Time For Some Congratulations!

Well, the 5 Week Health & Fitness Challenge has been over for ten days(ish) now.  I would like to congratulate the individuals who completed 90% of the challenge....

Alex Smith - Shawnee, Kansas

Amy Taylor - Aero Vista, Texas

Angelina Mullen - Overland Park, Kansas

Charren Smith - Shawnee, Kansas

Courtney Belz - Kansas City, Missouri

Kelli Baker - Olathe, Kansas

Kelly Nelson - Leawood, Kansas

Mary Dyar - Ankeny, Iowa

If you completed 90% of the challenges but did not post your completions, CONGRATS to you as well!!

As you all know, Prairie Life Fitness in Overland Park, KS was kind enough to allow me to give away a Free One Month Membership to one individual who completed 90% of the challenges.  So without further ado, the Free One Month Membership goes to.... Kelli Baker from Olathe, Kansas.

Congrats Kelli!

I know there were many of you taking the challenge to better yourself and not for the membership.  So to you I would like to take time to say congratulations accepting the challenge!  And, hopefully a big congrats for finishing the challenge!

Even though the challenge is over, don't let your health and fitness journey end.  Getting healthy and fit is a lifestyle, not a month here and a month there kind of thing.  Being healthy and fit is a hard lifestyle to commit to.  I know first hand and I've mentioned in several of my posts.  I want you all to know I'm here if you find yourself needing a little motivation, support or coaching.

Please, share this post with anyone you feel might benefit from reading it. Friend me on facebook [Trainer Jason] and follow me on twitter [@trainer_jason]. Thank you for taking time out of your busy day to read this blog!

Week 5 | 5 Week Health & Fitness Challenge

I can't believe we've reached our fifth week of the 5 Week Challenge.  As we begin our final week I think it is important to reflect on all that the Challenge has showed us.  We should also begin drawing our 'road map to success' so that we may successfully keep living a healthier and more fit lifestyle when there is not a challenge to tell us to do so.  If I could stress one thing for you to never forget from here on out...

   Success is never giving up.  Set your goals and "work towards something greater".  If you

slip for one day, or even two, it is not the end of your health and fitness program.  Get

back in the saddle the next day and keep pushing.  Don't let excuses or set backs get in the

way of your success.  There is nothing more important than our health.  Some people may say

their kids are more important but what will your kids do when you are gone because you couldn't

get yourself healthy?  You can do this!  You can live healthy and be fit!  Set goals and "work towards something greater!"

Now let's see what our final week has to offer...

Monday 28th: We are going to jog | run a mile.
Walkers:  Let's dig as deep as we can and see if we can't jog an entire mile.  If we can't were aren't going to beat ourselves up over it.  Do you best, that's all I ask!
Joggers:  Let's see if we can't pick up the pace and turn that jog into a run.  Set a personal best!
Runners:  We're gonna flat out kick this miles ass!  See how fast you can burn through one mile.  

Tuesday 29th: We are going to try eating 5 small healthy meals.
One school of thought is by eating often throughout the day your body's metabolism will constantly be running.  This school of thought does not work if we are eating three normal meals and adding two larger snacks.  We need to make our three meals smaller and the add two snacks consisting of some protein and fats.  I like lo-fat yogurt, almonds, a low carb protein shake, a slice of cheddar cheese or fruit.

Wednesday 30th: We are going to keep building our strength.
15 Jump Squats http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjY25jL_avs
10 Push Ups
15 Lunges
40 sec. Plank
10 Push Ups
15 Reverse Lunges http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVt2w5iljUs&feature=fvsr
40 sec. Plank
- Repeat twice (3 super sets)
This super set of exercises is really gonna get us burn'n!  Adios calories!

Thursday 31st: We are going set some goals.
I've already gone over the importance of setting goals for yourself.  So, I want you to set 3 health and fitness goals that you are going to get you to "work towards something greater" in June.  These goals have to be meaningful, they have to test you and they have to be specific.  You can't say, "I'm going to keep being healthy."  What does that mean?  You can't say, "I'm going to stay active."  How active?  Doing what?  Be specific and you will be successful.

Friday 1st: We are going to get a mile in before work.
It's our last Friday together doing this challenge.  I want you to wake up and reflect of all that you have accomplished these last 5 weeks while completing your mile.  What a perfect way to start a day: positive reflection and getting your blood flowing.

