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Category Archives: New Berlin Boot Camp
Getting Over A Fitness Plateau
1. Exercise Less or More
When it comes fitness progression is key. Many times exercising less can be the answer because intensity can be increased and recovery can be improved. On the other hand, an increase in volume can help improve as well. If you have been training for a long time without a week or two off take a break. If you have been working out two times a week up it to three. It really depends on the person and a qualified professional can help you improve on this.
2. Train for a goal
I am not sure if I have ever trained for a weight goal. Instead I have trained for a specific strength, power, or speed goal. I have also trained to be able to advance in specific body weight exercises. The point here is focus your energy on getting to a specific result. A word of caution here. I do believe that goals can be conflicting. For example, becoming really strong and becoming better at marathons are opposed. That is not to say that a runner should not get stronger but the programming should be inline with the specific goal.
3. Manage Stress and Sleep More
Our bodies need sleep and many times. Most people say we need 7-9 hours of sleep. When it comes to stress we all have it. It is not the stress but rather the reaction to the stressful situation. Things like prayer, meditation, focused relaxation, quite time, and much more can help break that plateau.
4. Change nutrition
The obvious things are reducing bad carbs, sugar, alcohol, trans fat, and so on. On the other hand, little things like maybe eating more or less could help depending on the person. Eating more good fats or other nutrition tweaks may just improve performance.
5. Get some support
This can come in so many forms from professional support to the support of a friend. It could mean a training partner or a small group personal training class.
6. Get some recovery
Massage, foam rolling, chiropractic care, band stretching, walking, yoga, vacation, hot cold showers, and many more are all examples of ways to recover. Remember results happen after the workout. Working hard is important but so is working smart and consistent. Recovery techniques are crucial and might be what you need to bust through a plateau.
7. Supplementation
Finding supplementation for your goals is important. It is not the first thing to look at however I believe it is the easiest way to see some results. Try some supplements for performance and use those. Figure out what you like and what your goals are then you can add those into your overall plan. However some people focus on supplementation but do not look at nutrition or any other factors.
What have you done to break a plateau? Comment below!
American Ninja Warrior Training
I am training for American Ninja Warrior.
Here are some things that I believe need to be a focus when training for this type of competition.
1. Really focusing on grip strength.
Many of the successful warriors have great grip strength especially per pound of body weight. I was really impressed with the football player who made it through because his weight was much greater than the other competitors (I digress). The truth is that grip strength has to be incredible to do well in this competition.
Here are some examples of exercises I am using.
– Two finger pullups
– Two finger KB carries
– Weighted pull ups
2. Must be explosive in the lower body.
The reasoning is because of the jumps that are needed throughout the competition. Fortunately my many years of training for lower body jump height has potentially prepared me for this. My main goal is to maintain strength and explosiveness in the lower body.
Here are some examples
– Single leg squats
– Deadlifts
– Different jump and sled work
3. Advanced body weight training
In the past I wrote about different exercises for body weight. I feel that strength per pound of body weight also known as relative strength is key. None of the warriors have a high percentage of body fat and many do freestyle tricking or are rock climbers. Without doing these specific things I will need to focus on other ways to be strong.
Here are some examples
– L-sit
– Planche
– Explosive dips
Here is some of the training I have done in the past
Comment What You Think… Is anything missing?
5 Advanced Bodyweight Movements
Below are five advanced bodyweight movements that can be used for better fitness and or athleticism.
These should be done in a progressive manner and should not be practiced if someone is not ready for them.
For example if a person is unable to do a full body squat with both legs the progression is obviously NOT a single leg squat.
1. Single leg squat from the ground up
2. Crow Stand holds with vest
3. Two finger pull ups
4. L sit variations
5. Any explosive power movement such as tuck jumps, plyo push ups, broad jumps, and so on.
What is your favorite body weight exercise?
Comment below!
Subtle Yet Crucial Performance and Fat Loss Concepts
When it comes to performance and weight loss the focus is usually on quick but temporary changes.
Below are five subtle yet crucial performance and long term fat loss techniques.
