How to lose 100 or more pounds

Props to Heather Davis. She has lost 110 pounds. It's a story many would like to live. She didn't follow a gimmicky diet or or sign-up for a quick fix fad. She did it with a good plan, hard work and perseverance.

Here are ten tips she offered in a CNN story that you can use to help you on your journey.

I like all of these tips. I use variations of nearly all of these in my weight loss program. One that I haven't used but will incorporate immediately, Tip #8, keep an item of your "big" clothes as motivation. That's a great idea!

Congratulations Heather!

1. Never let anyone tell you "You can't." Yes, you can.
2. Get as much social support as possible. Going to the gym with others is fun and motivating.
3. You will not be the biggest person in the gym and everyone will not be staring at you.
4. Some thin people in the gym used to be really heavy and they will applaud you.
5. Lose weight for you. Not because someone else tells you to. Also, know when to stop losing.
6. If you lose your way (fall off your diet), get right back into the saddle and try again.
7. Keep a calendar. Mark off every day you exercise and eat right. You will see the days rack up, and it will make you proud.
8. When you do lose weight, save one item from your heaviest weight. Look at it when you feel discouraged and you'll see how far you've come.
9. Don't let friends or family derail you. If you don't want to eat something, it is OK to politely decline, but don't go crazy. You don't want to be "that person" at the lunch table.
10. If you want cheesecake or a sweet treat -- eat it in moderation. Don't deprive yourself of anything or you will get discouraged.

How Powerful is a Boot Camp?

First, you need to get into my boot camp. Today is the last day of the first week, but you can still register - right up until next Friday!

Second, If you're skeptical of the results you can get from a Boot Camp, read this article.

Finally, the best Boot Camps are fun, challenging, rewarding and most importantly, get results. Exactly what you get here.

Fitness Trends for 2008

January 8, 2008

The American College of Sports Medicine published it's fitness trends report for 2008 in December of last year.

A pdf version of the article is here: http://www.informz.net/acsm/data/images/worldwidetrends.pdf

In surveying nearly 2,000 fitness professionals throughout the world and corroborating with internationally known fitness experts, a list of 20 fitness trends was identified. I'm giving you the top 10 and adding my comments to each.

Take a look and let me know what you think. Are your New Year's Resolutions aligned with any of these trends? Are you a member of a health club or fitness center that offers services like these? Do you have access to these services?
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Number 1: Educated and Experienced Fitness Professionals
There is currently no regulation of Certifying agencies for fitness professionals. Anyone can offer a "Personal Trainer" cerfitication and not have standards to meet. However, more and more certifying organizations and schools are becoming accredited. This is great. Just as hiring a CPA gives confidence that certain levels of education have been obtained and demonstrated, so should it be with fitness professionals.

As a doctor, I continuously push for higher educational standards of personal trainers and you should too. After all, you literally put your life in their hands. And if a trainer you have chosen isn't educated and trained regarding contraindications, you are taking a big risk.

Number 2: Children and Obesity
This is an important one. Reports have been saying for a while that this may be the first generation that doesn't outlive their parents. And a big part of that is obesity and related lifestyle disorders. If we can keep physical education in the schools and take advantage of physically active based after school programs for our children, it will be a major step in the right direction.

Number 3: Personal Training
This will be a staple of the top 10 every year the survey is conducted. Learning to exercise properly, whether it be for health or sport, should be your number one priority. And a well-educated personal trainer is invaluable in that regard. Without proper instruction you are more likely to get injured and may never reach your goals.

Number 4: Strength Training
Personally, I'm glad this is in the top 10. The health benefits of strength training are simply too numerous and profound to ignore. You must incorporate strength training into your exercise routine.

Number 5: Core Training
At one time, people thought this was a fad. But it has certainly lasted long enough to be called a trend. Core training has been defined as training the muscles of the abdominals and lower back. Some include balance training too. Whatever the case, strength in the trunk of your body is needed for support. Strengthen your core and you'll feel better.

Number 6: Special Fitness Programs for Older Adults
As you age, health becomes more important (it really should be important from day 1). And programs tailored to older individuals are more popular. Programs like these focus on increasing strength, flexibility and performing activities of daily living. As a side benefit, all of these things significantly improve your health too.

Number 7: Pilates
A form of core training, Pilates has been a staple of the fitness scene for years.

Number 8: Functional Fitness
This is a form of exercise that improves your ability to perform activities of daily living. A well-balanced program will improve overall strength, flexibility, balance and heart fitness. As you progress, you will feel more confident when performing regular tasks as your risk of injury and adverse events decreases.

Number 9: Swiss Ball
Most people refer to them as stability balls. These are the large balls most fitness centers now have. They can be used to perform an almost limitless number of exercises, focusing on training the abdominals, improving balance and overall stabilization. Core training incorporates the use of stability balls.

Number 10: Yoga
A form of mind-body exercise that focuses on flexibility, posture and meditation.

Additional thoughts by me...
I like the list and am considering posting 11-20. However, I think teasing out the differences in some of these is difficult. For example, Core Training, Functional Fitness, Pilates, Swiss Ball and Yoga aren't all that different - at least not different enough to have their own categories.

There are a couple of things I would have liked to seen in the top 10:

1. Greater focus on dealing with chronic diseases and conditions that physical activity positvely effects. For example, there is no mention of type II diabetes, high blood pressure or heart disease. This might fall under the auspices of education, which is #1. In my personal opinion, fitness professionals could do themselves (and their industry by default) a lot of good by educating themselves in these areas, creating services to help more people and having a positive impact in the lives of people.


