I am the type of person…

I am the type of person…

This past weekend I offered a 1-hour Goal Setting workshop to anyone interested in getting 2015 started off with a plan.  Everyone seemed to get some clarity on what they want to accomplish this year and a few strategies on how to go about it.  I had never done goal setting in a group before but it seemed to work really well.

One of strategies we talked about that I think had a profound affect on me as well as some of the participants was the idea of “who do you need to be to accomplish your goal?”

The author of an audio book that I am listening to for the second time now tells a story of being at a funeral of a family friend whose older brother had died and the younger brother was giving the eulogy.  It was common knowledge that the two brothers did not get along and had not spoken in years but still the younger brother was up there giving the eulogy.

The younger brother gave a touching eulogy and didn’t bring up even one negative story about his deceased older brother.  After the funeral the author went over to the brother who had just given the eulogy and asked, “I know you and your brother had not gotten along in years. It must have been tough not to say anything bad about him.”  The younger brother replied by saying, “I am not the kind of person who speaks ill of the dead.”

Because this man sees himself as someone who would never speak ill of the the dead he would not allow himself to say or act in any other way.

How does this story relate goals or new years resolutions?  Well, who do you need to be or not need to be to reach your goals.

Do you need to be the type of person who enjoys vegetables?

Do you need to be the type of person who does not drink soft drinks?

Do you need to be the type of person who gets 8 hours of sleep?

Do you need to be the type of person who enjoys waking up early?

Do you need to be the type of person who hugs their kids more?

Do you need to be the type of person who prepares their meals?

Do you need to be the type of person who saves 10% of their salary each month?

Even if you are not this type of person NOW, you can change and become that person. You are not stagnate!  You can be whoever you need to be to make your goal a reality.

If you don’t know who you need be lets set up a time and talk.

Who do you need be to make your dreams a reality?  Why not try being that person until your dreams come true?

Give a shot and let me know what happens.

I hope 2015 is off to a great start for you.  I look forward to seeing you in the gym soon.

Committed to Your Success,

Adam

Back to School Transformation Contest Registration NOW OPEN!!!

We’re excited to announce that registration has finally opened for the Back to School Transformation Contest!

We’ve come to the end of summer, and it’s time to return to school. But for everyone at Pinnacle Performance and Fitness, this time of year marks 6 weeks where you can get in the best shape possible.

What we do throughout the year is certainly effective, but this competition has 2 things that will GUARANTEE better results:

Competition and prizes!

It’s a fact that humans are urged to higher levels of performance when they are motivated by competition with others. As social animals, we thrive in a group setting, and our sense of pride doesn’t want to be let down—as well as our sense of accountability to our teammates.

But the second part of the equation is that there are REWARDS for getting results. How much better shape would you and your teams be in if someone paid you all a $1000 to do so?

Well that’s EXACTLY what we’re giving away this year!

You can win:

$1000 for the team with the biggest transformation and $250 will go to one person with the most significant transformation.

I have a goal to get 50 people signed up for this contest. We’re going to have a ton of fun, and it’s going to be the biggest event of the fall.

So sign up today! Get a team together and email Monica at pinnaclecc2006@gmail and register today. 

Registration ends September 9th, and the kickoff party is on September 11th at 6:15pm.

Let’s get in the best shape possible over these next 6 weeks!

Committed to Your Success,

Adam

Beach to Bay Prep 2.0

Adam Farrell here from Pinnacle Performance and Fitness.

I hope your week is off to a productive start and you have your workouts and meals scheduled for the week.

Beach to Bay Prep

If you are running in the upcoming Beach to Bay marathon I wish you luck. The four-plus miles may be a little tough on you if you haven’t been putting in the time. For a successful and less painful race I have added a few tips that will help you perform better and recover faster.

1. Hydrate: Pre-race check your urine color. You want it to be a light yellow like lemonade. Don’t drink too much and get water logged, just enough to take the dark orange color out of your urine. Research has shown that just a 2% reduction in hydration can lead to a 20% reduction in performance.

2. Roll Your Feet: While standing or sitting place a tennis ball, softball, or golf ball under one of your feet and roll the bottom of your foot against the ball. If the bottom of your foot is really tender use a softer ball. You may want to work up to a more rigid ball later. Roll behind your toes, the arch of your foot, the outside of your foot and the heel. If you find any bumps (trigger points) roll on them for about 30 seconds until they release. Spend 2-minutes on each foot.

