do that made such a big difference in the outcome?

Steve made a COMMITMENT!

Yes, by sitting in the office with me that day in mid-December 2008, and putting down a few hundred bucks for personal training, and filling in the dates to meet with me twice per week on his calendar, Steve made a COMMITMENT!! That was the big turning point!!

Was it easy? NO. Did he just throw his credit card at me and say “sign me up!” NO WAY!

Even with all that burning desire, Steve had to sit down and talk with me for over an hour before he could make up his mind to actually make that COMMITMENT.

That one day in mid-December…that one choice…that one instant…changed his life forever! Amazing!!

After that, all he had to do was follow through with the CONSISTENCY!

Watch this amazing video to see what happened next…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVOCrfYGNP8

Stay Motivated! Stay Passionate! Stay Inspired!

Your Trainer For Life,

Forrest Folen, MCT

Resolutions

13

Jan

2009

Well here we are! It’s January 2009, and it’s a great time to be alive!

It’s also a great time to be healthy, happy and to be in good shape for YOUR LIFE! Life can be demanding, and I’m a firm believer in training to live a higher quality of life. When you train your body and mind, you’re ready to face the challenges that lie ahead, and you can face them with bold courage and inner passion.

So where are we right now? It is New Years time…and everybody knows it’s time for resolutions…and most people’s resolutions have something to do with losing weight or getting in shape. However, I’m hearing from more and more people that they don’t make New Years resolutions any more. Why don’t they? It could have something to do with having done them in the past…and failed.

Do people get discouraged when they’re in their teens to the point where they don’t make resolutions? Not really.

How about in their twenties and thirties. Usually not, although some do.

It’s usually people in their forties and upwards that have given up on making resolutions. They’ve simply seen themselves fail too many times to bother with it. Look…I’m not here to tell you to keep banging your head up against the wall, but you might want to try giving this another chance. New Years is a great time to reflect on the past and move into the future. We all have things we want to improve upon, why not give it a go…only this time, do it with a plan!

That’s right. Very few people actually write down their goals and form a plan, complete with target goals and action steps. A written plan is as crucial to moving forward with your fitness goals as a business plan is to moving forward in building a successful business.

With a written plan, you have defined what you want, what you need, and how and when you will get to your goals. It’s ok to build a castle in the clouds, now put the foundation under it!

It doesn’t have to be ready by the first of the year, but don’t wait until the end of March either. Do it this week if you can. Or even better…do it NOW!
What’s my resolution?

Well…writing this blog is one of them. This year my main focus is YOU! Roy and I have dedicated ourselves to building Fit For Life Solutions to the fullest. We’ve just got our new site up (www.fitforlifesolutions.com), thanks to Bill’s help, and we are now working on all the bells and whistles such as the blog, a discussion forum, online training and videos library.

Stay tuned to this blog for regular tips, fitness advice, videos and articles that will help you achieve the fitness lifestyle you’re looking for!

Your Trainer For Life,
-Forrest