Top 5 Easy Fit Tips To Live By

1.) Make every minute countLess is more—you don’t need to log long hours of fitness. By working out in a time-efficient manner, you can accomplish a lot in a short period of time.

2.) Learn to rest
Look forward to the days off when you don’t exercise. This is when your body gets stronger and rebuilds its muscle. If you constantly push your body, you may experience symptoms of overtraining such as fatigue and even depression. Depending on your personal level of activity, I recommend one to two days off a week so your body can recover.

3.) Fuel for fitness
Eat a wide variety of foods so your body gets what it needs to keep you going throughout the day. Don’t be afraid to use supplements (if needed) to complement your diet and keep your body at peak performance. Although we may do our best to eat well, it’s hard to get everything we need from our meals especially if we don’t like certain foods or don’t eat particular types. Take a good gender-specific multivitamin and mineral supplement. Additional options with huge benefits include mineral supplements with omega-3 (wild salmon oil), vitamins C and D and alpha-lipoic acid (a powerful antioxidant).

4.) Eat dark chocolate, berries and carbs
Choose foods that are anti-inflammatory and have a high level of antioxidants: blueberries, strawberries and açai berries, dark chocolate, salmon, nuts, green vegetables and whole grains.
What I see most often is the misunderstanding about carbohydrates: Fruit, vegetables and whole grains are good carbs; white breads, regular pasta and anything sugary (cookies, cakes, etc.) are bad carbs and should be limited or even eliminated.

5.) Enjoy cheat nights
Anyone who knows me or has trained around me knows that I firmly believe in ‘cheating’ from time to time. Like I always say: you only have one life to live and you should be able to enjoy it! If there is a particular restaurant, particular food item, or particular day of the week even-that you love to eat wildly you should be able to! Not all the time, not even half the time, but at some point in time.
To be simple: Earn your cheats.

How? If you have eaten correctly and near perfect for the past 6-7 days, you have not only met with your trainer 2-3 times this week but also got a day or two of additional work on your own, there is absolutely no reason you can’t enjoy a piece of cheesecake with the family at the Cheesecake factory that Saturday night, or get the large buttery popcorn at the movies with a few beers (light of course) at the newly opened Flix Brewhouse. If you have put in the time and effort to burn up the calories, eat perfectly for the past several days even a week, you earned it! You can still take pleasure in treats when you maintain a healthy, active lifestyle.

Contact Fitness Mastermind today to get a custom-tailored map of how you can “earn your cheats” by putting in the work and still enjoying life.

Keep It Fit,

Fitness Mastermind, LLC

American Fitness, Made In America

So how patriotic are you actually? Every channel you turn the television to, every day you go to do your day to day tasks, every time you go to sit down at the table and go over the bills it all becomes blatantly obvious that the American economy has not gotten better as we had been told and hoped. We still see our local companies shutting down shop, you still hear about your neighbors and Church friends getting laid off because of  “down-sizing,” and we all at some point or another sit and think about what can we as individuals do to help at least in the smallest amount.

A few days ago I was getting some afternoon cardio training in and happen to catch “ABC World News Tonight with Diane Sawyer, Special Report Made in America.” The contents of the show were amazing with a non-bias view, but she truly got me thinking when she ended the show with a simple statistic: “If each American spent $3.33 on US Made Products 10,000 jobs would be created.” That sounds crazy right? Spending a little less than $4 on American made products creating 10k jobs! I’m not too big on mathematics, but in other words if we all spent $10 on American made products that would create 30k American jobs.

This got me thinking and after doing a little research, it seems like it is essentially a domino effect unless we choose to make that change! Think about it: As some begin to lose jobs, we all become budget-conscious, and we begin looking for the best deal and trying to save each penny here and there, we overlook where the products are being made! We save a dollar here or 50cents there, simply by ordering online from China or going to a discount retail shop full of nothing but European products. So we tighten our budget and buy the cheaper product, over time the American made companies who make the same products have to down size or shut down, we continue to budget shop over seas, until the next down-sizing company is the company laying you off! See the domino effect? Our solutions are compounding our problems, and will continue to do so until we decide to buy American made products!

For this reason I began thinking about the Fitness industry and doing some research on American made versus overseas manufacturing of both commercial and home-fitness product companies. My findings were very dissatisfying to say the least. Although there are some fitness equipment and accessory companies of whom still manufacture in the U.S., many of whom used to make their products in the U.S. have begun manufacturing overseas to save on costs. The problem here is the savings on cost isn’t reciprocated to the consumer, it simply goes to the wallet and overhead of the company owner who just laid off your neighbor so he/she could move their manufacturing to China (or elsewhere).