3. Don’t carb load the night before: The 80′s are over and so is carb loading for a 5K or anything under an hour run/walk. Research shows that we want to begin the process of carbohydrate loading several days before. For 4-plus miles you don’t really need to carb load at all. Eat a healthy non-greasy meal the night before and you will be fine.

4. Eat a light breakfast: You want to eat a light breakfast with minimal fiber. You don’t want to run on an empty stomach and you don’t want a full bloated stomach. Bananas and peanut butter usually do the trick.

5. Encourage others: Every person you pass give them “atta boy/girl” or “keep it up”, or my personal favorite, “TIGHT GLUTES, TIGHT ABS, SHOULDERS BACK AND DOWN”!!! Just kidding about the last one. Encourage those who are struggling a bit. We all need a little encouragement.

6. Lose the New Shoes:  Don’t wear a pair of new shoes for your run.  Make sure you have logged a good amount of time in your sneakers before race day. New shoes can cause blisters and possibly hurt your knees.

7. Ice any sore joints or muscles: Ice any sore joints or muscles post race as soon as you can. Icing will help take the inflammation out and get you back on your feet for more training.

If you are not running join the after-party at the park across from McGee Beach where the Coliseum once stood.

Committed to Your Success,
Adam

8-Week Beach to Bay Training Program

For the last few years I have been tinkering with the idea of creating a program for our world famous Beach to Bay Relay Marathon.  This year I am going to to do.  I hope you will join us.  Details are below.

Are you tired of walking most of your Beach to Bay leg?  Have you started training for Beach to Bay before only to get injured a week or two into your training?  Do you wait till the last minute to start training but don’t really know what to do?

Pinnacle Performance and Fitness has the answer to all these questions and more.

Join us Saturday March 23^rd at Pinnacle Performance and Fitness for the initial of our 8-Week Beach to Bay Training Program meeting.  The meeting will start promptly at 7am.  Yes, 7am.

There you will receive your training/recovery equipment.  Learn more about the program and ask questions.  You will also want to wear training clothes this will be your first day of training.  The meeting will last one hour.

The cost is $89 for Pinnacle Performance and Fitness clients.

For non-Pinnacle Performance and Fitness clients the cost is $149.

Invite your friends, family and Beach to Bay teammates.

Your 8-Week training program will take place T/Th/Sat (T/Th 5:30pm and Saturday 8am) beginning March 26th at the park near where the Coliseum used to be, across from Magee Beach.  Each session will last one hour.

Walkers to runners are encouraged to join us.  All abilities are welcome.

Space is Limited Register by email Adam Farrell at info@pinnacle-cc.com.

Benefits:

Receive a Progressive Customizable Running Program that will Challenge you up to Race Day.

Learn Proper Warm Up Techniques to Keep you Injury Free.

Develop Double and  Single Leg Power Crucial for a Successful Race.

Discover Hydration Techniques that Will Keep you Ahead of Other Racers.

Discover There is More to Running Than Just Logging Miles.

Learn Race Day Tips to Ensure a Fun and Successful Race.

Learn Strategies for Smooth Transitions.

To register email Adam Farrell at info@pinnacle-cc.com.

Space is limited. Register Today!

Labor Day Body Weight Workout…

It is time to Labor!!!!

If you have an iPhone download the Workout Muse app so you can CRANK IT to your favorite tunes and set your timed intervals without using a stop watch.  It will be almost like being at Bootcamp.

Your Labor Day Workout

5 Minute Warm Up 50 seconds of work, 10 seconds of transition

Sumo Squat

Split Squat

Lateral Squat

Hip Hinge

Push Up Hold to Calf Stretch

The Labor Day Body Weight Workout

5 Exercises 40 seconds of Work 20 seconds of Rest for 4 Cycles

Body Weight Squats with hands behind your head

Push Ups

Single Leg Hip Hinge with an Arm Reach (keep knees soft)

Lying on your stomach T’s

Reverse Plank hold or marching

 

If you have questions about these exercises don’t hesitate to ask.  