2. More focus on developing services to help businesses improve the health of their employees. All fitness centers and personal training studios have small businesses close to them. They should be developing programs to help these businesses reduce health-related costs. For example, we recently performed a healthy back seminar for two different companies with amazing results. Based on worker productivity, reduced sick time and improvement in back pain, the companies were able to realize savings of more than $40,000. That's a lot of money. Click here to read our press release.

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We are firmly into the second week of the New Year. How are you doing on your resolutions? I hope you're doing well. If you need a boost we're here to help. Take a look at some of the more specific New Year's services we're offering to help you reach those goals.

• BSFC Remote: The best way for you to get there from here! In BSFC Remote I personally develop your exercise routine based on your goals and current ability. Each workout includes a step-by-step guide on performing your workout along with illustrations and text descriptions of all activities. The illustrations show you correct body position for the beginning and ending position of each exercise and stretch. Finally, you'll get full email support throughout your time in BSFC Remote. If you ever have a question, all you will have to do is email me and I'll get back to you. Here is a sample of the photos and text descriptions for a single exercise. Remember, each exercise and stretch in your program will have this too.


• Tomorrow (Wednesday) is the free webinar on living, looking and feeling younger. Remember, you'll get all the keys to achieve this. There are only a few slots available...click here to register and learn how to live, look and feel younger.

• Don't forget. Next Monday (January 14, 2008) our 6-week Boot Camp begins. It's a program that will challenge your inner fitness soul, melt away the body fat, make you stronger, give you more energy and improve your health. As a bonus, all those that sign-up get a white Brian Sekula Fitness Center t-shirt and in the pool to win a gray version of the t-shirt. Like I said last week and again yesterday, if you live within 10 minutes of the SW Freeway and Beltway 8 (or if you drive through that intersection), you're making a mistake by not signing up. We still have slots available in both the AM and PM sessions but you better hurry. Sign-up today!

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That's all for today. Make it a great day. I'll see you soon.

Until then, break a sweat today. It will do your body good.

Brian

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Links for you:
Live, Look and Feel Younger
6-week Boot Camp
BSFC Remote
Read this article at our website

Why Women Should Lift Weights

January 07, 2008.

From a recent article posted in the San Jose Mercury News by Melinda Sacks...

I took the liberty of highlighting important benefits in each of the points. The benefits of weight training are numerous and this article does a good job of highlighting some of the more
important ones.

Even though this article is geared toward women, the same benefits listed apply to men. So you guys don't get off that easy.

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Researchers say that most women who exercise still spend the majority of their time doing cardio, often ignoring the benefits of weight lifting. But unless a doctor advises otherwise, weight lifting can provide enormous advantages for most women, according to studies from such institutions as the Mayo Clinic, Harvard and Stanford universities. As with any new physical activity, check with your doctor if you have any health issues.

Here are the top 10 reasons sports medicine doctors and fitness experts agree weight lifting is good for you:

1. By becoming physically stronger, you will make routine tasks easier and safer to perform, from carrying heavy groceries from the car to picking up the kids.


2. Weight lifting will help you lose body fat and gain lean muscle. As this happens, your body mass decreases, your resting metabolism increases, and your clothes will fit looser. For every additional pound of muscle you gain, you will burn 30 to 50 more calories a day. Weight lifting is often touted as a proven way to keep weight off as women age.


3. Women don't need to worry about bulking up as they get stronger. Unlike men, women do not have enough testosterone to build bulky muscles. Men have 10 to 30 times more of the hormone than women.


4. The risk of osteoporosis goes down as you gain muscle strength. Weight training can increase spinal bone density significantly in just six months.


5. Risk of injury decreases when you are stronger. You will be less prone to everything from back pain to arthritis to depression.


6. It's good for your heart. Lower blood pressure, improved cardiovascular health and higher levels of "good cholesterol" have been found to be the side benefits of regular strength training, according to numerous studies.


7. The risk for diabetes declines because weight training has been found to improve the way the body processes sugar.


8. You can start weight training at any age. Research has shown that even women in their 80s can still build muscle strength.


9. Weight lifting can improve mood and fight off anxiety and depression. One Harvard study found that after weight training for 10 weeks, those suffering from clinical symptoms of depression felt better than those who received only counseling.


10. For women in middle age, strength training can help prevent the predictable metabolic sluggishness that often occurs. Many say it is not dieting, but weight lifting that is the true secret to keeping off middle-age pounds.

I will comment on one thing. In the opening paragraph, the author suggests that a majority of women spend their time doing cardio. I believe this is true. In my humble opinion, walking on a treadmill for 30- to 60-minutes is like Chinese water torture. You're better off cranking up the intensity and going for a shorter period of time.

And don't get me started on the benefits of slow-cardio and fat burning.

It simply isn't a good use of time in a world where we're all busy.

Off the soapbox...

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On Friday I mentioned a new service debuting today. You can find more info on that and other services we offer guaranteed to help you achieve your weight loss goals.

• Looking for a trainer? You found one here. But what if you don't live in or near Sugar Land. What if you are really serious about achieving your goals this year but are hesitant to just hire any old trainer? I don't blame you! What if you're nervous about joining a gym and just want to workout at home?
  

