​College football is right around the corner! Last man standing was a lot of fun last year, so let's do it again. 

The way it works: There are 14 weeks of regular season ball. You get 14 teams. Pick one team each week to win. If that team wins, you advance to the next week, BUT you cannot pick that team again for the rest of the season.  If the team you pick loses, you're out. Done. Finished.

We'll do this two different ways. One for a fee and another for free, no skin. If anybody wants to have a little fun with a shot at a little cash, we'll have a $10 buy-in. Winner take all. If there are multiple winners, they'll split the pot. 

Regardless of how you do it, anyone who gets through all 14 weeks will win a free month of boot camp. After regulation is complete, they will then get a chance to pick the major conference championship games for a second month and then the playoffs for a third month! You have to commit to playing for money prior to the first game 8/31. The pot will be awarded  after the last regular season game. If everybody loses, the pot will go to the last players still alive. 

Let me know if you're in and I'll send the next set of details. Open to non-gym members. Awarded memberships are non-transferrable.

1.  Fountain and Vine by Oleander.  One of my favorite Oleander songs.  It sounds big.  But what's more is that this song is all about changing for the better.  "I want to tear down the walls and shatter the image that falls."

2.  The Pride by Infinite Staircase.  I'm still on that Kevin Martin kick.  But this one works lyrically again as it's all about pulling together and overcoming adversity.  

3.  She's Kerosene by the Interrupters.  Pretty cool punk song with a catchy hook right out of the gates.  

4.  Savior by Rise Against.  Just a solid, straight forward rock song.

5.  Get Right by Pearl Jam.  Simple, stripped down and straight forward.  Sometimes less is more and this short rocker does the trick. 

6.  Big Life by USS.  Slow-ish with a big sound and a positive message.

7.  Madness by Muse.  Another slow one that some how works and sucks you into a groove.

8.  Your Touch by the Black Keys.

9.  Breed by Nirvana.  Classic, high-octane Nirvana.

10.  Stop! by Jane's Addiction.  What starts off as what sounds like an introduction to a lesson in speaking Spanish, shortly after turns into a pretty solid rock song.

For a long time I've preached to my clients that your weight doesn't tell the full story of whether your body is trending in the right or wrong direction in terms of goals and health.  I now have two personal experiences that support this and give a little further perspective.  One of which is as recent as this past month.

The first one is from 12 years ago from when I first started working out and eating healthier.  I was starting a bit of a beer belly. I wasn't exactly over weight and I definitely didn't have any muscle definition.  Over the next several months, my weight stayed the exact same.  But my body fat percentage decreased. My waistline and hips measurements decreased. All the while my legs, arms and chest got bigger.  Over the years, I would end up 10 pounds heavier, with a smaller belly and waist, but with more muscle definition on top of that.

The second story actually took place for all of July through just last week.  July may have been the hardest month of my life.  I've never lost someone I've loved so much.  And I'll preemptively say, there's nothing to be concerned about, nor do I want any further condolences or attention.  But the reality is, I turned off the fitness side of things in this time.  I probably worked out 5 times at the most in July and I did not discriminate food or drinks by any stretch of the imagination.  Last week, I did a measurements check.

Over the last month, I ate and drank like trash and did not work out.  I actually lost 6 pounds.  Most people would take that at face value and think that sounds great, right?  WRONG!  I lost 6 pounds, but my body fat percentage increased by 4%, arms decreased by a half inch and my waist line increased by a half inch.  That right there should help hammer home the point that muscle weighs more than fat.  I lost quality muscle and gained not-so-quality fat.

Those are my stories.  And believe me.  I get it.  I understand the struggle because I see it all the time.  People weigh themselves all of the time and get so discouraged because the scale isn't budging or is decreasing so slowly.  Your weight doesn't tell the full story.  It tells part of the story, but it isn't the end all be all.  If you really want to know how you're progressing, check your body fat percentage and measure your waist, chest, arms, legs, hips, and neck. 

If you check your weight and it remains the same, slightly increases or barely decreases, you can check your body fat.  If that remains the same or increases, you know you're missing something and still need to make some changes.  If it decreases, you know you're heading in the right direction.  Keeping track of all of these things will give you the full story, avoiding the trap of having tunnel vision with the scale and getting discouraged.

If you've been at it for more than a few weeks and nothing is trending in the direction, don't quit!  You can do this!  But don't keep doing what isn't working.  You'll need to make some changes.  Are you eating healthy and controlling your portions?  Are you working out regularly (minimum 3-4 days a week)?

That being said, I am happy to help you check your body fat percentage and take measurements.  All you have to do is ask next time you're in and we'll make arrangements!  The same goes for eating habits.  If you think you're eating healthy and working hard, but not getting results, I would also be happy to look over your meal diary to see if there's something in there holding you back.  You have a great resource  here beyond just workouts.  Don't be afraid to use it!  Don't forget to browse the healthy eating link up top while you're here!

