Several of you all have requested for more workouts on the site to take with you during your travels and at home when you don’t have the time to hit the gym or St. Pete Boot Camp. Now that the summer is in full gear, the kids are out of school, and vacation and travel times are approaching time is of essence, leaving long workouts secondary.
Here’s an intermediate workout you can try at the gym or at home using very little exercise equipment. All you need is a stability ball and dumbbells to perform 5 exercises designed to give you a total body workout in as little as 24 minutes. If you’re part of the Rapid Fat Loss Body Transformation Contest, this is a great one to use to have an edge over your competition : )
1. DB Incline Pushups
2. Bent Rows
3. DB Sumo Deadlift
4. One-leg Squat
5. Drop and Catch
Each exercise will be done 15 – 25 repititions before moving to the next station. Perform all exercises before resting 45 – 90 seconds. Repeat for a total of 3- 5 sets.
Make sure to post a comment and tell me how’d you do.
PS – Make sure to sign up for the fourth 8-week Rapid Fat Loss Transformation Contest. The contest begins Monday June 14, 2010 and includes 3 personal training sessions, access to unlimted boot camps and meal plans. The deadline is June 21st and we are limiting the contest to only 15 people. Go to http://www.stpetebootcamp.com/?page_id=181 and get started today!
HEALTH TIPS
Damon Reio offers tips for moms, moms-to-be and women in general:
• Two or three key supplements: Take a daily whole foods multivitamin made specifically for women and a fish oil or EFA (essential fatty acid) supplement to cover your nutritional bases and to improve health, performance and body composition. Every other supplement is either unnecessary or simply a item that can be replaced with a whole food alternative. Don’t forget your vitamin D3 as well. For these supplements visit HERE.
• Perform three total-body metabolic workouts per week: A metabolic workout consists of a circuit of compound exercises focusing on the upper body, lower body and core and elevates metabolism for up to 38 hours post-workout. These types of routines combine strength training with cardiovascular exercise and can also be done using just your bodyweight. For example, alternate between 50 seconds of work and 10 seconds of rest for each exercise in the following five-exercise circuit: squats, push-ups, lunges, rows and hip extensions. Perform up to four total rounds for a 20-minute workout you can do anywhere.
• Think fiber when it comes to carbs: Focus on consuming nutrient-dense, high-fiber carbs such as fruits and vegetables every two to four hours. If you must have the other carbs, have them within one to two hours of intensive exercise when your body best tolerates starches and sugars without unwanted fat gain.
• Burn stubborn fat with cardio interval training: Intervals provide greater fat loss and fitness improvements in less time than traditional aerobic exercise. More specifically, high-intensity interval training causes a large release of catecholamines (adrenaline and noradrenalin), which mobilizes stubborn fat deposits. This is another metabolic enhancer which helps you to burn fat even 38 hours after your workout. For example, alternate between 60 seconds of maximum effort and 120 seconds of active recovery. Perform seven total rounds for a 21-minute workout, not including a five-minute warm-up and cool-down.
• Go green to be lean: Consume an unlimited amount of green vegetables such as broccoli, green beans, spinach, dark, leafy lettuce and peppers. Green veggies do not count as carbs or calories in my book and are loaded with vitamins, minerals, fiber, antioxidants and phytochemicals. They also help to curb hunger and keep you full between meals. But avoid corn, peas, carrots, beets and potatoes because they negatively impact your blood sugar and have little nutritional value when compared with the greener alternatives.
• Roll out for longevity: A foam roller is a self-massage tool that will help improve your tissue quality, thus reducing unwanted aches and pain. Most joint pain is a result of scarring and adhesions in the muscles above and below the joint in question. Spend 30 to 60 seconds rolling out sore and tender muscle groups both pre- and post-workout to reduce soreness and accelerate recovery from workouts and daily stress. Get with me on this item or you can also use a tennis ball.