  The answer to all of those questions and more is my newest service, BSFC Remote. When you sign-up, I'll design a workout program specific to you. It will be based on your current abilities and the goals you want to achieve. It will include a daily schedule for weight training, cardio and stretching. Every activity I give you will have illustrations showing you the exact beginning and ending position. Additionally, each activity will have a text description "talking" you through performing it. These two things ensure you will perform the exercises safely and properly - leading you right down the path of success. It's a step-by-step guide to reaching your goals. As if that weren't enough, you'll have unlimited email support throughout your program. Have a question? No problem, shoot me an email and I'll get back to you.

  I know it sounds good and you're ready to go. That's great, but you better sign-up today. I'm having a serious special on this program. A limited number of spots are available and when they are full, I'm raising the rates. So get yours today for an amazingly low price!

If you're like most Americans, you want to get in shape this year. I can't think of a better option than BSFC Remote (unless you want to train with me in person).

• Don't forget, the day after tomorrow (Wednesday) is the free webinar on living, looking and feeling younger. I'll be covering all the keys you need to unlock a more youthful body. But, you can't get those keys without registering. Click here to learn how to live, look and feel younger.
  
• Don't forget #2. Next Monday (January 14, 2008) is the first day of class for my 6-week Boot Camp. Imagine reaching all of your weight loss goals by the middle of February! You can do it with this Boot Camp. In six weeks you will do more for your health and body than you ever thought possible. You'll burn fat, get stronger and leaner, get rid of those aches and
  pains, have more energy, and more. Like I said last week, if you live within 10 minutes of the SW Freeway and Beltway 8, you are making a mistake by not signing up. There is an AM session and a PM session, so I've got your morning and afternoon workout covered. We start January 14 and spots are limited (and filling up fast) so if you're ready to change the way you feel and the way your body looks, sign-up today!

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That's all for today. Make it a great day. I'll see you soon. Until then, break a sweat today. It will do your body good.

Brian

Sign up here to receive regular articles like this.

Links for you:
Live, Look and Feel Younger
6-week Boot Camp
BSFC Remote

How to Look, Live and Feel Younger

11 Steps guaranteed to get you there!

How do you feel right now?

• tired?
• soft and mushy?
• sluggish?
• bloated?
• unable to focus?
• no drive?
  

Why do you feel this way? Is it just the natural aging process? Should you live through your 50's, 60's, 70's and beyond feeling tired, taking prescription medication and feeling this way?

Is it acceptable to forget where you put your keys? Is it acceptable that as you age, you get soft in the middle and gain weight? Is it acceptable that as you age you wake up for 2-3 hours every night, exhausted but unable to fall back asleep? Is it acceptable that you take prescription medication to feel better? To stay more focused? To increase your sexual desires and appetite?

These things aren't acceptable to me. But how many people do you know live this way now? What about you? Do you live this way now? Is everyday like this? Is it acceptable to you?

I know it's not acceptable to you and that's why you are here!

You can learn all the secrets to maintaining youth and vitality in a FREE web-based seminar I'm holding on January 9, 2007, at noon CST. Yes, I said absolutely FREE. You'll also get great stuff just for sigining up.

How do you sign up?

Simple. Just go to this website and enter your first and last name and email address. I'll take care of the rest.

See you there.

Don't Forget: Wednesday, January 9, 2008 at noon, CST.

Sign-up here: http://www.briansekula.com/antiaginghouston.htm.

Increasing Torso Flexibility for Golf

Here is the post I promised in the newsletter on increasing torso rotation.

In the article, I said the golf swing was complex and any program needed to take this into account. The stretches below do just that.

Each stretch should be performed in two different ways. The first is a more traditional method of stretching and will improve your static flexibility. The other will improve your dynamic flexibility.

For the more traditional method, perform each stretch for 3 sets of 15 seconds. That means to perform the stretch as stated in the text description and hold it for 15 seconds. Relax and then do it two more times.

For the dynamic method, move to the point of feeling the stretch as indicated in the text description and hold for only 2 seconds. Relax and perform again. Repeat this 9 more times for a total of 10 repetitions. Each time you perform the stretch, try to move a little farther. Do this for all of the stretches.

Perform the stretches daily. On one day, perform only the traditional stretches and on the next perform only the dynamic stretches. Go back and forth this way for an entire month and see what a difference this will make.

You'll see results!

Okay, we've got four stretches here. One each for the hamstrings, back of your hips, front of your hips and your torso.

Unfortunately, you're going to have to download the file.

I tried posting the pictures and text descriptions. I really did! I simply could not get them posted short of making a long list - it was too long.

So I created a pdf file that contains them all. Right-click and select save as to download this file.

Resistance training good for heart health?

From the American Heart Association...

"Research shows that when properly supervised and prescribed in the light of a patient's history and condition, whether they have cardiovascular disease or not, resistance training increases muscular strength, endurance, independence, and ability to perform a large range of activities. It reduces disability and enhances quality of life. Other benefits include increase in bone mineral density and lean body mass."

In their recently updated public statement (a full pdf version can be found here) on weight lifitng and heart disease, the AHA has recommended doctors encourage their patients to participate in strength training exercise.

Anyone in the fitness industry worth their credentials on the wall could have told you this years ago. I don't know how many older clients I've trained that walked at least twice as fast once their session was over compared to when it started - no comments about trying to get away from me as fast as possible either :-).

But it's good to know that an organization the size of the AHA is getting serious about weight training for heart health. As we age, health becomes our main concern. And rightfully so. If we can't live independently, the golden years are less enjoyable.