1.  Stand by Candlebox (Explicit).  Loved this song from the first listen some 10 years ago.  Has that classic 90s sound and hits hard and doesn't let up from the moment the drums come in.  Would you run away or would you stand?

2.  Honest Man by The Gracious Few.  If this sounds like Candlebox, you're not crazy.  The singer is Kevin Martin of Candlebox and the band behind him is who most would remember as Live.  And I've been on a Kevin Martin kick lately.  Once again, I just love the way they come out swinging with this one and unapologetically (is that a word?) carry that tone for the duration of the song.

3.  Push It by Static X.  I'm not much of a metal head, but this one works well in the gym. If you were at the group class last Wednesday, you were lucky enough to do our finisher to this song.  For this song, hold a plank in the push up position during the verses.  When the chorus hits and he screams "push it," go straight into push ups.  Back to the verse, back to holding the plank.  Back to the chorus, back to push ups.  So on and so forth for a brutal, yet incredible few minutes.

4.  Jump Around by House of Pain.  Mainly for reasons given for Push It.  Try this for a finisher to your workout.  During the verses do high knees or run in place.  When he says "jump around," go right into a jump squat.  Back to the verse, back to high knees.  Back to the chorus, back to jump squats. So on and so forth.  Once again, a great way to make sure you've given every last bit you can in a workout!

5.  Hook, Line, and Sinker by Royal Blood.  This two man band packs a punch.  One of the few bands in recent years with genuine rock and roll in their sound.

6.  Lydia by Highly Suspect (Explicit).  I think my draw to this song is that it has a crunchy groove reminiscent of one of my favorite Pearl Jam songs, Tremor Christ.  Nonetheless, it's a well written song. Maybe a little slow for some, but I really dig the raw emotion and feeling from the music and vocals alike. 

7.  Shine by the Burden Brothers.  Feels like a glam rock/modern rock hybrid.  I wanna watch you shine!

8.  Salute Your Solution by the Raconteurs.  One of my favorite Jack White songs.  Not sure what the hell he's saying for the most part.  It's up beat and it just works.

9.  Old Friend by Rancid.  

10. If It Feels Good Do It by Sloan.  One of my favorite bands in the high school and college  years that I've kind of grown away from.  But every now and then songs like this come back to me.  They really do have a good collection of rock and roll riffs and can harmonize vocally pretty darn well.

Feeling pain in your lower back during planks, glute bridges, shoulder presses, drive the bus, bicep curls, TRX pushups, TRX tricep extensions, just to name a few?

Try flexing your glutes and abs to feel instant relief.  The movement itself may become more challenging, but at least the discomfort will be functional muscle burn and not unwanted and dangerous back pain.

Imagine you're trying to hold a quarter between your butt cheeks.  Doing so will help strengthen all of the core muscles that support the lower back.  Often times, pain in the lower back in the moment of an exercise is attributed to a lack of core, hip, or glute strength and development. Also an accomplice is tight hips.  Engage these muscles and you'll develop these muscles and the pain goes away immediately eliminating any risks of injury.  

Not so much a recipe, but an option many have never even thought to try.  Steak rubbed and seasoned to your liking.  Onions, bell peppers, and pineapple thrown on the grill right next to the steak. You'll want to put the onions on about 10 minutes before the steak so they cook enough. The pineapple and bell pepper can be thrown on immediately after you start the steak.  

Grilling fruits and veggies is still one of my favorite ways to prepare them because there's no oil, butter, dips, or dressings necessary.  The char from the grill is perfect.  And with this dish in particular, the flavor of the pineapple and onion coming together with a little char.... damn!

The Egg McMuffin has nothing on me!  

Whole wheat toasted English muffin, one egg, turkey, cheddar (don't get carried away with the cheese), basil, and sriacha.  If you haven't tried basil with your eggs, you're missing out!

I often hear people say they don't like to use kettle bells because they bother their wrists. But more often than not, it's not the kettle bell. It's how they are holding the kettle bell. 

If you have wrist pain or discomfort when holding a kettle bell, check your form for this common mistake. 

On the left, you see the wrist is broken and bent backward, causing the weight to pull downward on the wrist. This puts unnecessary strain on the ligaments in the wrist and also compromises strength in the movement and elevates the risk for further issues and injury down the road. 

On the right, the wrist is straightened out properly bracing itself. No unnecessary strain. The weight is properly loaded and distributed and the exercise itself is now the focus. 
 

One of my favorite legs exercises!  This is one of the best moves to develop glutes and hammies using a slackline or ratchet strap.  Far less $$$ than a GHD/machine.