1. Monitor workout recovery and intensity
This is so important for long term performance and fat loss. I am constantly asked “What should I do on my off days?” or “What workouts can I do on my own?” Many times people will look at me bewillered when I say nothing or I tell them to do some walking.
You see our bodies need recovery and rest to perform optimally. Now I am not suggesting that every day should be a rest day or that you should not get after it, but rather pay attention to your performance and how you are feeling. I would much rather increase intensity over a long period time versus exercise often at the same or lower intensities. Less can be more if done with appropriate training!
2. Eat to perform well with no more dieting
Today we are looking at thousands of different diets including all sort of crazy fad diets. Some are crazy, stupid, and others are just downright lethal. If you do not believe me read these http://www.everydayhealth.com/diet-and-nutrition-pictures/crazy-diet-fads.aspx#/slide-13 Cigarette Diet, Baby Food Diet, HCG, and the Twinkie Diet just to name a few. A wise man once told me “show me someone who is dieting and I will show you someone that struggles with weight.”
3. Manage Stress and Sleep
This one goes along with number one but it deserves a spot of its own. When a person lacks sleep and is unable to deal with stress hormones become out of whack. When hormones become out of whack weight loss becomes more challenging or even impossible. This article explains it very well http://www.theiflife.com/fat-loss-101-master-the-basics/. People always tell me their hormones are out of whack because of age. I think instead that hormones become out of whack largely because of lifestyle.
4. Foam roll and band stretching
At this point you might think I am stretching it a little bit. Well the truth is when someone is consistent with these two things recovery speeds up, performance goes up, and risk of injury goes down. These are all things that are needed for long term performance and fat loss. http://www.3fatchicks.com/the-benefits-of-a-myofascial-release-massage/ talks more about the benefits of myofascial release.
5. Focus on strength per pound of body weight
I have never seen someone who is overweight that can do amazing body weight feats of strength. I am also not saying that a person should not focus on absolute strength because they should. I am saying over a period of time a person should get stronger in bodyweight movements and keep advancing in these. If I go from zero pull ups or assisted pull ups to being able to do five trust me when I tell you your body will look different. The benefits of bodyweight training are many and not the purpose of this blog post but again a person should be getting stronger per lb of bodyweight to see long term fat loss results!
Please share your thoughts below do you agree, disagree, or have any ideas of your own!
2012 Fitness Predictions
1. Many people will pay less for gyms but many will still not go to the gym. However they will still pay for it!
2. Many gyms will compete on price versus value essentially ruining their ability to compete.
3. People will still look for the easy way out. It is human nature to do so and in most areas of life being lazy can help us. The airplane, the car, the internet, email, social media, and any other device that makes our life easier is a good thing. But when it comes to fitness, basically the rule of thumb is this…. the better you get the better your body looks!
4. Metabolic training is going to be the words describing short intense workouts that will increase the metabolism over the long haul.
5. Fitness Professionals are going to train regular people more like beginner athletes or advanced athletes. There will be a focus on recovery and lifestyle techniques for better fitness results.
6. Infomercials will sell like always:(
7. Diets will pop up and people will say they work but will put weight back on. Hopefully this will lead to an understanding of the difference between weight loss and fat loss.
9. Express Fitness Powered by Fitness Revolution will be Waukesha Counties secret society for long term lifestyle fitness changes not just a quick fix (shameless plug)!
10. More people will want 10-30 minute workouts that improve them versus the long boring cardio people do with no success.
Do you agree or disagree? Comment below your thoughts!
Workout Program
Here is an example of a workout performed at express fitness camps in New Berlin, Wisconsin. See how local campers are losing up to 20lbs in just two months. Was this a cheap shot or was she asking for it? Watch below and decide for yourself!
Problems or Opportunities
When it comes to life everyone has problems and how we deal with these problems determines the quality of our lives. So many people wish for less problems versus looking at them as opportunities.
What does this have to do with fitness? Well as soon as something goes wrong we stop with our fitness goals, or we wait for the perfect time to get in shape. For example, I hear this one all the time “I am going to get in better shape before I start training.” Wrong answer!!! The right answer would be “because I have gotten out of shape (the problem), I need to start with a fitness professional (opportunity to get in the best shape of your life).”