Resistance training increases our ability to live independently. We are stronger. Our joints are more mobile. And, importantly, our balance is better by default. So what other benefits could be more important? If you have some better (or if I've left something important out), please let me know.

If you're not lifting weights, start a program now. It's never too late. There are even fitness centers that cater to those 55 and older. Additionally, most clubs will offer a discount to senior citizens. If the one you're looking into doesn't, go somewhere else.

Until next time, lift weights today and break a sweat. It just might do you some good!

Why exercise is good!

Exercise is good. Inflammation in the body is bad! - it's significantly related to a whole host of cardiovascular diseases.

The most frequently measured biomarker of inflammation in the body is C-reactive protein (CRP). High levels of CRP indicate high levels of inflammation. Essential fatty acids (Omega 3's, for example) are known to reduce inflammation - so eat some fresh, Wild Salmon today :-). Other foods known to reduce inflammation are fresh fruits and vegetables, like berries, grapes, celery and avocadoes (there are more but that's a quick list). Green tea has some anti-inflammatory characteristics too.

Fitness has been shown to be inversely related to CRP, the more fit you are the less CRP in your bloodstream. What hasn't been very well understood, however, is the mechanism that's in play. For example, if you are highly fit and have low CRP levels, is that because you are fit or are the habits of living your daily lifestyle (ie, diet full of fresh fruits, vegetables and healthy doses of essential fatty acids) causing your low levels of CRP.

This study attempted to answer that question.

What they found was that exercise was a significant contributor to low levels of CRP. They looked at sympathetic and parasympathetic tone. The former increases heart rate, respiration, substrate utilization, etc... when you start exercising, while the latter brings these values down, back to resting levels once you stop. Their main finding was a direct relationship between parasympathetic tone and CRP, which means the longer your body takes to get back to resting levels, the higher your levels of CRP. And, conversely, the quicker your body gets back to resting levels, the lower your levels of CRP.

So exercise is good for reducing inflammation in the body. Chalk up another one for the good guys.

Understand this, exercise is good but higher intensity exercise is even better. If you want to work on your body's ability to recover, than do some interval training or other form of high intensity training. It can be cardio, weights, agility drills, anything really, the higher the intensity, the harder your body has to work to recover. Over time, it will recover more quickly and decrease your overall level of inflammation.

So, really, go out and break a sweat today! here in Houston today, that won't be too hard :-)

Dr. Brian


PS. If you need some guidance on your exercise program, sign up for one of our FREE newsletters. If you are a golfer and want to knock 4-5 strokes off your game, get a copy of the Golf Fitness Boot Camp, you can even download it to your computer right now! It will improve your game and the inflammation in your body.

Why do they do this?

"Scientists in Indiana are reporting progress toward development of low glycemic and slowly digestible starch, a form of starch that would be less apt to cause the spike in blood sugar - and perhaps sharp hunger pangs - that many individuals experience after eating bread, baked goods, and other high-carbohydrate foods."

The rest of the summary can be read here.

My only question is why?

I can understand the need for people to consume healthier foods - particularly than those listed in the quote above. But what if we just ate less of that food and more fruits and vegetables, healthier meats and drank more water? What if we just ate grains as they grow in the field?

Look in your pantry. Foods in plastic bags and carboard boxes are loaded with things that used to be good, healthy foods. Take enriched white flour for example. Out in the field, its a perfectly healthy and natural food.

To end up as a cake, bread or other food, it gets processed. The problem with processing is that it removes the good stuff, mainly the fiber, vitamins and minerals. As the end-product food stuff, it's a plain-old, bland, quickly digesting starch.

Now, based on the objectives of these scientists, a new, more slowly digesting starch is being manufactured. And they're making progress. I don't know if I should jump for joy or just ask the question: "What is wrong with this picture?"

If we have a perfectly healthy food, process it and turn it into something that is not good for our digestive system, why do we want to further alter it so that it is better for our digestive system? Before you answer, think about the steps being taken to make the food better.

Is this coming full circle or am I just missing something completely obvious here? Please enlighten me!

Is your testosterone low?

A recent study presented at the Endocrine Society Annual meeting suggested that males over 50 with low testosterone had a 33% greater risk of all-cause mortality than those who had higher levels of testerone. Low testosterone was identified as the lower-limit found in healthy young males.

The study followed 800 men for 18 years on average, a large sample size for a very long period of time. The low testosterone group had the following characteristics:

• higher levels of inflammation markers, which contribute to several forms of cardiovascular disease
• larger waist measurement (greater than 40 inches)
• metabolic syndrome - low HDL cholesterol, high triglycerides, high blood sugars and hypertension.

Over the 18-year period, men in the low-testosterone group had a 33% greater risk from all-cause mortality than the normal / high testosterone group. This is a stout finding given the characteristics of the study, indicating that even if problems exist in methodology the results are likely portable in more controlled studies.

So what does this mean for you? If you are male, over 50 and taking prescription medication for hypertension, high cholesterol, diabetes and have a waist over 40 inches, get your testosterone levels checked. If you aren't taking medication for anything listed above but have any of the symptoms below, get them checked too. Preferably by an MD trained in Natural Hormone Replacement Therapy. The synthetic hormones cranked out by big pharma just don't seem to work as well.

