Workout like a President Today!

This President’s Day clearly signifies a special moment in history. Regardless of your political views, the recent election of President Barack Obama has brought great change and hope in many. Though we’ll have to let President Obama’s accomplishments in office dictate what type of change it will be, it is very clear that this is a man who was born to lead. Obama has an undeniable aura about him, a certain calming confidence that is truly contagious. These are traits he will surely need in the face of a continually dwindling economy and the many other challenges facing our country and our world.

Seriously, how can someone handle the stress of being the leader of the free world? I can’t even begin to grasp the scope of something like that, can you?

One thing that has always struck me about Obama is his relentless daily workout routine. He plays a ton of basketball and puts in his 45-60 minute workout day in and day out. He claims it sets the tone for his entire day- that it gives him the energy he needs to grapple with the world’s problems.

Set the tone of your day everyday with a workout, and a positive outlook. My physical fitness sets the tone for everything I tackle in business on a daily basis. I train hard and I never miss a workout. I bring this same intensity and persistence to my business. And I can honestly say that my ability to mentally and physically stick to my routine has prepared me for any and all challenges that I may face. Everything just seems “easier” in comparison to a killer total body workout. I truly mean that.

Now, I am just going to assume that there are going to be some days when President Obama might not have time to get in his typical 45-60 minute workout. After all, since the first 100 days seem to set the tone of each presidency, Obama is going to have a pretty full plate these days!
So, I am going to lend my expertise in this regard to cut Obama’s workout routine by more than half to keep him on track in case any last minute issues may arise. I personally guarantee this will not only help him maintain, if not increase, his current strength and conditioning level.
And I am going to go ahead and further simplify the process for Obama by designing body weight based workouts involve nothing more than resistance bands and dumbbells that can be done in the comfort of the oval office.
Furthermore, every workout will start “outside in” by first recognizing how much time President Obama has to workout each day and then matching the appropriate workout for that time frame.

The President’s Day Workout- Obama Style
Perform all strength workouts on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays
Perform all cardio workouts on Tuesdays, Thursday, and Saturdays
Play some hoops anytime you can get

If Obama has five minutes to workout:
Strength Workout- Continuous Work: Perform max rounds of 10 reps of an upper body exercise (push-ups, rows, pull-ups, dips, etc.) and 20 reps of a lower body exercise (squats, deadlifts, hip extensions, lunges, etc.) for time.

Cardio Workout- Tabata Intervals: Select one body weight cardio exercise (stationary running, jumping jacks, squat thrusts, alternating split jumps, ice skater jumps, etc.) OR one total body exercise (squat to presses, deadlift + curls, lunge + curl to press, swings, etc.) and perform 20 seconds on, 10 seconds off for four straight minutes, followed by a one-minute rest.

If Obama has 10 minutes to workout:
Strength Workout- Continuous Work: Perform max rounds of 10 reps of an upper body exercise (push-ups, rows, pull-ups, dips, etc.) and 20 reps of a lower body exercise (squats, deadlifts, hip extensions, lunges, etc.) for time.

Cardio Workout- Tabata Intervals: Select one body weight cardio exercise (stationary running, jumping jacks, squat thrusts, alternating split jumps, ice skater jumps, etc.) OR one total body exercise (squat to presses, deadlift + curls, lunge + curl to press, swings, etc.) and perform 20 seconds on, 10 seconds off for four straight minutes, followed by a one-minute rest. Repeat this five-minute sequence one more time with the same exercise or with the exercise(s) of your choice.

If Obama has 20 minutes to workout:
Strength Workout- Continuous Work: Perform two different 10-minute work zones. For work zone one, perform max rounds of 10 reps of an upper body pushing exercise (push-ups, dips, presses, etc.) and 20 reps of a double-leg lower body exercise (squats, deadlifts, hip extensions, etc.) for time. For work zone two, perform max rounds of 10 reps of an upper body pulling exercise (pull-ups, rows, curls, etc.) and 10 reps/leg of a single-leg lower body exercise (lunges, step-ups, single-leg hip extensions, etc.) for time.