Overcome your obstacles and wish for more answers. Learn from problems and turn them into opportunities. I believe the more challenging a person’s problems the greater their success in life.
To creating opportunities,
Jeremy
The Fitness Broken Heart
Fitness Professionals around the United States want to change people.
The issue is some never change. It breaks my heart when others do not see results, but it is amazing when people do change.
When people change their thinking and move into action people do flourish.
It is especially amazing when a person makes permanent lifestyle changes, loses weight, and becomes a happier, healthier person.
Chose to change your life today through health and fitness, you will never regret it.
To your happiness,
Jeremy
An Impressive Fitness Mom
Today as I was driving back from my boot camp when I saw one of my old campers running outside. That is what fitness is all about.
She is dedicated to working out early in the morning. She is a mother and has a full time career, but she still makes time for exercise. I was smiling ear to ear because I am in this business for you to see results and make a commitment to lifestyle changes!
In this world action equates to rewards and when your in doubt about what action to take… Here is a secret just take action!
To all the fitness moms,
Jeremy
CAN BOOT CAMPS BE DANGEROUS?
Fitness Boot Camps are growing at a rapid pace in the fitness industry. They have so many great attributes such as low investment and high return on results. They provide expert leadership with a social aspect but at the same time are great workouts.
On the other hand, boot camps can have a downside. Many fitness instructors want to start and run a boot camp without having the necessary skills to do so. Here are 10 tips to a safe and effective boot camp:
The Top 10 Boot Camp Safety Checklist
1.) The Instructor(s) Must Be Certified With Nationally Recognized Institution. If the person only has to pay for a certification you might want to stay clear. This can be an issue of safety.
2.) The Instructor must know what it takes to be in good shape and in some cases they might be out of shape. The best fitness professionals have the knowledge but also follow through with actions. Most people want to take advice from people who are in great shape.
3.) The instructor must make the exercises appropriate for all levels. The more fit you are the more advanced the exercises should be. The less fit you are the less advanced the exercises should be. There is always a modification and the instructor should know of plenty. If they cannot you should leave the class.
4.) The Instructor should be available for questions before and after class. This is important to determining the individuals’ needs and wants. Focus on a professional that cares about you and the group combined.
5.) The program should emphasize body weight exercise with a progression to weight training exercises. There should be a great focus on form first and foremost. Exercises need to be mastered before an instructor increases intensity levels. A red flag should be raised if you are being instructed to add weight to a movement that you have yet to master with your body weight alone. This will lead to injury!
6.) The training system must focus on interval training body weight exercise and cardiovascular intervals as well. High-Intensity Interval Training is scientifically proven to burn 9x more fat than the aerobic training alternative, so it is critical that both the resistance training AND cardio programs provided incorporate intervals since the goal for most people is fat loss. Most people want an athletic lean look and this is accomplished through circuit training of varying intensity levels. The best fitness professionals can create workouts with little to no resistance except the body.
7.) The program must have a sound nutritional plan. The instructor should be adamant about you following this nutritional plan but it should not be a fad diet. The plan should focus on healthy nutrition not some dieting tricks. It should provide both nutrition guides for Males and Females.
8.) The program should have a website along with an interactive community for everyone to be a part of. Bottom line, if the boot camp program in question does not have a website in this day in age it is not worth your time and money. There are fitness professionals that do not treat this as a business but it is. You want support from others what better way then having a community that is all in this together. There are so many free communities out there today so the instructor should have an online social community.
9.) The program should have testimonials of all sorts. Their previous clients should have results and be raving about all of the benefits that they have received from the program. Ask for before and after pictures and written or video testimonials of their services before signing up. And remember, it’s NOT just about the weight loss. Benefits should include, but not be limited to, increased energy levels, dress/pant size reduction, improved health profiles, increased strength and flexibility, less joint pain, etc.
10.) There should be a free trial of some sort. Many of the most successful camps do this. Why? Because they are confident in what they offer and the benefits it will have for you!