Just like with anything you purchase on a day to day basis, it is your choice to make whether you go for saving a buck here or 50cents there. But if we want to help save our neighbors job from being lost overseas for cheaper labor, we have to do it ourselves. As the Disney commercial says “a million starts with one.” I’ve done the research on the most popular both commercial and home-fitness equipment companies, and have separated them below for your convenience. Take a look and keep them in mind next time you think you might be purchasing a piece of fitness equipment.

Please Note:The below information referenced is not a promise or guarantee that the information given on each company and their affiliates are listed in their entirety, nor are any of them meant to promote business or deter business to one company or from another. The below listing is simply the information returned by popular search engines, company information indexes, and such alike. Fitness Mastermind assumes no liability for what is assumed or what may progress from the below tables. 

Made Elsewhere
Icon Health & Fitness	Has manufacturing plants in the United States, China, Europe, and Canada. However, a thorough review of this company shows that less than 10% of their manufacturing actually takes place in the United States. The U.S. plant(s) serve primarily as a transfer grounds for shipping these products manufactured in other countries. NOTE: Has several “Sister companies” under the ICON Health & Fitness name of which are made elsewhere.
iFit	Made In China
Weider	Made In China
Weslo	Made In China
Reebok	Made in Germany
Gold’s Gym	Made in China
Health Rider	China, Canada, and Europe
Nautilus	Worldwide: approximately 15% or less manufactured in U.S.
Johnson Fitness Sister Companies Include: Horizon Vision Matrix AFG Livestrong Cardio Machines	Made In: Asia. Shangai, China & Taiwan
Dyaco	Made in Taiwan (Produces the Shake Weight)
Sole	Made in China (Sister company for Dyaco)
Spirit Fitness (Cardio equipment)	Made in China and Taiwan
Fuel Fitness	Made in China (Sister company for Dyaco)
Smooth Fitness	Made in Taiwan and China
Brunswick	Made in Hungary (33% of manufacturing in America)
Core Fitness Sister Companies include: Schwinn Stairmaster	Made in China
Body By Jake	Made in China
Bowflex	Made in China
Concept2	Made in Taiwan and France (States that they assemble in the U.S.)
TRX	Made in China
Polar	Founded in Finland; Made in China
Precor (Strength only)	Made in China
Tuff Stuff	Made in China

 

Made In America
NordicTrac	Made in America (Sister company under Icon Health & Fitness)
Proform	Made In America (Utah; Sister company under Icon)
Xterra Fitness/Spirit Fitness	Made in America (Jonesboro, Arkansas)
Landice	Made in America
Cybex	Made in America (Massachusetts and Minnesota)
Brunswick Sister Companies include: LifeFitness HammerStrength	33% of manufacturing in America (Illinois, Kentucky, and Minnesota)
True Fitness(Treadmills only)	Made in America
Valeo	Made in America
Cap Barbell	Made in America (Houston, Texas)
BodySolid	Made in America
Fitness Quest	Made in America (Ohio)
Macicam	Made in America
Hoist Fitness	Made in America (San Diego, California)
Precor (Cardio only)	Made in America (Washington)
Water Rower	Made in America
Wilder	Made in America

 So there you have it! Sad as it is and just like other industries, fitness equipment companies have become “sneaky” about hiding their manufacturing locations, making it tough for most to determine whether they are supporting the American economy or others. Anytime you are considering buying a piece of fitness equipment or even just a simple fitness accessory, don’t be afraid to check where it is manufactured. If you are buying your equipment from a company whether online or at a store, you will more than likely have to speak with a store manager for them to get the answer for you, but isn’t that extra minute worth the wait? If they truly want your business and have good intentions of taking care of you, the company owner or store manager taking the time to find out whether the equipment is made in America or not is a clear sign of how the company is going to treat you after the purchase anyway!

Manufacturing in its entirety is critical to our country’s prosperity and growth.  “Manufacturing supports an estimated 18.6 million jobs in the U.S. – about one in six private sector jobs.  Nearly 12 million Americans (or 9 percent of the workforce) are employed directly in manufacturing” (Taken from the National Association of Manufacturers (http://www.nam.org/). For the most part you can simply use your favorite search engine to find out whether the piece of fitness equipment and/or accessory is made in America. However, we have included a few useful links below for your future reference to assist in the process.

• www.cybexintl.com/zh/utils/downloadpress.aspx?id=938
• http://www.dmoz.org/Business/Consumer_Goods_and_Services/Sporting_Goods/Fitness_Equipment/
• www.americansworking.com/fitness.html   
• www.usstuff.com/exercieq.htm
• www.americanmadefitnessequipment.com/
• http://abcnews.go.com/WN/MadeInAmerica/
• http://abcnews.go.com/Business/MadeInAmerica/made-america-resource-guide-find-american-companies/story?id=13057404

 “Be fearful when others are greedy, and be greedy when others are fearful."–Warren Buffett, explaining why he’s putting billions of his personal funds into buying U.S. equities.