St. Pete Boot Camp Valentine's Day
• Find strength in numbers: Studies continue to support that when it comes to achieving lasting weight loss and fully adopting an active lifestyle, social support and accountability remain the X-factor. Flock with friends and co-workers who have the same goals as yourself. You can also get involved in group exercise classes such as our Zumba and Boot Camp programs through St. Pete Boot Camp. In fact, don’t forget to register for the Mother’s Day Boot Camp Extravaganza this Saturday.
Good job everyone who participated in Sportsfest this Saturday! We were just a small band of cadre compared to the 192 teams present and you all really put your heart into going beyond your capacity.
As I write this entry, cliches’ such as “practice what you preach,” and “walk the talk” come to mind. Saturday April 24th was an exciting and fun-filled day, packed with people and competition.
Sportsfest was high on the list, underneath winning, and we all came to St. Pete Beach that Saturday with one mission – Leave with putting St. Pete Boot Camp on the map.
The strategy was simple, we were more conditioned, trained harder and longer over the coarse of one year, had more endurance, agility, speed and comraderie. I adopted the philosophy of many athletic coaches: “Sports specific training should not be the importance above overall conditioning for a particular sport.” Although we clearly had outmatched our competition physically in every event we participated, learning the specific fundamentals or “practice” was in fact as important as our theory that we would out-muscle them with our years worth of physical training through intensive boot camp regimens.
I found that though we may have placed in the top 20 out of 192 teams in tug of war, the theory behind applying our routines to competition day was meaningless without practicing the actual event.
Congrats to the first St. Pete Boot Camp Sportsfest team. You all did an excellent job and I can’t wait for next year!
You know I’ve been professing the benifits of total body workouts for rapid fat loss in the gym, at home and through all of my boot camps. Why? Simple – the more body parts one uses at once means more muscle engagement and energy expenditure, leading to more calories burned and muscular tone in a short amount of time. This is compared to the ol’ school style of exercise where an individual focuses on one particular machine or muscle group, performing “3 sets” before moving to the next. Not only does this waste time in the short term (leading to an hour and a half workout) but also in the long run in regards to your overall fat loss and body sculpting goals.
Fat loss occurs when one raises their heart rate 70 – 90 percent of it’s maximum through high intensity movement followed by short periods of recovery.
Here’s an example you can try above. It can be done at home or the gym. Leave a comment and let us know your experience versus the everyday old style of exercise at the gym.
This week, St. Pete Boot Camps theme is geared toward partner training.All of our routines will consist of working with a partner for motivation and fast results. Whether you come to camp alone or with someone, you and the person you pair with this week will get the results as well as fresh ideas, from these workouts, to take home with you — guaranteed!
Having a training partner in the gym or any field is a highly recommended way to stay motivated and on track to reaching your goals while being held accountable. Well, actually, it all depends. My saying has always been “a partner can either make you or break you.” I am also a firm believer on finding a partner (business, fitness, friend) that is better, or at least on the same playing field as you.
Another case of the "blind leading the blind."
A training partner who always calls you minutes before the two of you workout (or doesn’t call at all) only to skip a session is most likely to bring that same energy to you. Before you know it, you are back to square one – at home instead of taking control of your body.
On the other hand, a motivating partner who pushes you even when you’re “tired” and can’t do another set is the one that will bring something to the table. So, don’t just find someone to hit the gym or trail with you just because they’re your friend or co-worker. Better yet, find a partner that is serious just like you and MAKE IT HAPPEN!
Atleast you're not doing these in boot camp...yet!
If you are one of the many dedicated members of Physiques by Damon Reio Personal Training or St. Pete Boot Camps, you are more than familiar with the “B” word and probably cringe as the two syllables form out of my mouth for your next exercise routine – (Burr-pea) Burpee. But, the reason why I recommend and prescribe this exercise in my workouts and personally love them is because the body movement is integrative and totally effective in terms of improved motor skills, increased metabolism and body sculpting.