Saturday 2nd: We are going to max out.
I want you to do as many squats and push ups as possible in one try.  I also want you to hold a plank for as long as you can.  Once you've finished, I want you to remember how hard those three exercises were for you in week one.

That's it.  You never realize how quickly time flies by until you've come to the end of something.  When I came up with the crazy idea to start a challenge I had no idea how impactful the challenge would be on me personally.  Being able to watch you all celebrate successes and motivate one another has been awesome.  And all of the kind words and thanks that I've received have truly touched me. 


Thank you to all of you who participated and have begun to "work towards something greater!"

-Jason Belz

Week 4 | 5 Week Health & Fitness Challenge

They say it takes 21 days to form a habit and today is day 21 of the 5 Week Challenge.  My goal in putting the 5 Week Challenge together was to set each of you up to succeed on your own by showing you how attainable a healthy and fit lifestyle can be.  You have all been doing such an amazing job. 

Without further ado, here is Week 4...

Monday 21st: We are going to increase our interval walk | jog | run our mile.
Walkers: You are going to walk two blocks, jog two, walk two again, jog two, so on and so on.
Joggers: You are going to jog two blocks, run two, jog two again, run two, so on and so on.
Runners: You are going to run two blocks, sprint two, run two again, sprint two, so on and so on.   

Tuesday 22nd: We are going to take a healthy lunch with us to work.
Taking our lunch with us to work assures that we are going to stay on track when trying live a healthier lifestyle.  Traditionally food prepared in cafeterias and restaurants are loaded with salt and often use butter, cream and other calorie dense ingredients that add very little nutrition.

Wednesday 23rd: We are going to increase the reps of our new body weight exercises.
15 Jump Squats http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjY25jL_avs
20 Push Ups
15 Reverse Lunges http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVt2w5iljUs&feature=fvsr
60 sec. Plank Don't say you can't!  I know you can!!
- Repeat twice (3 super sets)
These four exercises together are going to really work your core, you balance as well as really taxing your cardiovascular system. You will feel the burn!

Thursday 24th: We are going to cook lite.
For this challenge I want you all to find a meal to cook for dinner that is 500 calories or less per serving, prepare it and share it.  Here is a link that has some pretty tasty looking ideas. http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/recipes/healthy-eating/nutrition/the-you-can-do-it-diet-dinner-choices/?page=1

Friday 25th: We are going back to stairs.
400!  We are going to do 400 stairs this week.  It sounds like a lot but I know you all are strong enough both physically and mentally to make it through.

Saturday 26th: We are going to pick our own fitness activity.
With week four ending, it is time for you all to begin making your own decisions when it comes to your daily fitness activities.  My only guideline for today is that your activity has to 30 minutes.  Be creative!

Alright, another 5 challenges that will push you to "work towards something greater" and prove to you that nothing is impossible.  Good luck and as always, I am here to motivate and support you all!  Have an amazing week!

Please, share this post with anyone you feel might benefit from reading it. Friend me on facebook [Trainer Jason] and follow me on twitter [@trainer_jason]. Thank you for taking time out of your busy day to read this blog!

Week 3 | 5 Week Health & Fitness Challenge

Happy Mother's day to all of you mothers!  Mary Dyar, an extra special Happy Mother's day to you.  I don't know if I would be here today if you hadn't raised me with as much love and support as you did.  Thank you and I love you!

Now let's talk week 3.  It's time to really start kicking some ass.  In week 1 and week 2 we proved to ourselves that health and fitness can be a part of our daily lives.  Week 3 is going to prove that we can be badasses when it comes to health and fitness.  You may say to yourself, "I can't be a fitness badass."  Uh, yes you can!  And, you will. 

Let's get down to business!

Monday 14th: We are going to interval walk | jog | run our mile.
        Walkers:  You are going to walk three blocks, jog one, walk three again, jog one, so on and so on.
        Joggers:  You are going to jog three blocks, run one, jog three again, run one, so on and so on.
        Runners:  You are going to run three blocks, sprint one, run three again, sprint one, so on and so on.   

Tuesday 15th:  We are going to cut out all added sugar.
         No soda.  No energy drinks.  No flavored creamer in coffee.  No candy.  No cereals with sugar.