 

Let me know what you think after the workout.

 

Adam

Want to Stink this Winter

Here is a guest post from one of my mentors and one of the foremost experts on Strength and Conditioning/Sports Performance Training Mike Boyle.  Coach Boyle is the U.S. Olympic Women’s Hockey Strength and Conditioning Coach.  He trains and coaches pro athletes in his facility in Boston, MA.  Take what he says seriously.  He has the years and experience to back up his words.  If you want to discuss this post let me know.  I know a few parents who may find this offensive.

Catchy title? 

This article is for all you parents who are trying to help your 
kid get in shape for a winter sport. I spoke with a mom the other 
day who inspired me to write this. There is a saying I use often 
in my talks. It is in fact the title of this article.

If you want your child to perform poorly this winter I have the 
answer. The answer is cross country. I have had countless parents 
over the years tell me that they can’t figure out why little Janie 
or Johnny had such a bad winter sports season. They worked so hard 
in the fall, running all those miles.

Lets get some facts straight. There are no team sports where you 
run for miles at a time. 

Even if you actually “run” miles in a game, those miles are actually 
a series of sprints interspersed with a series of walks or jogs. In 
the case of a rare sport like ice hockey, you actually sprint and 
then sit down. Running long distances does not prepare you to run 
short distances. 

There is a concept in sport called sport specific training. The 
concept basically means that from a conditioning perspective the 
best way to condition for a sport is to mimic the energy systems 
of that sport. If the sport is sprint, jog , walk, than the training 
is sprint, jog , walk. Makes perfect sense

There is another very large concept to grasp here. 

It is simple. 

Train slow, get slow. 

The reality is it is very difficult to make someone fast and very 
easy to make someone slow. If you want to get an athlete slow, simply 
ask them to run slower, longer. Simple. They may be in shape, but it 
is the wrong shape.

Another problem with a steady state sport like cross country? Injuries. 

Did you know that something like sixty percent of the people who take 
up running get injured? Those are really crappy odds.

Last and certainly not least, who dominates in sports? The fastest athlete! 
The athlete with the highest vertical! Yes, conditioning matters but, train 
for the sport.  Lift weights, jump, sprint. Gain power. It takes years to 
gain strength and power. You can get in shape in a matter of weeks. Most 
kids are playing their sport at least a few times a week in the off season 
so strength and power are much bigger concerns than conditioning.

So this year, don’t give the gift of slowness, 

If you are not a cross country runner, don’t run cross country. 

If you like a nice outdoor run and don’t care about speed, be my guest. 

If you want to get faster and get in great sport condition than train 
the way the best athletes train. Use a combination of strength training 
and interval training to prepare properly.

 

Mike Boyle
www.FunctionalStrengthCoach4.com
www.OnlineBodyByBoyle.com

6 Month Old Cheeseburger…

Mr. Wheeler, a Science teacher at W.B. Ray High School has an ongoing experiment with his Nutrition and Science class.  I thought you might like to read about it.

  

The 6-Month Old McDonald’s Cheeseburger

“The attached photo is of a ongoing science experiment that my students performed in Nutrition and Science Class. Funny thing is you will not see any mold, bacteria, or deterioration of any kind. Something to ponder the next time your deciding on where to eat…perhaps a few too many preservatives.”

And millions of people eat this everyday.  Pretty scary!  Think before you eat!

Adam

Release the Fat…

How does the body release stored body fat?  One of the quickest ways for our bodies to release body fat is train/workout at such an intensity that it sends your body into as state of “fight or flight”.

You know that feeling during your workout when you think to yourself “I don’t think I can do one more” or “I don’t think I will be able to finish this workout” or my favorite “If he tells me “only more 10 seconds” one more time I am going to let him have it!”

At this point in your workout your body is releasing hormones adrenaline, noradrenaline, and cortisol into your blood stream to help with your panicked state.  What also happens is your body taps into it’s storage of fat to use as fuel.  During this time when your heart is raising and you can barely catch your breath you are burning a ton of calories to help your body compensate for the stresses that are being placed on it.

Is this a good thing to do?  Yes, but not all the time.  That is why we have recovery weeks and take days off from training all together.