Other symptoms of low testosterone include:

• reduced quality of sleep
• easier to lose your temper
• lack of drive
• reduced sex drive
• significant decrease in muscle mass
• significant increase in body fat

The symptoms above can happen from time-to-time but persistent appearances indicate something beyond the natural aging process.

If you notice these symptoms, the best thing you can do is, again, have your testosterone levels checked, start an exercise program and modify your diet.

Answering this research question

Reading this summary, I felt an urge to blurt out: "No blank, Sherlock!"

A recent study published in JAMA, a leading pillar of medical research dissemination, compared low GI diets with low-fat diets on insulin secretion in high insulin secreters.

On the surface, this appears to be a legitimate research question. Insulin is related to glucose metabolism and given the current state of obesity and type II diabetes in America, this might be something we should know.

However, most people in the medical fields should intuitively know this. The glycemic index of any food indicates the level it raises blood sugar when consumed. The higher the glycemic index, the higher the blood sugar response. For example, twinkies rate rather high on the glycemic index. Consume two or three of them and your blood sugar will spike.

At least for a while. In response, your body will release (secrete) insulin to bring it back down to normal.

If you are a high insulin secreter, you're either type II diabetic, pre-diabetic or have a non-lifestyle related condition effecting your ability to metabolize blood sugar. You have to secrete more because the insulin you do release is becoming more and more insensitive to blood sugar. When this starts happening, the amount you secrete increases just to get your blood sugar back to normal. Over time your ability to regulate blood sugar becomes difficult and you become type II diabetic. For more info, go here.

But back to the study...

All markers of cardiovascular health were improved following low GI diet when compared to a low-fat diet. Again, this makes perfect sense. You're not obese or diabetic because you eat a low-fat diet of whole, natural foods. You're obese or diabetic (even if you eat a low-fat diet) because you are consuming overly-processed foods - cardboard boxes and plastics bags. The fat they contain is not healthy (trans fat) and to increase palatability (here) and shelf-life, sugars and preservatives are added.

The end result is a low-fat food that has a high GI, which increases insulin secretion when consumed. And the cycle continues...

I'll conclude by saying that as a former academic, I'm well aware the importance peer-reviewed publications play in the tenure process. So in some ways, I understand why this paper was published. Without knowing all the details, I can only hope this paper was part of a larger study with these data points already collected, making the question easy to answer.

Until next time...

Training online!

On Monday, May 21, 2007, we'll debut the beta version of our online Golf-Fitness Boot Camp. For several reasons, this is great news for you!

First, even though it's the beta version, all features of the full-blown online Golf-Fitness Boot Camp will be fully tested and in working order before we complete beta testing. If you ever considered improving your golf game through a fitness program, this is your best opportunity to do so.

Why? Because while in beta test mode, the online Golf Fitness Boot Camp will be absolutely FREE! All you will have to do is register and we'll take care of the rest. To stay abreast of the updates, sign up for Brian's Report.

Second, you can't get a workout like this anywhere else - all for FREE! So sign-up for the trial period and use it to your advantage.

Third, by the time beta testing is complete, you'll be able to hit the ground running with your workouts. In other words, the learning curve associated with getting started won't eat into your monthly (or annual) payment.

That's it. Those are three good reasons to get started. Now, sign-up for Brian's Report and don't miss this opportunity!

Finally back to posting!

It's good to be back!

I know, it's been a while but I have a good excuse - I bought a fitness center.

Unfortunately, that kept me from finishing my journey. But in case you were wondering, I've fully recovered and have no ill effects! Now, if I could just find the time to get out on the course.

I'm still deciding on how to best utilize my blog. There certainly will be fitness center updates, videos of workouts and camps and more. You can subscribe to the feed for updates - just use the Atom Syndication below and to your right. Alternatively, you can sign up for Brian's Report, my golf-fitness newsetter.

One idea I've been thinking about are health related posts. I subscribe to several medical news alert services. Nearly everyday I see a headline that makes me scratch my head or simply say "Duh!" I'm thinking about publishing these to the blog 3-4 times per week. Hopefully it will be entertaining and educational for you.

What do you think?

Any ideas?

Day 10, October 27: Workout and Food Diary

Day 10 on the journey. Here is what I did and what I ate.

Workout:
20 minutes interval training on stationary bike
1 hour Boot Camp

Unless otherwise stated, each exercise was done with 3 sets of 15 repetitions.

• Spine Extensions, Hip Extensions, Walk out pushups all on stability ball.
• Alternating DB Flys, pullovers and crunches on the stability ball.
• Rolling stability ball squats – side, straight leg dead lifts. Straight leg dead lifts were done with 10-pound medicine ball.
• Bent over DB Rows, bicep curls and shoulder shrugs.
• Russian twists for power, alternating flys and ball toss with 8-pound medicine ball.
• Roll-ins with progressives.
• Regular extended planks – 3 sets of 30 seconds, obliques on ball.
• Walking lunges (still no fancy add-ons to the walking lunges) down and down back twice. One trip down (or back) is about 20 yards.

Cool down: Golf-specific stretch focusing on hips, hamstrings, shoulders, chest and torso – about 10 minutes.

Comments:
Food Diary
I haven’t eaten dinner yet, it’s just before 4pm Friday. I was done with this post so I decided to put it up. I’ll add dinner and snack tomorrow.