Jeremy
PS sign up for a free week trial boot camp by clicking below
www.jeremybelter.com/fatblastingbootcamp.html
Why Are Boot Camps Effective?
Here are five quick reasons for this answer.
1. Professional Guidance
2. Peer Support
3. Accountability
4. Friendly Competition
5. Social Energy
Boot camps are guided by a professional to help challenge you. Peer groups act as a team and this makes everything more fun and competitive. You are held accountable to the leader and to the peer group. Healthy competition is fun and rewarding and you get this from boot camps. When you have groups of people there is energy for you to build upon. For more information check out here
Jeremy
Discover How to Make Fitness Resolutions Really Work
Over the last five years, I have helped countless people get in the best shape of their life, lose fat, and become fit. The Truth is I know the secrets to get rid of ugly, nonproductive fat. The reason for this is because of my FAT BLASTING SYSTEM which is guaranteed to help you get fit, and increase your metabolism. I have helped enough people get fit to understand that this system does indeed work. I have used this system for my own fat loss as shown below. This is about you and your goals and I am going to share with you the TRUTH before you even contemplate starting this program.
I am not going to beat around the bush here. What is the secret? You might be thinking it is the program. This is only part of it because trust me there are other programs that do work. Is it a great program? Of Course!
What then is the true secret to success? It is motivation to stick with the program and follow a well designed system(plan). Let me go into more detail about what clients need to ask themselves before starting this program.
Before I begin I have to let you know something really is frustrating. Many people do not believe in the power of goal setting. I am constantly hearing vague, unproductive, and somewhat worthless goals. If you do not believe in goal setting and the profound effect specific, tangible, challenging goals can have for you… Well this is not going to work for you.
There are some people that believe that they can just lose weight without a lifestyle change and goal setting. Unfortunately, these people just don’t get it and frankly if you are one of those people, please do us both a favor and stop reading this article and go buy another useless weight loss book or pill because I simply cannot do anything for you. I can only help people who want to learn and take action. For those that know it all and our not willing to get the help they need please do not inquire about this program. The bottom line is that the most successful people out there, and I mean not just weight loss success, and all other areas are very goal driven. They know specifically what they want, by what date, and how to accomplish it. They are planners and achievers. These lessons can be taught but you must be willing to get help. My sincere desire is to teach this right NOW!
Step One- Why is this a goal in the first place?
It is time to get started and get real. In almost every initial consult I do, when I ask why they have contacted me today, here is the typical blanket response that I first hear:
“I want to be healthy and fit”
Almost everyone wants this, but why are doing it? What is your INSPIRATION? What will keep you going when it is challenging? What will make you stick with it so that success is your only option? I have had consults with others who were overweight, bad back, knees, lots of health concerns and perfect examples of those who need help. Many times the response is “I am going to do it on my own” With vague goals, no and no real why. I am telling you this to be truthful and to help not to be mean.
So what is going to keep you motivated to get up for an early workout? What is going to give you the results you want? What are you willing to invest in yourself to make your life better? These are all questions that need to be answered before success can happen.
Let’s face it: everybody, including YOU, wants to look better naked. After the laugh you realize it’s true and frankly that’s okay because the desire to improve one’s appearance is a powerful motivator. You feel better, look better, and honestly many areas of your life improve. Some of the results include more energy, more productivity, more confidence and so on.
So, after some questioning, I find out their real fears and ambitions. Some people want to be able to mow the lawn in the summer with their shirt off and not feel self-conscious. Many want to fit into those old clothes. Still others never want o have another embarrasing moment that they have had in the past. If you have had one you know what I am talking about.
Then there are those who want to look and feel more attractive to ignite some passion back into their relationships and/or put for their best image at work. Still others want to get ready for a cruise, wedding, reunion or some other big event. Wanting to get as lean and tight as possible to rock that dream bathing suit in Mexico, or get off the plane in California when visiting family you haven’t seen in two years to blow them away with your new body, or being a classic beauty in your wedding dress on the big day, it all works! This is the stuff that gets people stoked and ready to commit to making some real changes. How do I know? Well, I just shared with you verbatim the exact “WHY’S” of some of my own clients.