Cardio Workout- Tabata Intervals: Select one body weight cardio exercise (stationary running, jumping jacks, squat thrusts, alternating split jumps, ice skater jumps, etc.) OR one total body exercise (squat to presses, deadlift + curls, lunge + curl to press, swings, etc.) and perform 20 seconds on, 10 seconds off for four straight minutes, followed by a one-minute rest. Repeat this five-minute sequence three more times with the same exercise or with the exercise(s) of your choice.

I’m sure the President will appreciate this killer fitness plan that works with, not against, his schedule as a courageous world leader. And if Obama can fit in his own personal workouts, you best believe there are no excuses for you not to do the same.

Valentines Day and Mullets.......

Happy Valentines Day,

This Saturday at 11 A.M. is the Next Level St. Valentines Day Boot Camp Massacre, it's FREE to attend, and it will be alot of FUN and a great Workout!

As for the Mullets..... Click the link below to see what thats all about:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3_-FpBKdtM


Yours In Fitness,

Steve

Valentines Day Massacre Workout at Next Level on V-Day!

For most people Valentine’s Day is an excuse to cuddle up to that special someone, eat chocolates, and make sweet sweet "music". Hey, sounds good to me too, but surely we can be more creative than that!

This Saturday at Next Level its a chance for all my boot campers, personal training clients, and anyone else interested, to bring in their significant other to the Next Level Boot Camp for LUVAHS! Saturday 11 A.M. Its an all partner workout for the national day of LOVE!

Why not mix things up this Valentintes Day with a fun workout you can do in the comfort of your home with your significant other?

Today I am going to introduce you to the concept of partner training. Partner training is essentially a workout that involves performing joint exercises with at least one other person or more.
There are a ton of benefits to partner training, including:
Social Support and Accountability
No Equipment Needed
Provides a Ton of Variety
Breeds Competition and Drives Better Results
It’s FUN!

Partner training is something that I am going to introduce into our Next Level Boot Camps. The inner "hulk" seems to come out of the woodwork whenever people workout with someone else- you are simply pushed to the limit and there is no better way to make your body change and break out of a frustrating training rut.

But, being that it’s the most "important" holiday of the year (yeah, I am being a sarcastic smart ass), let’s make today’s partner training workout a little more intimate if you will. ooooh lah lah!

So grab your honey pie and try this bad boy out!

The Valentine’s Day Workout for Couples- Tabata Style Partner Training

This 20-minute total body partner workout will consist of all body weight-based exercises. For each exercise at each outlined station below you will alternate between 20 s of work and 10 s of rest. You will repeat this 30-second sequence eight times for four total minutes followed by a one-minute rest and transition before moving on to the next station listed:

Station#1- Partner Push-up-Row Combo
Station #2- Partner Resisted Stationary Lunges- Static or Dynamic
Station #3- Partner Resisted Pillar Circuit
Station #4- Partner Resisted Squats- Static or Dynamic

Now go ask someone to be your valentine and take your partner workout to the next level! They say that sweat-driven pheromones are one of nature’s most powerful aphrodisiacs… you tell me ;)

Yours In Fitness,

Steverino

P.S.- Thanks for all the get well wishes!!!!!!

Cut thousands of Calories this Super Bowl Sunday the Next Level Way!

With Super Bowl Sunday less than a week away, now is the time to start preparing for the smorgasbord of goodies for your football party. However, why not make a couple important changes to some of your favorite super bowl party food recipes to make them healthier and more beach body friendly come kickoff?

The following is the Next Level Super Bowl food list, which contains both approved food choices and/or healthier substitutes for traditional super bowl party foods. Use this list to satisfy your cravings while saving hundreds if not thousands of calories in the process. If you use these strategies consistently for parties and social gatherings over the course of the year, this could prevent 10-15 lbs of fat gain!