Breakfast, 5:15 AM: Two pieces of whole wheat toast with organic peanut butter
Snack, 9:00 AM: 1 Pear.
Lunch, 11:30 AM: Grilled chicken salad with balsamic vinegar dressing.
Snack, 3:00 PM: 5 strawberries and handful of almonds.
Dinner, 6:00 PM:
Snack, 9:00 PM:

Fluids: Throughout the day, at least 3.0 L of water, 1 diet coke and 1 cup of green tea.

That’s day ten, your thoughts????

PHOTOS
There are 3 photos below for the Russian twists, starting position and right and left sides. You may have notices that in my workouts, I perform these in one of two ways: power development and dynamic flexibility. For power development, perform the side-to-side movements as rapidly as you can. For dynamic flexibility, slow down and little bit, lock your hips in place and allow the weight of the medicine ball to stretch your torso on both sides.

You too can get in better shape, feel better and (most importantly), play better golf by purchasing a copy of The BKS Golf Fitness Boot Camp ^TM. To see how your game will improve, read testimonials, endorsements, and to get started today – go here!

Day 9, October 26: Workout and Food Diary

Day 9 on the journey. Here is what I did and what I ate.

Workout:
20 minutes interval training on stationary bike (disclaimer: including 2 minute cool-down, this is actually 22 minutes).
1 hour Boot Camp

Unless otherwise stated, each exercise was done with 3 sets of 15 repetitions.

• Spine Extensions, Hip Extensions, Walk out pushups all on stability ball.
• Russian Twists focusing on dynamic flexibility, ball throws and crunches (center, right and left) on the stability ball with 10-pound medicine ball.
• Rolling stability ball squats – side, straight leg dead lifts. Straight leg dead lifts were done with 10-pound medicine ball.
• Alternating DB flys, nosebreakers, and shoulder shrugs.
• Bent-over alternating DB rows and bicep curls with 15-pound DBs.
• Roll-ins with progressives.
• Regular extended planks – 3 sets of 30 seconds, obliques on ball.
• Walking lunges (still no fancy add-ons to the walking lunges) down, back and down. One trip about 30 yards, so about 90 yards of walking lunges.
• Balance on the ball.

Cool down: Golf-specific stretch focusing on hips, hamstrings, shoulders, chest and torso – about 10 minutes.

Comments:
After a 2-minute warm-up on the bike, I went straight into the 120 rpm and 100 rpm 1-minute intervals. I added a fifth interval at 130 rpm today; by tomorrow, all higher intensity intervals will be at 130 rpm. Based on today (and previous workouts), I don’t anticipate any problem with this. To view the interval training protocol I’ve been using, click here. Overall, this was an 8 on the 0-10 scale.

I didn’t do Boot Camp yesterday so I couldn’t add the progressives to the roll-ins. But I did it today. The shoulder and neck held up well – no ill effects. Overall, this was an 8 on the 0-10 scale.

Food Diary
Breakfast, 5:10 AM: 2 hard-boiled egg whites, 1 yolk and 2 pieces of whole wheat toast.
Snack, 9:30 AM: No snack this morning, I can’t remember why.
Lunch, 12:00 PM: Spaghetti with whole wheat pasta.
Snack, 3:00 PM: Power Crunch bar – chocolate.
Dinner, 6:00 PM: Roasted chicken with avocado and mixed greens salad and balsamic vinegar.
Snack, 9:00 PM: 5 strawberries and handful of almonds

Fluids: Throughout the day, at least 2.0 L of water, 1 diet coke and 1 cup of green tea.

That’s day nine, your thoughts????

PHOTOS The photos below show starting and ending positions for the alternating medicine ball flys. This is a great exercise for front shoulder development, balance (stay on the ball and in place), core training and neuromuscular control (you have to learn how to separate right and left sides). For the ending position, go down as far as you can. Allow the weight of the medicine ball to stretch your chest and the front part of your shoulder.

You too can get in better shape, feel better and (most importantly), play better golf by purchasing a copy of The BKS Golf Fitness Boot Camp TM. To see how your game will improve, read testimonials, endorsements, and to get started today – go here!

Day 8, October 25: Workout and Food Diary

Day 8 on the journey. Here is what I did and what I ate.

Workout:
No workout today. I really wanted to do at least a Boot Camp. I was looking forward to testing myself with the Roll-in progressives. But I was just beat. Hopefully the day off will do me and my body some good.

Comments:
I can’t comment on a workout that didn’t occur. But I will say this.

Looking back over the previous week I am pleased with my progress, although most of it is mental. I wasn’t quite sure how I would respond coming back from the injury. I didn’t know if my neck and shoulder could / would hold up. I didn’t know if I’d suffer a set back. While I have been held back somewhat, there certainly hasn’t been a set back. For example, my right arm and shoulder are extremely weak. Doing bicep curls with a 15-pound dumb bell is difficult. I still can’t put too much pressure on my shoulder and I still can’t lift anything with it but I feel confident that it’s getting better all the time.

So in one word, I’d say the first week back has been a success. Now if I could just cut out the margaritas and coronas, everything would be alright.

Food Diary
Breakfast, 6:00 AM: 3 egg whites (boiled) and 2 pieces of whole what toast.
Snack, 9:30 AM: Power Crunch bar – chocolate.
Lunch, 12:00 PM: Grilled chicken sandwich with lettuce (only) on whole wheat bread.
Snack, 3:00 PM: ½ organic peanut butter sandwich on whole wheat bread, 1 banana.
Dinner, 6:00 PM: Grilled chicken fajitas on whole grain tortillas with avocado and HOT salsa.
Snack, 9:00 PM: Just a banana.

