Tips to implement for 2010

Today I want to look at a few tips that will help you transform your body into the body of your dreams in 2010.

Tip 1 - GET A WORKOUT PARTNER. Not only will a workout partner increase your accountability, but it will also motivate you to workout harder during your workouts.

Tip 2 - USE A WORKOUT JOURNAL. This will almost guarantee that you see results and improvements each and every workout. The FDF program includes printer-friendly Training Logs for you to use as your workout journal.

Tip 3 - USE A FOOD JOURNAL. This will help you realize what you are eating that could be sabotaging your results. A food journal also helps you put together a meal plan that accomodates your lifestyle and will help you achieve your goals.

Try incorporating these 3 tips and the new FDF: 8 Week Body Make Over Phase II into your daily routine this year to make 2010 your best year ever.

God Bless your 2010,
Kyle

End of the first-ever FDF Transformation Contest

Hey everyone,

Hopefully the Christmas season hasn't gotten everyone completely overwhelmed with the shopping and hustle and bustle that comes with it.

Now is the time to get your before and after pics along with your success stories/testimonials in to me for the first-ever FDF Transformation Contest. Send them to me at kyle@familydrivenfitness.com.

I am so excited to see the results everyone has gotten! Don't forget the cash prizes are 1st place-$150, 2nd place-$75, and 3rd place-$50.

If you did not have a chance to take part in this contest, don't worry. We will be starting another one at the beginning of the new year. I am anticipating a GREAT 2010 for all of you!

May God bless you and your family during this Christmas season, and don't forget that the birth of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior is the reason why we celebrate this wonderful time of year.

Sending much love to each of you from me and my family,
Kyle

How to get GREAT results from your interval training

For those of you who have a workout buddy, I think resisted sprints is by far the best way to see dramatic improvements in your interval training and your fat loss results. These are favorites of my wife and her workout buddy.

These can be done by using Superbands that can be purchased at http://www.performbetter.com/.
I recommend the 2 1/2" band that can be purchased for only $32.

Order online before January 3, 2010 and get FREE ground shipping. Try incorporating these into your workouts and I guarantee that you will see dramatic improvements in your weight loss and workout results.

Have a great weekend,
Kyle

FREE copy of Family Driven Fitness: 8 Week Body Make Over

My oldest daughter's 5th birthday was this week, and I am in a very giving mood. So, I am giving away a FREE copy of the FDF: 8 Week Body Make Over to fan #100 of the Family Driven Fitness Facebook Page.



If you are already a fan, invite all of your friends to join. If you have not yet become a fan, join today and you could get a FREE copy of the most efficient and effective program to transform your body and your life!

Get the word out and help others achieve their dreams,
Kyle

Benefits of Fasting

Many of us have heard of fasting in Biblical times, but that was just something they did back then. Right?

Wrong! Fasting has so many benefits for us today that they are really innumerable.

Spiritually, God commands us to fast in Matthew 6. God will reward you in an infinite number if ways when you give up food to spend time with Him. You will experience miracles and breakthroughs in your life that you never thought possible. I have fasted on several occasions over the past year and God has never failed to provide me with an answer or miracle of some kind. One book that really opened my eyes to the spiritual benefits of fasting is Fasting: Opening the door to a deeper, more intimate, more powerful relationship with God by Pastor Jentezen Franklin.

Physically, fasting also has many amazing benefits for the body. While Pastor Franklin touches on some of these in his book. Another book that delves further into this topic is Eat. Stop. Eat. by Brad Pilon. Brad lives a lifestyle that includes weekly fasting for physical health. In his e-book, he shares how this is a habit that you can easily develop. He also reveals how this intermittent fasting lifestyle can help you lose weight and maintain your results.

I have seen both the spiritual and physical benefits of fasting on many occasions and I hope that you will too.

These are two great books that I highly recommend.

Continue striving for your best,
Kyle

Easy Way to Improve Your Results

Many of us get stuck in the same rut day after day, week after week, & month after month without seeing any progress in our fat loss, muscle building, or whatever it is we are trying to accomplish with our workouts. We find ourselves wondering if we will ever get the results we want.

One of the changes that I made in an effort to improve my results was to start keeping a training log/journal. When I started doing this one simple thing, I was able to keep track of what I was doing in the gym and use this information to see improvements from one workout to the next.