Section I- Appetizers
Naked Sandwiches (preferably bun-less, only use whole grain bun option if absolutely needed)
Thin Crust Whole Grain Pizza
Fruit Salad (throw low carb whipped cream and dash of splenda/stevia on top as desired)
Super Salad Bowl (use unlimited veggies and meats, dip dressing on the side or use low calorie substitutes)
Sweet Potato Fries
Tuna or Chicken Salad
Nut Butter on Celery Sticks
Mixed Nuts (no sugar, unroasted, low in salt)
Cheese, Eggs, and Meat Tray
Caprese Salad
Raw Veggies (use dip sparingly)
Grilled/Sauteed Veggies (use extra virgin olive or coconut oil)
Figure-Friendly Nachos (see “accessories” below for ingredients: tortillas, cheese, salsa, and guac)
Buffalo Chicken Bites (skinless, no breading, use low calorie buffalo sauce sparingly)
Pasta Salad (use whole grain pasta and go easy on the dressings, choosing marina based sauces over creamier versions)

Section II- Accessories
Natural Whole Grain Tortillas
Natural Baked Chips
Natural Cheetohs
Diet Lipton Green Teas (or other low calorie/carb beverages)
Water
Natural Salsa
Guacamole
Salad Dressings: Vinegars of choice (apple cider, red wine, balsamic, etc.)
Other Low Calorie Condiments of Choice: mustard, hot sauce, horseradish, etc.

Section III- Main Courses
Lettuce Burgers (use extra lean sirloin or bison, preferably bun-less only using whole grain bun option if absolutely needed)
Rotisserie Chicken (choose “plain” and remove skin and dab off any grease as needed with paper towel)
Extra Lean Kosher Hot Dogs (preferably bun-less, only use whole grain bun option if absolutely needed)
Chili (preferably bean-less, only use if absolutely needed and feel free to swap extra lean turkey for the beef version to cut down fat intake)
Pizza (see “appetizers” above or use whole grain/thin crust options from restaurants or frozen food isles)

Section IV- Desserts
Edy’s Grand Light Ice Cream
Prograde Cravers (100% organic chocolate snacks bars)
Larabars
Cocoa Via Bars or Packs
Low Carb Cheesecake from Cheesecake Factory
Protein Cookies (swap in protein powder for flour)

BONUS- Top 10 Next Level Tips to Save Thousands of Calories on Super Bowl Sunday

1.) Go Naked: Replace all buns or breading for sandwiches with a lettuce wrap alternative to cut calories, stabilize blood sugar, and boost fiber and micronutrient intake.

2.) Hydrate: Drink at least two to four cups of water before eating AND one to two cups every 15-30 minutes after you start eating to fill your stomach and prevent overeating that can be triggers by dehydration.

3.) Eliminate Empty Liquid Calories: Minimize or eliminate all fruit juices, regular sodas, and alcohol. Opt for water, tea, or low calorie/carb beverages in moderation to leave more room for whole food choices that have more nutritional value and better fill you up.

4.) Do not fast in preparation for a feast as it will turn your body into a famished fat-storing machine the next time you eat. The resulting low blood sugar levels that come from not eating for four hours or more make you crave junk foods high in both fat and refined sugars.

5.) Replace All White with Brown (Or Better Yet... Green!): Be sure to use the whole grain alternatives for any starch you serve at your party (e.g. chips, tortillas, breads, rice, pasta). Whole grains have more vitamins and minerals and are high in fiber which means they won’t have as negative of an impact on your blood sugar compared to its white counterparts. However, if you want to be a nutritional boy or girl scout, go one step further by replacing all brown with green in the form of green veggies (see “Go Naked” above).

6.) Focus on eating lean proteins and fruits and veggies first. Use these in unlimited amounts as needed to fill you up and best prevent the typical party “killshot” of high carb and high fat meals (e.g. thick crust pizza with extra full-fat cheese).

7.) Never eat directly out of the bag or community bowl and use smaller plates to put your food on while limiting yourself to a pre-set plate total (e.g. four plate maximum during a three-hour football game).