So, the first thing you have to figure out is your personal WHY. To make this even simpler for you, just answer this question: what are your physical dreams? Once you establish this, everything else is much easier.
Step Two- The What and When: A real deadline with specific motivating goals
So we already figured out the obvious: you want to look better and maximize your looks! So, now we need to establish what objective goal(s) need to be accomplished in order to realize this subjective dream.
Well, from a logistics standpoint and keeping things as cost effective as possible, there are three major ways I track “look better” progress with my clients, in order of importance from least to most important:
1.) Scale Weight: This is by far the least important goal, but it gives a number that’s worth tracking. Though body fat percentage would be a much better method of tracking progress, it is simply too inaccurate on a small scale and too costly on a large scale. The key is to taking your initial weight before you start and then not weighing more than every 2 weeks. I have found most people to do better with tracking their weight every month. There are simply too many variables for controlling your body weight and the natural fluctuations based on diet (and for women, their menstrual cycle), means the less frequently you do this the better. If the scale is just too de-motivating for you in general, then just skip this one altogether if you must, because the next two markers are far more important.
2.) Body Measurements: This is a very good indicator of success. You want to lose fat and change how your body looks. By taking a few measurements that I have in place you will know how well you are doing. Measuring on a regular basis is important but not to soon that you do not see any results.
3.) Digital Pictures: Pictures don’t lie, that’s the bottom line. If you want to look better, what better way is there to assess this than pictures? I cannot begin to tell you how important this is. When you see yourself in a picture you cannot lie to yourself any longer. This is such a motivator for people it amazes me to this day. Taking regular pictures is so important to know if you need to “step it up a bit” Taking a before picture is essentially you telling the whole world that you are ready to change and that you are ready to do whatever it takes to make those changes. They key is take pictures in a swimsuit, sports bra and shorts, or for men swimming shorts only
And if you want to see your abs, then you best believe that you need to take pictures of your abs to track how much more definition you get. Take a front, side, and rear view picture and be sure to note the exact conditions in which the picture was taken (lighting, distance from camera, time of day/week, etc.) to be as accurate as possible in your assessment. The clients whom I’ve transformed that failed to take before pictures in the past have nothing but regret about it. Your before pictures will become your trophy and they are an absolute must if you really are serious about getting results that count. We tell our clients to take new pictures either bi-weekly or monthly until they reach their goal(s).
Step Three- Planning and Preparing for Obstacles: You and I both know that obstacles arise the issue is not what obstacles. The idea is how will this time be different. What’s contributed most to past failures and why is this going to be different this time.
Now that we know what you want to accomplish, it’s time to plan and prepare for any obstacles that might get in your way of getting the job done based on your own personal schedule.
In general, the number one thing I hear is that people are too busy and tired and don’t have enough time to get their workouts in or make their meals. The truth is that I have mad workouts short yet effective. Please learn to master your time and you will not regret it. Again, think back to why you wanted to do this in the first place and then examine what’s most important to you. Make your workouts and your meal times just like work appointments. Either you make the appointment or you don’t. And if you want to keep your job (and have your dream body) then you better make that appointment.
Another big obstacle is alcohol. Now I do not have a problem with alcohol but unfortunately alcohol is detrimental to burning fat. To blast fat eliminating or cutting back is needed. The decision is yours. Remember, once you achieve your goal(s), alcohol can be added back in with moderation. But know this, lean people just don’t get wasted unless they are genetic freaks. Low to zero alcohol consumption is needed if you want to look your best year round and that’s a fact.
Lastly, many people deal with boredom eating or emotional eating. Boredom eating means just that, eating to fill up dead time when you have nothing better to do. The best way to deal with this is, you guessed it, to do something! Find an active hobby to keep your mind off of eating when boredom strikes and you can beat this trend. Emotional eating describes the use of food to cope with stress or to reward for accomplishment. Food is can be very addictive and some foods do send an addictive message to your brain. There is no quick fix for emotional eating other than avoiding trigger situations (bars, parties, etc.) and trigger foods (starches, sugars, fast food, etc.) in the short term to break bad habits. In some cases past psychological issues must be dealt with it with a qualified professional.