This next week, when we get back to our workouts and let yourself get to that state of “HOLY CRAP I DON’T THINK I CAN DO ONE MORE REP!” and know that it is helping you move closer to your fitness/fat loss goals.

Please let me know what you think of this post.

Do As I Say…

Not as I Do, Kinda…

I won’t get into the excuses (lack of planning) but I wound up in the Whataburger drive-thru for dinner this evening! I know, I know…

I wanted to share this with you because even when you are stuck (or choose) eating something not on the “Pinnacle Fitness Boot Camp approved food list” you can still make some smart choices. You have to keep your wits about you though. Order what you need, not what is in the picture.

What I had to eat for dinner was:
A Number 2, no cheese, on a wheat bun, with no bun oil, plus extra veggies. Also, I upgraded to have the side salad rather than downing the fries. It was worth the extra $.25 for the salad even if it was only iceburg lettuce and two cherry tomatoes. I didn’t need the extra grease or salt. No one really needs it!

Quick reminder: There is no class on Monday next week. We will meet on Tuesday. I hope you can make it Tuesday.

Also, Saturday July 10th we will be having our Grocery Store Tour at the HEB on Robert and Alameda at 8am.

Then we will be offering a fundraiser for the Ready or Not Foundation at First Christian Church at 10am. This will be a one hour workout you will not want to miss. Invite your friends and family members! All we are asking is a $10 donation. I will be sending out more information regarding the fundraiser.

I hope you have a great 4th of July holiday weekend. Let me know if you need anything.

Committed to Your Success,
Adam

The Pinnacle Fitness Challenge

Last Monday morning Pinnacle Fitness Boot Camps in conjunction with Mayor Joe Adame’s Fitness Council began the Pinnacle Fitness Challenge.

Angela Rowe the Mayor’s Fitness Council Coordinator asked me a few months ago if I would like to be involved in helping Corpus Christi become more fit and remove ourselves from the Number 1 position as the “Fattest City in America” according to Men’s Health Magazine. I told her I was very interested but I had a few conditions.

First, I wanted our participants to meet more than just a few times together to workout. I wanted the participants to join our current boot camp members in transforming their lives and their bodies.

The Pinnacle Fitness Challenge participants started this past Monday with our current boot camp members. The Fitness Challenge participants will continue to meet either in the morning at First Christian Church Fellowship Hall on MWF at 6am, 7am or 8:30am or Downtown at the Omni Maria MWTh at 5:45pm until the end of September when we will take a post-assessment of each participant.

Secondly, I wanted a strong group of civic minded busy professionals who normally wouldn’t take time for themselves to participate in our program. Angela delivered a great group of individuals: US State Represenative Solomon Oritz Jr, City Councilman John Marez, Local “40 thing to do in Corpus Christi” commentator Joe Hillard, Mayor’s Fitness Council member, Venessa Garza, Beautify Corpus Christi Executive Director Daiquiri Richard, Channel 6 Weekend Anchor Melissa Schroeder, AEP Texas Communications Coordinator, Omar Lopez, the City’s Intergovernmental Relations Director, Rudy Garza, Interim Director of Economic Development, Emily Martinez and City Pride/Clean City and Mayor’s Fitness Council Coordinator, Angela Rowe.

Lastly, I wanted to make it fun and competitive. Before Monday most everyone had come into Pinnacle Performance and Fitness training studio and completed their initial assessment. We measured body weight, girth measurements, body composition, and took a before photo. Some were shocked by the results, others were not so surprised.

The measurements from the initial assessment will be used to compare the results at the end of the program. We are planning on giving our Corpus Christi community the opportunity to vote for a winner using an online poll. We will post the each participants transformation story, their pounds, inches, and body fat % lost as well as their before and after picture for the voters to decide who should be the winner of the Pinnacle Fitness Challenge. We are still collecting prizes from area businesses.

Each participant was also given the Drop a Dress Size in 21 Days customizable meal plan as well as our 3-Month customizable Done-For-You meal plan.

Over the next four months these individuals will transform their bodies, lives and the lives of family and friends. I have already seen it happening from their Facebook accounts.

I will be making weekly posts about the Fitness Challenge as well as outstanding, awesome, unbelievable Pinnacle Fitness Boot Camps members.

Let me know if you would like to join our members in transforming your life and body.