8.) Replace Gold With Green: Opt for guacamole over cheese for your salads and chips. Guacamole is not only low in saturated fat and high in heart healthy monounsaturated fats but it also has a ton of fiber that will help fill you up fast and prevent overeating. Though cheese is a true super food in moderation, it is very easy to overeat especially when mixed with refined carb sources like white chips and pizza.

9.) Replace Flour with Protein Powder: Few people know that protein powder makes a great cooking or baking substitute for flour (e.g. protein cookies). By adding protein and reducing carb intake you will boost metabolism.

10.) 30 Chews: Eat slowly and require a certain number of chews before you swallow to allow your brain enough time to get the “I’m full” signal (e.g. 20 pre-swallow chews).

Yours In Fitness,

Steve Krebs

www.nextlevelbeachbodybootcamp.com
www.nxtlevelspeed.com

Turn Your New Years Resolutions Into Next Level Results: Part II

Step Two- The What and When: What do you want to accomplish and when do you want to accomplish it by?

So we already figured out the obvious: you want to look better and get that Beach Body! So, now we need to establish what objective goal(s) need to be accomplished in order to realize this dream.

There are three major ways you can track “look better” progress in order of importance from least to most important:
Scale Weight: This is by far the least important goal, but it gives a number that’s worth tracking. Though body fat percentage would be a much better method of tracking progress, it is simply too inaccurate on a small scale and too costly on a large scale. The key is to taking your initial weight before you start and then not weighing more than every 2 weeks. I have found most people to do better with tracking their weight every month. There are simply too many variables for controlling your body weight and the natural fluctuations based on diet (and for women, their menstrual cycle), means the less frequently you do this the better. If the scale is just too de-motivating for you in general, then just skip this one altogether if you must, because the next two markers are far more important.

Dress/Pant Size: This is probably the most simple and effective unused method of tracking whether or not you look better. I think it’s safe to say that if you are dropping dress and/or pant sizes that you will be looking better, right? Your best bet is to also select one dress or one pair of pants that you really want to get into since that is the true end goal in mind. I tell my clients to assess how they are fitting in their preferred dress/pant size tracker on a weekly or bi-weekly basis since our clients that follow our program exactly as outlined typically lose a dress and/or pant size every month (until they get to their ideal dimensions). For those of you would want to argue that every outfitter has different sizes, well that’s a mute point if you use the same pant or dress size to track. There’s nothing more powerful than being to literally being able to feel yourself comfortably get into those skinny jeans.

Digital Pictures: Pictures don’t lie, that’s the bottom line. If you want to look better, what better way is there to assess this than pictures? I cannot begin to tell you how important this is. Taking a before picture is essentially you telling the whole world that you are ready to change and that you are ready to do whatever it takes to make those changes. They key is take pictures wearing exactly what you want to look your best in. Now, don’t be sending me nude pictures of yourself, ha (though you can keep these for yourself to track if you’d like). Maybe it’s taking pictures of you in the dress or pair of pants that you are using to track your dress or pant size. Or maybe it’s a sleeveless shirt and tank top that you want to wear during the summer. And if you want to see your abs, then you best believe that you need to take pictures of your abs to track how much more definition you get. Take a front, side, and rear view picture and be sure to note the exact conditions in which the picture was taken (lighting, distance from camera, time of day/week, etc.) to be as accurate as possible in your assessment. The clients whom I’ve transformed that failed to take before pictures in the past have nothing but regret about it. Your before pictures will become your trophy and they are an absolute must if you really are serious about getting results that count. We tell our clients to take new pictures either bi-weekly or monthly until they reach their goal(s).

Step Three- Planning and Preparing for Roadblocks: What are the big obstacles that will prevent you from having the success you desire? What’s contributed most to past failures?

Now that we know what you want to accomplish, it’s time to plan and prepare for any obstacles that might get in your way of getting the job done based on your own personal schedule.
In general, the number one thing I hear is that people are too busy and tired and don’t have enough time to get their workouts in or make their meals. Well, I don’t care how busy you think you are, there is always hidden time throughout the day and week that can be freed up if your re-prioritize. Again, think back to why you wanted to do this in the first place and then examine what’s most important to you. Make your workouts and your meal times just like work appointments. Either you make the appointment or you don’t. And if you want to keep your job (or get your Beach body) then you better make that appointment.