Face your roadblocks head on. Get rid of excuses and move forward. Boot camps are so helpful with social support. The clients who have had the most success with us have undergone their transformation with the support of other friends or family members. Get support from those that are willing to give it. This is so critical, especially since most of the poor food and drinking choices that sabotage one’s progress occur on the weekend, when most people hang out with their friend and family. If they are committed with you and your goal to get fit and look better, you can put yourself in a much better position to realize the success your desire and deserve. The last thing anybody needs is sabotage or peer pressure from those closest to you, so get them on board and get them on board early.
Jeremy Belter
http://www.newberlinbootcamp.com/
https://www.jeremybelter.com/
How to Shovel Without The Pain
If you live in Wisconsin you know winters can be brutally cold, but it can also be also be bad for a persons back. It is amazing how many people hurt their backs while shoveling.
Today I am going to reveal my top safe shoveling secrets. For those of you who do not live in Wisconsin like me, you still need to know this information too. This information can be used for any type of shoveling!
Here are some tips to help keep you pain free:
1.) Perform a Proper 5-Minute Warm-up Before Shoveling
So many people do not properly warm up before exercise. This is true of snow shoveling as well. A proper warm reduces the chance of injury. Snow can get very heavy so be prepared by warming up.
I have created a great shoveling specific five-minute warm-up to get your body ready to rock. There is a special emphasis on opening up the hips and chest to save your back and shoulders, the two most commonly injured areas of broken down shovelers:
Perform each exercise in the following warm-up circuit at a slow, controlled tempo for 50 seconds with a 10 second rest and transition between exercises. This warm up is best performed indoors to help control body temperature:
Exercise#1- Stationary High Knee Run
Exercise#2- Jumping Claps (modified jumping jacks with arms moving across chest level, palms facing)
Exercise#3- Alternating Forward Lunge, Overhead Reach, and Twist
Exercise#4- Alternating Lateral Lunge with Opposite Hand to Toe Touch
Exercise#5- Prisoner Squats (hands behind head with finger interlocked)
2.) Split Your Stance When Shoveling
Back pain is probably the biggest complaint for avid shovelers. In most cases, a sore or tight back stems from restriction at the hips (see the warm-up above to best remedy this). More specifically, using a parallel stance puts your lower back at a greater risk of injury due to the greater likelihood of excessive flexion of the lumbar spine that often leads to back spasms in the short run and herniated discs in the long run. However, the simple switch to shoveling with a split stance, where one leg is forward and the other leg is back, will not only help prevent this hyper flexion while bending over and moving snow, but will also actively stretch and open up those tight hips at the same time. Be sure to keep things in balance by doing an even number of shovel strokes with both legs forward by alternating every 10 reps or so.
3.) Point Your Toes In Same Direction of Shoveling
This is a continuation of the last tip. Even when you split your stance, you can be susceptible to injury whenever you perform a rotating back extension (e.g. a shovel toss to your rear). So, to further bolster your body, be sure to always shovel snow in the direction that your toes point to minimize excessive spinal rotation that can literally wrench your back.
4.) Shovel EQUALLY to BOTH Sides
This is a further continuation on the last two tips. Another big mistake people make is that they always shovel to their strong sides causing further strength and flexibility imbalances that can put your body at greater risk for injury. So, we now know you want to split your stance and shovel in the direction your toes are pointing, but you should also be sure do an equal amount of shovel tosses to your left AND right. Do 10 shovel tosses to your left with your left leg forward and then do 10 shovel tosses to your right with your right leg forward. Repeat until your driveway or sidewalk is crystal clear.
5.) Strengthen your body
The stronger you are the less likely you are of injury. Proper strength training will reduce your chances of injury to the body. Be safe, shovel properly, and focus on strengthening your body. All of these tips will reduce your risk of injury this snow season.
Blast Fat,
Jeremy
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REAL WORLD TRANSFORMATION
Can you do what Dan has done? Look at the pictures and check out the video! Dan has changed his life and I half to admit I was VERY, VERY IMPRESSED with Dan’s Transformation. Dan has put the Fat Loss System into practice.
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