By far, the Burpee is considered the “most challenging bodyweight exercise.” The reason is because there is nothing “isolation” about it, as with a squat or sit-up. In order to perform this particular exercise, your individual muscles become a “team” performing squats, pushups, planks and interconnect with one another thus requiring you to work more body parts simutaneously leading to faster fatigue but quicker fat shedding and results! So, just before you sigh and lable your fitness coach as a “manic depressive/masicist who takes his personal issues out on you, consider the benefits your body is reaping:
Tighter stomach
Firm butt
Stronger shoulders and upper body
Defined calves
Better back posture
Fitter looking arms
Increased agility and physical performance
A symetrical and sexier physique
Greater endurance and much, much more…
The Origin of the Burpee
The exercise may have been originated by a man named Lieutenant Thomas Burpee who lived from 1757-1839. He was an officer in the New Hampshire Militia during the American Revolutionary War and was described as “having the innate “Burpee” fondness for martial exercises” in A History of the Town of New London, Merrimack County, New Hampshire. Lt. Burpee may have used the combination of pushups and squat thrusts as a means of drilling, conditioning, and disciplining the troops under his command. In addition, the exercise was also been used by the troops as a way to stay warm during the winters in wartime New England. There you have it, how does it feel to train like a soldier?
Enough said, let us get to business!
After you have mastered the Burpee, here is a routine you can do at the gym or in the comfort of your own home that adds a little variation to the exercise. It requires, very little equipment. In fact, all you need is a dumbell, medicine ball or some sort of resistant weight such as a telephone book. ARE YOU READY FOR THIS 24 MINUTE ROUTINE?:
Perform each station for 2 minutes. After completing the entire circuit (6 stations), rest for only 45 – 90 seconds. Repeat the circuit for two sets. You are a bad a@# if you go for three.
To start the New Year off leaner, fitter and sexier, we began the 8-Week Ultimate Body Transformation Contest on December 1st 2009. Since then, sixteen committed individuals participated in the program and are on their way to reaching their well deserved fitness goals.
Now, its back! February 1, 2010 the second 8-Week Ultimate Body Transformation Contest begins and will be stronger than ever – will you?
Because the Rapid Fat Loss Contest was found to be so popular, I am raising the bar by providing more tools to help you along the way and cash prizes for the winners. This time, the winner will recieve $300 for losing the most body fat! Sign up today, before Monday, January 18, 2010 for only $198.99
The Skinny.
After January 18, registration for the contest will be $298.99. So, pull the trigger and start now for the same investment as the last contest in December of only 198.99. After January 18th its going up $100.
The contest is simple and EVERYONE wins. When you take the challenge, your registration includes the following:
Up to 32 Personal Training Sessions with Damon Reio for 2 months – Valued at $840.00
Unlimited admission to ALL St. Pete Boot Camps sessions for 2 months (10 camps per week!) – Valued at $200.00
Weekly phone coaching and email sessions – Valued at $130.00
Rapid Fat Loss Meal Plan – Valued at $45.00
The Rapid Fat Loss and 8-week Total Body-Weight Program – Valued at $45
Wait, there’s more! Check out these bonuses I threw in…
Fitness and Dietary Journal to track your results
A personalized success video to track your progress and transformation.
Before and after fitness evaluation
2 Monthy Group Consultations (Dates TBA)
This program is cleary worth $1260. But start now for only $198.99 until January 18th where the price of this popular program will go up to $298.99.
Here’s how the contest works:
After 8-weeks of committing to the Physiques Rapid Fat Loss Transformation Contest, participants will be rated based on the amount of body fat they lost over the course of 2 months (contest ends March 1, 2010). Three winners will be announced on March 1, 2010 and the prizes goes to those have successfully reduced the most body fat and inches.
First Place – $200cash $300 cash, 8 free sessions of personal training and 12 free St. Pete Boot Camps sessions !
Second Place – $100 cash, 4 free sessions of personal training and 8 free St. Pete Boot Camps Sessions!
Third Place – $50 cash, 2 free sessions of personal training and 4 FREE St. Pete Boot Camps Sessions!