Wednesday 16th: We are going to learn some new body weight exercises.
        10 Jump Squats http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjY25jL_avs
        20 Push Ups
        10 Reverse Lunges http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVt2w5iljUs&feature=fvsr
        45 sec. Plank
        - Repeat twice (3 super sets)
          These four exercises together are going to really work your core, you balance as well as really taxing your cardiovascular system.  You will feel the burn! 

Thursday 17th: We are going vegetarian for a day.
        For this challenge, vegetarian means no meat. Fish and animal bi-products are fine.  

Friday 18th: We are going to take 15 minutes before work and stretch.
       Let's start are day off with a natural shot of energy instead of hitting the snooze button.  You will get way more out of 15 minutes of stretching than you will 5 minutes more of not really sleeping.

Saturday 19th: We are going get our day started with some callisthenics.
        50 Jumping Jacks
       25 High Knees (25 each knee)  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bW01cQkj4f8
       25 Mountain Climbers (25 each knee) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DyeZM-_VnRc
       45 sec. Plank

There it is.  I know you can accomplish each of these challenges and "work towards something greater!"

Please, share this post with anyone you feel might benefit from reading it. Friend me on facebook [Trainer Jason] and follow me on twitter [@trainer_jason]. Thank you for taking time out of your busy day to read this blog!

Week 2 | 5 Week Health and Fitness Challenge

Amazing!  Week one was absolutely amazing!  I can't begin to describe how exciting it has been watching you all support and help motivate one another.  Half the battle is getting started.  The other half is keeping the ball rolling, staying excited and finding the motivation to "work towards something greater." 

I'll get out of the way and let you see what lies behind week number 2...

Monday 7th:  We are going to walk | jog | run our mile faster than we did last week. 
       Setting goals such as faster times or longer distances are great ways to stay motivated.  Make the goals attainable but not necessarily easy.  Goals should push you! 

Tuesday 8th:  We are going to say goodbye to Carbohydrates for the day.
        There are two types of carbohydrates: simple (bad) and complex (good).  Carbohydrates are our bodies main source of energy, so I would never tell someone to go carb free as a lifestyle (diet) choice.  Complex carbohydrates provide great nutrients, vitamins and minerals including: fiber, B-vitamins, iron, selenium and magnesium.  However simple carbohydrates add little nutritional value.  The reason we are going without carbs for a day is to show you that you do not need the over processed simple carbohydrates that we all eat way to much of.   When you do eat carbohydrates you want to choose those low on the glycemic index and the link here give you a great list of foods and their index rating.  http://www.drkessinger.com/images/glycemicindex.pdf

Wednesday 9th:  We are going to increase our body weight training.
       30 Squats + 20 Push ups + 15 Lunges + 45 sec. Plank | repeat once (2 super sets)
        Adding repetitions is one way of building more lean muscle.  Building muscle is a very important part of weight loss.  I know it sounds backwards and crazy but a pound of muscle burns approx. 6 calories an hour AT REST where as a pound of fat only burns approx. 2 calories an hour. 

Thursday 10th:  We are going to eat 4 servings (2 cups) each of:  leafy greens, fruits and veggies.
        I'm adding the requirement of leafy greens into the mix as they are a packed with vitamins and nutrients.
   
Friday 11th:  We are going to do 300 step ups.
       Building our strength and cardiovascular endurance! 

Saturday 12th:  We are going to find a new, healthy recipe, prepare it and share it.
        I think too often we get into a rut when we are cooking.  I know I do.  I would say I prepare about 10 meals and simply rotate through them.  Why?  Because it's easy.  There are two reasons behind today's challenge.  First, you are forced to step outside of your cooking comfort zone to find a new healthy recipe that you will then prepare and be able to use again.  Second, by everyone sharing their recipes and thoughts regarding how easy their recipe was, how yummy it was, etc, you will have quick access to dozens of new healthy recipes. 

There it is.  As you can see we are performing the same fitness challenges as Week 1.  The reason behind that is to build a solid foundation from which we can build.  Trying to do too much without mastering the basics may lead to injury.  Even with the fitness challenges staying the same, Week 2 is going to push us but as we learned in Week 1, we can do it!  If something was impossible, I wouldn't ask you to do it.  Keep the momentum you've created and "work towards something greater!"

Please, share this post with anyone you feel might benefit from reading it. Friend me on facebook [Trainer Jason] and follow me on twitter [@trainer_jason]. Thank you for taking time out of your busy day to read this blog!