We use journals or even planners to keep track of what we have done and what we are going to do in every other aspect of our lives, so why not apply this to our exercise routine. Since I started keeping my training log, I have seen tremendous improvements in my strength because I keep track of how much weight I've lifted or reps I've performed each workout and I shoot to beat that the next workout. It also keeps me from getting bored by doing the same workout over and over and over.

This is why I included printer-friendly training logs in the FDF: 8 Week Body Make Over. I want you to be successful and see the results you desire. You could even keep a food journal to keep track of what you are eating. This would really accelerate your fat loss!

Philippians 3:14

Stay strong in your efforts,

Kyle

Important Nutrition Tip

Today I am going to cover a very important nutrition tip that will help you transform your body.

DRINK MORE WATER

One thing many people fail to do is drink enough water on a daily basis. Our bodies are roughly 70% water. So, one would think that water is very important for our body. Yet so many people don't drink enough water to support the systems and processes that take place in their body every second of the day.

Many people prefer sodas. While some don't drink water because they think it tastes bland. One way to encourage yourself to drink water is to add a little flavor to it. One way I have found to do this, thanks to a colleague of mine, is by adding a few things to my water bottle each morning. These items stay in the bottle each time I fill it up with water and continue to add flavor throughout the day.

The "mystery" ingredients are cucumbers, lime, and mint.
Simply add 2-3 thin slices of cucumber, 1/4 of lime, and a couple mint leaves to your bottle. This gives your water a crisp, refreshing flavor that encourages drinking.

Try incorporating this tip into your plan to transform your body in the Family Driven Fitness Transformation Contest.

Sincerely,
Kyle
3 John 2

Transformation Contest

The first-ever Family Driven Fitness Transformation Contest will be taking place from now until Monday, December 21. What better time to reshape your body than the end of the year?


This will help you get a jump start on that New Year's resolution of losing weight and also help keep you from gaining that excess fat around your waist during TWO holiday seasons. Just think how good you'll look at all those holiday parties!


Go to http://www.familydrivenfitness.com/ and get started on your 8 Week Body Make Over. There will be prizes for the 1st, 2nd, & 3rd place winners. 1st-$150, 2nd-$75, 3rd-$50.


The rules are simple: Contestants need to take before-and-after pictures, perform the 8 Week Body Make Over or the Bare Necessities Home Workout routine, and follow a healthy meal plan.

On December 21, send in your results & the winner will be chosen on Christmas Day. You might be the lucky winner who gets $150 dollars under the tree this year.


I am looking forward to hearing about your successes.

Good Luck,

Kyle

8 Week Body Make Over

I have just launched my website www.FamilyDrivenFitness.com. I am offering the FDF: 8 Week Body Make Over as a way to help people reshape their bodies and reclaim their lives. Grab your copy today.

Phillipians 3:14

Kyle

Time Management

Most people feel as if there is not enough time in the day to get everything done that they need to do. But you see successful people all over the world these days who have accomplished a great number of things in the same 24 hours per day 7 days peer week that you have. What is their secret?

TIME MANAGEMENT.

Try implementing these 3 steps into your day no matter what the task and see if you don't get more & better results.

1 - Block Time
One key concept to tracking how your time is spent and not wasting another mintue of your day is to block your time into small segments to help you stay on task. You can separate a large task into smaller tasks when doing things such as cleaning your house. Instead of saying you have to clean the kitchen, you can divide this task into 3 smaller taks of 10 minutes. Washing & drying dishes - 10 min. Wiping down table & countertops - 10 min. Sweeping & mopping the floor - 10 min. This keeps you focused on the task at hand without getting overwhelmed by the larger task.

2 - Prioritize Tasks
Another step to help manage your time is prioritizing tasks. You need to spend the most time on the most beneficial, profitable, & necessary tasks. You wouldn't spend 3-4 hours watching movies if your grass outside was waist high. You better be outside mowing your lawn! So at night before you go to bed, rank the tasks that you need to accomplish the next day by importance. Then dedicate most of your time to getting the most important things done. You will find at the end of the day that you have had a more successful & productive day.

3 - Set a DEADLINE
Finally, probably the most important step to take is to set a deadline. How many times do you find yourself working feverishly to clean your house just before company arrives. This is because you have a deadline. Not self-imposed, but a deadline just the same. If you put a self-imposed deadline on many of your tasks, you will find that you will work harder towards achieving them. If you have a goal of losing 5 lbs. in 2 weeks, you will probably find yourself exercising harder and eating better so you can achieve your goal by the deadline.