Do you have what it takes to meet the Ultimate Fat Loss Body Transformation Contest? Check out these success stories for yourself before making the decision to enter the contest.
Lose fat and build muscle tone at the same time in 8-weeks!
Mary Elena
I love the complete workout that you get at Damon’s Saturday morning boot camp sessions! At my age, I’m in the shape of my life!
Saturday used to be a day off of exercise for me, now it’s the fitness highlight of my week!
Mary Elena
Pull the trigger and get started today! “All you have is weight to lose and money to gain!”
Contest begins February 1, 2010 - entry begins now!
The Physiques 8-week Body Transformation Contest $198.99 - Paid in Full (Special offer expires 1/18/2010)
The Physiques 8-week Body Transformation Contest – Two Easy Payments
Rapid Fat Loss Body Transformation Contest registration after January 18, 2010
The Physiques 8-week Body Transformation Contest – Two Easy Payments
Did you know studies show that over 90 percent of the people who (attempt to) commit to a fitness New Year’s Resolution simply give up on their goals within the second week?! That means, statistically you have a 10 percent chance to reach your fitness endeavors if you wait until January 1st to take control of your body! I have a better, guaranteed plan for you: The Physiques Rapid Fat Loss Body Transformation Contest.
About the Holiday Season:
During the holiday season milliions of people individually accumulate thousands of extra calories from October through January. Beginning with the Halloween sweets, to the Thanksgiving pies and Christmas egg nog, we all tend to be confronted with nutritional choices that may contradict the fitness lifestyle we want to have or continue. As a result, this becomes the time of the season when we gain the most fat and exercise less.
Halloween and Thanksgiving have passed but you still have two more to go – Christmas and New Years Eve; (and to mention, the notorious holiday parties). Don’t wait until the New Year to try to get in the best shape you desire and deserve.
The Skinny
So, in response to the thousands of calories you may be tempted to consume over the holidays along with the busy schedule you may have between now and the New Year, I have designed a contest and sure-fire program that will ultimately get and keep you on track to getting you in the best shape of your life.
The contest is simple and EVERYONE wins. When you take the challenge, your registration includes the following:
Up to 32 Personal Training Sessions with Damon Reio for 2 months - Valued at $840.00
Unlimited admission to ALL St. Pete Boot Camps sessions for 2 months (10 camps per week!) - Valued at $200.00
Weekly phone coaching and email sessions – Valued at $130.00
Rapid Fat Loss Meal Plan – Valued at $45.00
The Rapid Fat Loss and 8-week Total Body-Weight Program – Valued at $45
Wait, there’s more! Check out these bonuses I threw in…
Fitness and Dietary Journal to track your results
A personalized success video to track your progress and transformation.
Before and after fitness evaluation
2 Monthy Group Consultations (12/26/09 and 1/23/10)
This program is cleary worth $1260. But start now for only $198.99
Here’s how the contest works:
After 8-weeks of committing to the Physiques Rapid Fat Loss Transformation Contest, participants will be rated based on the amount of body fat they lost over the course of 2 months (contest ends January 30, 2010). Three winners will be announced on January 30, 2010 and the prizes goes to those have successfully reduced the most body fat and inches.
First Place – $200 cash, 8 free sessions of personal training and 12 free St. Pete Boot Camps sessions !
Second Place – $100 cash, 4 free sessions of personal training and 8 free St. Pete Boot Camps Sessions!
Third Place – $50 cash, 2 free sessions of personal training and 4 FREE St. Pete Boot Camps Sessions!
Do you have what it takes to meet the Ultimate Fat Loss Body Transformation Contest? Check out these success stories for yourself before making the decision to enter the contest.
Lose fat and build muscle tone at the same time in 8-weeks!
Mary Elena
I love the complete workout that you get at Damon’s Saturday morning boot camp sessions! At my age, I’m in the shape of my life!
Saturday used to be a day off of exercise for me, now it’s the fitness highlight of my week!
Mary Elena
Pull the trigger and get started today! “All you have is weight to lose and money to gain!”