Week 1 | 5 Week Health and Fitness Challenge

It seems like forever since I decided to put this 5 Week Health and Fitness Challenge together.  I feel like the next five weeks will help those of you getting started create new habits, realise you can do this without joining a gym or having equipment at home and use the challenge as a form of accountability to keep you going.  For those of you already on your way but looking for something new, I think you'll enjoy the camaraderie and competition that will come with the daily challenges.  No matter what your fitness level, you will be supported, motivated and pushed as little or as much as you need. 

Now, let's set the challenges...

Monday 30th:  We are going to walk | jog | run one mile. 
     For those of you who do not walk | jog | run one mile already, you simply will walk | jog | run one mile.  For those of you already walking | jogging | running one mile, you will add a mile. 
      Cardiovascular training is a very important part of any fitness program.  Benefits of cardiovascular training include: weight loss, stronger heart and lungs, increased bone density, reduced stress, reduced risk of heart disease, temporarily relief from depression and anxiety, better sleep, more energy and increased confidence in yourself.

Tuesday 1st:  We are going to drink 1/2 our body weight in ounces of water.
      The new rule of drinking water is 1/2 your body weight in ounces.  Example, I weigh 175lbs so I am supposed to drink 87.5oz of water.  This shouldn't be done just today, this should be done every day of the challenge and every day of your life.  Please drink water from a BPA free, reusable container. 
       Drinking water is very important.  Water regulates your body temperature, transports nutrients and oxygen into cells, protects joints, helps metabolism and helps detoxify.

Wednesday 2nd:  We are going to do weight training without equipment:
      - 25 body weight squats http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Up_48p-BMug
      - 15 push ups (if you are unable to perform a regular push up, you may do them on your knees)
      - 10 lunges http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFTfbPh61vg
      - 30 second plank http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=bWJ8on3E3Io
      (you should complete each exercise set before moving on to the next.  complete the four exercises as a 'super set'.  once you have completed the 'super set', repeat the 'super set' one more time through)
      I've added a link for a video showing how you should be performing each exercise.  If you cannot perform any of the exercises for the prescribed repetition amount, simply perform 5 here and 5 there throughout the day until prescribed amount is finished. 
       Resistance or weight training must be incorporated into any successful training program.  Benefits of strength training include: weight loss (muscle burns more calories then fat), increased strength, increased confidence, more energy, increased HDL, lowered LDL, reduced risk of diabetes and insulin needs, lowers blood pressure, increases bode density reducing the risk of osteoporosis, decreases anxiety and stress.

Thursday 3rd:  We are going to eat 5 servings (2 1/2 cups) of fruits and vegetables.
       Since I don't have room to write all the benefits here is a link to a great article: http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/vegetables-full-story/

Friday 4th:  We are going to do 200 stair steps.
       It's easy, just use your stairs at home.  You'll start by stepping up one step with your right foot followed by bringing your left to the same step.  Then step down with your right followed by your left.  For 25 repetitions lead with your right then switch and lead with your left for 25.  Repeat until you get to 200. 
        Step ups are great for strengthening both your legs and your cardiovascular system.  The faster you go, the more calories you will burn.

Saturday 5th:  We are going to find a quiet room and stretch for 20 minutes.
       Here is a great stretching routine for an individual of any fitness level to follow.  Repeat the routine as many times as it takes to reach 20 minutes.   http://ahealthieryou.ca/2011/01/stretching/  The time you quietly stretch is a great time to meditate and be at peace with yourself.
        Benefits of stretching include: reduced muscle tension, increased range of movement in the joints, enhanced muscular coordination, increased blood circulation to various parts of the body and increased energy levels resulting from increased circulation.

Don't forget, once you have completed the daily challenge, you need to post a comment about the challenge so I can keep track of everyone.  If you complete 90% of the challenges you will be entered into a random drawing for a free one month membership to Prairie Life Fitness in Overland Park, Kansas.  I know some of you don't live in the Kansas City area, and won't be receiving the free membership, but posting a comment will help hold you accountable. 

Alright, time to get started!  We are all in this together, so let's support one another and help each other "work towards something greater!"

Please, share this post with anyone you feel might benefit from reading it. Friend me on facebook [Trainer Jason] and follow me on twitter [@trainer_jason]. Thank you for taking time out of your busy day to read this blog!