Fluids: Throughout the day, at least 2.0 L of water, 1 diet coke and 1 cup of green tea.

That’s day eight, your thoughts????

PHOTOS
Since I didn’t do a Boot Camp workout (or any workout really), there are no photos. But, if you look through this series, you’ll see plenty of examples my Boot Camp program. You too can get in better shape, feel better and (most importantly), play better golf by purchasing a copy of The BKS Golf Fitness Boot Camp ^TM. To see how your game will improve, read testimonials, endorsements, and to get started today – go here!

Day 7, October 24: Workout and Food Diary

Day 7 on the journey. Here is what I did and what I ate.

Workout:
20 minutes interval training on stationary bike
1 hour Boot Camp

Unless otherwise stated, each exercise was done with 3 sets of 15 repetitions.

• Spine Extensions, Hip Extensions, Walk out pushups all on stability ball.
• Russian Twists focusing on dynamic flexibility, ball throws and crunches (center, right and left) on the stability ball with 10-pound medicine ball.
• Rolling stability ball squats – rear, straight leg dead lifts. Straight leg dead lifts were done with 10-pound medicine ball.
  
• Alternating DB flys, nosebreakers, and shoulder shrugs.
  
• Bent-over alternating DB rows and bicep curls with 15-pound DBs.
  
• Hip Flexions and Lower body rotations on floor.
  
• Roll-ins.
  
• Regular extended planks – 3 sets of 30 seconds, obliques on ball.
  
• Walking lunges (no twist or overhead press and no medicine ball – still can’t do them) down and back, three times. One trip about 20 yards.
  
• Swing holds with 6-pound medicine ball.

Cool down: Golf-specific stretch focusing on hips, hamstrings, shoulders, chest and torso – about 10 minutes.

Comments:
After a 2-minute warm-up on the bike, I went straight into the 120 rpm and 100 rpm 1-minute intervals. I jumped the 120 rpm intervals up to 130 rpm over the last four sessions. I’ll continue adding an additional 130-rpm interval each day until all are at 130-rpm. So don’t expect this to change too much over the next few days. Overall, I rate this as an 8 on the 0-10 scale.

I’m still pleased with the progress. I’ve had no ill effects regarding the nerve in my neck. I’m going to try the added progressives to the Roll-ins tomorrow. Overall, this was a 7 on the 0-10 scale.

Food Diary
Breakfast, 6:00 AM: Grilled chicken taco with two slices of avocado.
Snack, 9:30 AM: 1 handful of almonds
Lunch, 12:00 PM: Turkey sandwich with avocado on whole wheat bread.
Snack, 3:00 PM: 1 blueberry yogurt and 1 hard-boiled egg white.
Dinner, 6:00 PM: Grilled Salmon, sweet potato and mixed greens salad with Balsamic vinegar.
Snack, 9:00 PM: 1 pear.

Fluids: Throughout the day, at least 3.0 L of water. One diet coke and one cup of green tea.

That’s day seven, your thoughts????

PHOTOS

The photos below show starting position and one step for walking lunges. These work the entire lower body, promote good balance and help dynamic flexibility of the hips. You can do a couple laps in the gym (or your home) or you can use them as a cardio exercise. Try these for 5-minutes over a 30-yard stretch. I guarantee you’ll be breathing heavy and your legs will be burning!

You too can get in better shape, feel better and (most importantly), play better golf by purchasing a copy of The BKS Golf Fitness Boot Camp ^TM. To see how your game will improve, read testimonials, endorsements, and to get started today – go here!

Day 6, October 23: Workout and Food Diary

Day 6 on the journey. Here is what I did and what I ate.

Workout:
20 minutes interval training on stationary bike
1 hour Boot Camp
Unless otherwise stated, each exercise was done with 3 sets of 15 repetitions.

• Spine Extensions, Hip Extensions, Walk out pushups all on stability ball.
• Russian Twists focusing on power development, ball throws and crunches (center, right and left) on the stability ball with 10-pound medicine ball.
• Rolling stability ball squats – side, straight leg dead lifts. Straight leg dead lifts were done with 10-pound medicine ball.
• Alternating DB flys, nosebreakers, and shoulder shrugs.
• Bent-over alternating DB rows and bicep curls with 15-pound DBs.
• Hip Flexions and Lower body rotations on floor.
• Roll-ins.
• Regular extended planks – 3 sets of 30 seconds, obliques on ball.
• Walking lunges (no twist or overhead press and no medicine ball – still can’t do them) down and back, three times. One trip about 20 yards.

Cool down: Golf-specific stretch focusing on hips, hamstrings, shoulders, chest and torso – about 10 minutes.

Comments:
After a 2-minute warm-up on the bike, I went straight into the 120 rpm and 100 rpm 1-minute intervals. I jumped the 120 rpm intervals up to 130 rpm over the last three sessions. Tomorrow I’ll jump that to the last 4 intervals. Overall, this was a 7 on the 0-10 scale.

The Boot Camp continues to feel good and I continue to be pleased with how my neck and shoulder are responding. While there are exercises I still can’t do, like front and lateral raises and military press, I feel like those will come along soon.

Food Diary
Breakfast, 5:15 AM: 3 hard boiled egg whites (only one yolk).
Snack, 9:30 AM: Power crunch bar - chocolate
Lunch, 12:00 PM: grilled chicken breast and a bell pepper
Snack, 3:00 PM: No snack this afternoon.
Dinner, 6:00 PM: Turkey chili with a mixed greens salad and balsamic vinegar.
Snack, 9:00 PM: Green apple and one raspberry yogurt.