Entry begins Monday November 30, 2009
The Physiques 8-week Body Transformation Contest – Paid in Full
The Physiques 8-week Body Transformation Contest – Two Easy Payments
Taking control of your health and fitness as they specifically relate to fat loss is a real no brainer. Ok, there is formula and scientific approach to effectively reaching your fat loss goals but generally, consistent movement coupled with proper nutrition is all you need to “scare” the fat right off of you. Not having time, a gym membership or proper equipment is an excuse of the past and I’m here to prove it to you right now. If you are a living specimen, have a physical body and a lot of determination, you can have the body you desire and deserve!
While Halloween is only a few days away, I am going to show you a total-body, muscle toning routine that will literally “spook” the fat right off your stomach and other undesirable areas. The only equipment you need is – you guessed it – a pumpkin. So, hit your local supermarket (I’ve found them to be a low as $2.50 here as opposed to a pumpkin patch) grab a pumpkin and… Make it happen! You can even do these at the checkout line. ; ) If you don’t want to use a pumpkin, simply use a medicine ball, dumbbell or simply a phone book – I told you that you don’t equipment.
The Killer PUMPkin Interval Workout #2
Complete each circuit for 30 seconds with 10 seconds rest between stations for 5 total sets. Rest 45-90s after completing the entire circuit.
P.S. Don't forget to RSVP - there are still a few spots available for the Free Halloween PUMPkin Boot Camp at North Shore Park Thursday, October 29, 2009 at 5:30 pm. Although this event is free, donations are accepted which will benefit the Susan G Komen Foundation. Healthy Halloween treats will also be provided. Click here to RSVP now!
“No excuses” can usually fall deaf on one ear when it comes to taking control of your health and fitness; especially during this time of the year. Between, holiday gatherings, parties and shopping, this is the time when people generally put good health on the back burner and engage activities and respomsibilities that may not necessarily compliment their overall fitness. By the time the holidays come to an end they wonder where did the weight gain come from and immediately resort to the infamous New Year’s Resolution.
Don't get caught up in the Halloween weight gain web!
As Halloween is “creeping” right around the corner, there is something you should know: pumpkin season is REALLY when the holiday weight gain starts! The months of November through January are typically blamed for holiday weight gain because of Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s. But, the pounds of fat actually start accumulate as early as late October. The amount of sweets people consume during this time is incredible! The smaller snack size that candy manufacturers make available give the impression that eating several “mini” chocolate bars is ok, considering the smaller size. This causes one to eat more than one would if they were to consume the regular-sized bar.
Let’s keep “having fun” the main focus while fixing the things we can control. Use the three figure-saving tips below that I have used on my clients, with great success, for keeping the pounds off while still allowing for the occasional indulgence this “trick or treat” season has to offer:
1. Workout with Pumpkins:
Engage in some rediculously fun and effective seasonal fat loss workouts involving only your body weight and, well… a pumpkin! You can use this large orange fruit like you would a medicine ball (except for the throwing and smashing part). If you don’t want to use a pumpkin, simply use a medicine ball or dumbbell. You can make your very own four minute total body pumpkin fat loss workout, using the provided template below (the options are endless):
Exercise#1- Double-Leg Lower Body: Pumpkin Squats with Shoulder Press 60 s max rep, 10 s rest and transition
Exercise#2- Upper Body Push: Pumpkin Push-ups @ 60 s max reps, 10 s rest and transition
Exercise#3- Single-Leg Lower Body: Pumpkin Lunges with Torso Twist @ 60 s max reps, 10 s rest and transition
Exercise#4- Upper Body Pull: Pumpkin Bent-Over Alternating Rows @ 60 s max reps, 10 s rest and transition
- Perform this 4-minute circuit 3x for 12 total minutes.