Until next time!

Keep it fit,

Fitness Mastermind, LLC

24 Life, Fitness & Nutrition Facts You Didn’t Know

It has been a few months since we have done our “random fit facts” for the Fit In The Rock blog or newsletter and as of recently there have been many of you asking more and more about when we will do it next. Ask and you shall receive, so we put together the top “12 Good & 12 Bad Life, Fitness & Nutrition Facts You Didn’t Know.” Enjoy!

Bad

• Mcdonald’s Deluxe Breakfast= 1,100 calories
• Burger King's Tendercrisp Chicken Sandwich contains the calories of 17 McNuggets!
• Most caramel food colorings used in cokes/colas are linked to causes of cancer, says CSPI report
• Energy drinks are 11% more corrosive to teeth than regular sodas, says a Univ of Maryland study.
• The average Americans eats 100 pounds of sugar per year. That's enough to make 3,628 Reese's Cups!
• Outback's Spotted Dog Sundae costs you 1,216 calories & 96 g fat!
• Hardee's Monster Biscuit = 770 cals = bacon, sausage, a few slices of ham, egg, 2 slices of cheese!
• 40% of dieters who don’t include fitness in their plan regain their lost weight within 4 years.
• There are over 1,400 different strains of bacteria in the average belly button.
• Starbucks' Raspberry Scone has 500 calories & 15 g (nearly a day's worth) of saturated fat.
• 80% of women over the age of 18 are walking around in the wrong-size bra and stated breast discomfort encourages them to skip the gym.
• The average American uses 80-100 gallons of water daily. However, only 12% of Americans consume (drink) the recommended minimum amount of water daily.

Good

• Broccoli sprouts have 20x more cancer-fighting sulforaphane than their grown-up counterparts!
• Consuming DHA (an omega-3 in fatty fish) can cut your risk of gum disease by 20%
• Breyers All Natural Vanilla Fudge Twirl = 130 cals. Add cherries for extra antioxidants.
• Did you know that the following are richer sources of potassium than bananas: baked potato, boiled spinach, & plain yogurt
• Half an avocado contains more potassium than a medium banana & 50% more fiber than a cup of cooked oatmeal!
• Turns out, caffeinated coffee protects against Alzheimer’s. Ideal=4 cups/day.
• Compared to their obese counterparts, men with less than 15% bodyfat (body composition) are 45% less likely to develop cancer.
• Couples who kiss frequently are 8 times less likely to have stress or depression.
• The average kid in the U.S. sees up to 10,000 food ads a year.
• Recent study shows that short, frequent bursts of laughter daily reduce artery firmness, which lessens the risk of heart problems dramatically. (happy=healthy; healthy=happy)
• Just one mild intense 60-minute workout a week decreases your resting heart rate by up to 11%.
• Desserts that include dairy are better than desserts that don't. Choose the ice cream over the cake.

"Commitment leads to action. Action brings your dream closer."-Marcia Wieder

Until Next Time!

Keep it fit,

Fitness Mastermind, LLC

Fitness Video Playlist: Big Mike-Interval Work

Another short blog here, just wanted to share some samples of another one of my phenomenal clients/friends who has demonstrated time over and time again what hard work, dedication, and perseverance can get you. Most of you have probably seen or heard about Big Mike in previous Fit In The Rock blog posts, Facebook, Twitter, or other. But for those of you who haven't, here's the short story on Big Mike:

• Started out at 402 pounds (6'3")
• Began training with myself at Fitness Mastermind around January of this year.
• Started eating flawlessly immediately, with the occasional splurge meal every 7-14 days (well deserved)
• Started training 3x/week at 4:30am. Most definitely takes some determination to get up and put in the hour of work before going to work.
• A month into his training and Big Mike began not only getting additional cardio/core work at his lunch break at work, but also extra work at home on the weekends.
• Big Mike is now down to 278-280 pounds, with low ~20% bodyfat.

One thing about Big Mike is he keeps a trainer on his toes. If he sees somebody do something via intensity, via heavier lifting, via higher difficulty---he sees it as a challenge and wants to do what they did and do it much better.

I could go on and on about Big Mike and him being the ideal client and friend, but instead I'll give you the sample video playlist of a few of the exercises and intervals he completed earlier this week. Checkout the YouTube playlist below and enjoy!

P.S. Be sure to click the "next" button next to the play button in order to get to the next of the six videos.




Hope you enjoyed the videos! Until next time!

Keep it fit,

Fitness Mastermind, LLC