*Another big obstacle is alcohol. People like to drink and unfortunately alcohol is about as detrimental to burning fat as it gets. Again, what’s more important to you, looking sexy or getting hammered. The choice is yours. Remember, once you achieve your goal(s), alcohol can be added back in with moderation. But know this, lean people just don’t get wasted unless they are genetic freaks. Low to zero alcohol consumption is needed if you want to look your best year round and that’s a fact.

Lastly, many people deal with boredom eating or emotional eating. Boredom eating means just that, eating to fill up dead time when you have nothing better to do. The best way to deal with this is, you guessed it, to do something! Find an active hobby to keep your mind off of eating when boredom strikes and you can beat this trend. Emotional eating describes the use of food to cope with stress or to reward for accomplishment. Food is not unlike drugs or alcohol in this regard, it can be very addictive. There is no quick fix for emotional eating other than avoiding trigger situations (bars, parties, etc.) and trigger foods (starches, sugars, fast food, etc.) in the short term to break bad habits.

At the end of the day, whether your roadblocks are very individual or if they fall in line with the general roadblocks our clients encounter on a regular basis, the key is to be honest about them and to plan and prepare for them. And that’s where social support and accountability come into play. The clients who have had the most success with us have undergone their transformation with the support of other friends or family members. This is so critical, especially since most of the poor food and drinking choices that sabotage one’s progress occur on the weekend, when most people hang out with their friend and family. If they are committed with you and your goal to get fit and look better, you can put yourself in a much better position to realize the success your desire and deserve. The last thing anybody needs is sabotage or peer pressure from those closest to you, so get them on board and get them on board early.


Yours In Fitness,

Steve Krebs

Next Level New Years Resolutions success: Part I

Step One- The Why: Why do you want to do this?

Ok, It's time to get serious. In almost every initial consultation I do, when I ask why they have contacted me today, here is the typical answer that I first hear:
“Well, I just want to get healthy and lose weight I guess.”

Nope, I don’t buy it. Sure, I know they want to lose weight and be healthy, I mean who doesn’t, but really WHY do they want to do this? I mean, what is it that’s going to get them up at 5 am to get their morning workouts in, or take a couple of hours on Sunday to plan and prepare their meals for the upcoming week? It sure isn’t “being healthy” because for some reason this just isn’t a very powerful motivator for most people (though it should be).

Let’s face it: everybody, including YOU, wants to look better naked. Stop giggling, you know it’s true and that’s okay because the desire to improve your appearance is the most powerful motivator there is. This shouldn’t be such a big surprise since the main life mission of humans, or any species for that matter, is to procreate. This is instinctual. And obviously, looking better makes this more of a reality. ;-)

So, after a little digging, I find out the real reason why they want to do this; I find their past or pain and then establish their current and future ambitions. Some people want to be able to go the beach and take their shirt off, or wear a new bikini and not feel self-conscious. Others want to get back into their "skinny jeans" that they haven’t been able to get one leg into for the last five years. Then there are those who want to look and feel more attractive to ignite some passion back into their relationships and/or put for their best image at work.
And of course, my personal favorite is preparing for big events that have built in deadlines. Wanting to get as lean and tight as possible to rock that dream bathing suit in Chile, or get off the plane in Florida when visiting family you haven’t seen in two years to blow them away with your new body, or being a classic beauty in your wedding dress on the big day, it all works!
This is the stuff that gets people excited and ready to commit to making some real changes. How do I know? Well, I just shared with you verbatim the exact “WHY’S” of some of my own clients.
So, the first thing you have to figure out is your personal WHY. To make this even simpler for you, just answer this question: what are YOUR GOALS? For appearance? For Fitness? Do you want that flat stomach? Beach Body? Bulging Biceps? Set your goal, handwrite it, and post somewhere you can see it everyday!

Yours In Fitness,

Steve Krebs
www.nextlevelbeachbodybootcamp.com