View the video below:
Although this workout lasts for only twelve minutes, you will burn tremendous calories and save yourself the time to justify the sweets you would have eaten anyway. These high-intensity, metabolism-boosting circuit interval training workouts only take four minutes to complete and will have you burning tons of calories during the workouts AND even more calories while you’re resting… or having those naughty Halloween treats! Click here to RSVP for the 2nd Annual Charity Halloween PUMPkin Boot Camp on Thursday October 29th at 5:30 pm over at North Shore Park – Downtown St. Petersburg.
As mentioned in my popular article “Managing Your Weight Is Like Managing Your Bank Account,” the secret to losing, gaining or maintaining your weight is based on calories in vs. calories out. If you are trying to lose weight, you have to take in fewer calories than you are expending. People gain weight because they consume more calories than they expend through movement or exercise. This is how the weight-gain begins to “creep” up during Halloween.
2) Make Healthier Halloween Recipes:
Think outside of the box when it comes to preparing Halloween snacks. One great strategy is to use fruit as a main component in your baked goods. The most popular fruit of the fall, the pumpkin, is a health food in disguise. Loaded with beta-carotene and packing 7 grams of fiber in just one cup, adding this to any treat immediately improves its nutritional profile. For example, you can make a fall-time classic, pumpkin pie, into a much more figure-friendly option. In my “Guilt-Free Pumpkin Pie,” I basically substitute the loads of sugar with Splenda and replace high-fat condensed milk with only half the amount of low-fat or fat-free condensed milk. Simple changes like this eliminate the high-sugar, high-fat combination that is responsible for the major weight gain around the holidays. An example recipe is included below:
Damon’s Heavenly Swirls Cheesecake
Heavenly Swirls Cheesecake
Ingredients: - 2 Rectangular Packages of Philadelphia Fat Free Cream
Cheese (plastic container makes a lighter, softer cheesecake if
you prefer)
- 1 Cups of Splenda
- 2 Whole Omega-3 Eggs
- Walden Farms Calorie Free Chocolate Syrup (Optional)
- Add Low Carb Light Whipped Cream to taste
Directions:
Leave the cream cheese outside of the refrigerator for an hour so
it softens.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Mix the four packs of cheesecake
with the Splenda. Afterwards, add one egg at a time. Mix with an
electric mixer. Pour cheesecake into a pan coated with Pam. If
using the chocolate syrup, pour small amounts as you wish and
have fun designing swirls with a knife. Bake for 50 minutes or until
the middle is almost set.
Place in refrigerator for 4 hours, or if you are in a rush, place in
the freezer for one hour. A sliver (1/11 of the pie) can be used as
a treat.
For more tasty Halloween recipes, go here and download a free copy of my “No Tricks Halloween Cookbook.”
3) Use Common Sense:
- Only buy enough candy so that you expect to run out before the evening is over. For weight loss success, it is critical to not have “trigger” foods lying around – the temptation is often too great.
- Allow yourself just one piece of candy in the morning and then one at night. Skip any desserts that you would normally eat after dinner. Also, be sure to increase your exercise activity by thirty minutes on every day that you eat your two pieces of candy. This will counteract the increase in calories that you are consuming.
- Furthermore, if you indulge a bit too much, it’s important to forgive yourself and move on. Dwelling on the past will not help your success.
We must break out of the frustrating eating patterns that sabotage our fat loss efforts during the holidays. Our brains are wired to crave the sugar-packed treats that compliment the Halloween season; not because we’re made that way but because we’re creatures of habit when it comes to holiday tradition and our body craves sugar when we are sedentary. Therefore, instead of using Halloween as a reason to justify eating a bunch of junk food, why not spend the seasonal event to spice up our workouts by using pumpkin exercises and making healthy pumpkin pecan shakes? Halloween thus becomes a fat loss tool for us, an approach that is key to adopting a healthy lifestyle for long-term weight loss success.
Committed to your fitness and success,
Damon Reio
P.S. – To RSVP for the 2nd Annual “Halloween PUMPkin Boot Camp” click here and reicieve my “No Tricks Halloween Cookbook” packed with healthy holiday recipes and treats as a BONUS.