Fluids: Throughout the day, at least 3.0 L of water. 1 diet coke and 1 cup of green tea.

That’s day six, your thoughts????

PHOTOS
The photos below show side stability squats. These are great for your lower body, hips and balance. Some key points when doing these are: try to keep knee of foot on floor above your ankle, in the starting position, place foot on highest point of stability ball and try to roll the ball directly to your side – not in front of or behind you. Go down as far as you can and really stretch the groin of the leg on the ball.

You too can get in better shape, feel better and (most importantly), play better golf by purchasing a copy of The BKS Golf Fitness Boot Camp TM. To see how your game will improve, read testimonials, endorsements, and to get started today – go here!

Day 5, October 22: Workout and Food Diary

Day 5 on the journey. Here is what I did and what I ate.

Workout:
No boot camp today!
I did a “Field” workout. See below for details.

Cool down: No stretching, just about 10 minutes of walking.

Comments:
Here’s the lowdown on the “Field” workout. I started doing these about twice a month a while back. I got tired of being in the gym all day. The entire workout takes about an hour, including 5-10 minutes of warm-up and 10-15 minutes of walking as a cool-down.

I start by walking 40-yards. After the first one, I walk faster on each successive one until I’m nearly jogging. It takes about 3 or 4 40-yard distances to get to this point. Then, I jog the distance and work up to a full sprint. When I can run a full sprint, I run 10, 40-yard dashes as fast as I can. Although today, I didn’t work up to a full sprint. I didn’t want to test cranking my shoulder like that just yet.

After the sprints, I went through some plyometric drills, including long and quick jumps over a 25-yard distance. The long jumps entailed covering the 25-yards in as few jumps as possible. On these, I get a good, deep knee bend and really engage the glutes. The quick jumps are simply bounces over the 25-yards. I limit knee bend while concentrating on being light on my feet.

Next I did a sprint-jump combination for 50-yards which included a 10-yard sprint with 5 vertical jumps every 10-yards. After this, I was tired. But I did some drills specific to opening up and clearing my hips. These were sideways running drills that involved rotating the hips forward and backward while doing the same with my feet.

I usually run a few 40-yard sprints after this, but I was really worn out. So I didn’t. I rate this workout a solid 10 on the 0-10 scale.

Food Diary
Breakfast, 6:00 AM: 3 scrambled eggs and two pieces of whole wheat toast.
Snack, 9:30 AM: Power Crunch bar – chocolate.
Lunch, 12:00 PM: Turkey sandwich on whole wheat bread.
Snack, 3:00 PM: No snack – yard work.
Dinner, 6:00 PM: Ground beef taco salad.
Snack, 9:00 PM: Green apple and one blueberry yogurt.

Fluids: Throughout the day, at least 4.0 L of water. I was drenched after the “Field” workout. No green tea and 1 diet coke. Two coronas with dinner.

That’s day five, your thoughts????

PHOTOS
Since I didn’t do a Boot Camp workout, there are no photos. But, if you look through this series, you’ll see plenty of examples my Boot Camp program. You too can get in better shape, feel better and (most importantly), play better golf by purchasing a copy of The BKS Golf Fitness Boot Camp ^TM. To see how your game will improve, read testimonials, endorsements, and to get started today – go here!

Day 4, October 21: Workout and Food Diary

Day 4 on the journey. Here is what I did and what I ate.

Workout:
40 minutes of cardio, including stationary bike and treadmill for 20 minutes each.
No boot camp today!

Cool down: General lower body stretch focusing on hips, legs and calves – about 10 minutes.

Comments:
I started on the treadmill. After walking for 5 minutes, I started the intervals with a 2-minute run at 6.0 mph followed by a 2-minute walk at 4.0 mph. The next running interval was also at 6.0 mph. The final two running intervals were at 6.5 and 7.0 mph, respectively. Each running interval was followed by a 2-minute walking interval at 4.0 mph. This was pretty tough, particularly the last interval. I’d rate this as a 9 on the 0-10 scale.

I went straight to the bike after the treadmill. After a 2 minute warm-up, the intervals started. I followed the same protocol as yesterday, although I didn’t increase the intensity at the end. The treadmill wore me out a little too much for that. Overall, this was a solid 8 on the 0-10 scale.


Food Diary
Breakfast, 6:00 AM: Ground turkey breakfast taco with mushrooms and mixed bell peppers.
Snack, 9:30 AM: No snack.
Lunch, 12:00 PM: Turkey sandwich on whole wheat bread
Snack, 3:00 PM: No snack – too involved with football game (what was Greg Davis thinking?)
Dinner, 6:00 PM: Grilled chicken fajitas, with all the trimmings (basically okay).
Snack, 9:00 PM: No snack – too much for dinner.

Fluids: Throughout the day, at least 3.0 L of water. No green tea and 1 diet coke. Three coronas with dinner.

That’s day four, your thoughts????

PHOTOS
Since I didn’t do a Boot Camp workout, there are no photos. But, if you look through this series, you’ll see plenty of examples my Boot Camp program. You too can get in better shape, feel better and (most importantly), play better golf by purchasing a copy of The BKS Golf Fitness Boot Camp TM. To see how your game will improve, read testimonials, endorsements, and to get started today – go here!