Try to put these 3 steps - block time, prioritize tasks, set a deadline - into place this next week and see if it doesn't improve your productivity.

Matthew 6:33
Kyle

Goal Setting

Everyone has goals for something. Athletes have goals. Car salesmen have goals. Farmers have goals. You can have goals for your finances or weight loss. For whatever you are creating your goals, there are 3 important concepts to remember.

1 - Short Term => Long Term
No matter what your goal is, you should be able to break it down into short term goals that can help you achieve your long term goal. For example, if you want to lose 5o lbs., you should break that 50 lbs. into 10 lb. or even 5 lb. increments. Then focus on losing the next 5 lbs. Before long you will quickly be aproaching your goal, but you won't be overwhelmed by always thinking about that big, long term goal.

2 - Measurable
If your goal is finances or weight loss, you should always make it a measurable goal. With money, don't just say you want to make more money. Put a specific $ amount as your goal. For example, set a goal of $50 extra per week or $500 per month. For weight loss, don't just say you want to be skinny or in better shape. Measure your body fat % or track your weight lost each week. Don't just say you want to look good in a bathing suit. Measure your progress so you can know if you are getting closer to achieving your goal.

3 - Prioritize Steps to Take
Now that you have your short term goals in place and set up the means by which you can measure your progress, you need to decide the steps that you must take to accomplish these goals. Then, prioritize them according to what is going to give you the biggest bang for your buck. For instance, resistance training, interval training, and an improved diet consisting of more fruits, vegetables, and lean sources of protein and less sodas, fried foods, and processed foods would be great steps to take to achieve a goal of weight loss. However, deciding to skip breakfast everyday or walking/jogging 3 miles everyday are not great steps that will contribute to quick effective fat loss. These two steps have been proven time and again by research to be counterproductive when it comes to fat loss.

Remember to make short term goals that are measurable and prioritize the steps you must take.
Good luck in achieving all your goals,
Proverbs 16:3
Kyle

MY NEW FAVORITE BREAKFAST

I got the idea for this culinary concoction from a friend of mine. I added my own twists, and really, it is one of my favorite things to eat. For fans of PB&J sandwiches, I think you'll like this.



I take approximately (I don't measure. I just eyeball it.)) 1-1.5 tbsp of natural peanut butter. My brand of choice is Smucker's creamy natural peanut butter. Heat that in microwave for 1 min. Next, add 2 diced strawberries, 1 sliced banana, a handful of chopped walnuts, and 1 tsp of honey. Mix this all together and put it on 2 pieces of toasted Ezekiel bread.

It usually makes a little more than I can fit on 1 sandwich. I simply eat the left over with a spoon. I love it! Give it a try and tell me what you think. You can even change the ingredients and make suggestions for me to try.

3 John 1:2

Kyle

Monday Workout

Today's workout was a quick one because I had errands to run for my wife this morning. So, after class I raced to the gym on campus and finished the following workout in about 22 minutes.

1- Hang Cleans - 3x5
2A- Decline Pushups - 25,20,18
2B- Body Weight Rows - 10, 10, 12 (Not pleased with this one!)
3A- Triceps Pressdown - 3x10
3B- Cable Curls - 3x8

That's it. I didn't have time for intervals. If I don't get to them this afternoon, I'll be sure to get 10-15 minutes of interval training in tomorrow between classes.

Stay Strong,
Philippians 4:13
Kyle

Being out of God's will

I've included this video from Israel Houghton for you to enjoy while you read today's blog.



Just the other day I was at Starbucks with the family. As we were leaving, we noticed a small black & tan speckled lizard running across the parking lot. Now I'm no biologist, but I'm pretty sure God didn't create that lizard with those colors to camouflage itself in the yellow lines of the parking lot. Sure enough, by the time all of us had gotten buckled into our seats, we saw a bird scampering into the bushes with that black & tan lizard in it's mouth.

Many times in our lives we are that lizard. We are out of God's will for our lives and not doing what He created us to do. Satan is like that bird prancing around waiting to snatch us up.

Remember that God created us in His image. We should be seeking His will & glorifying His name in all we do. Let's keep from becoming the black & tan speckled lizard wandering around in the wrong places.

Stand Firm!
1 Peter 5:6-9
Kyle

Inspirational Music Video of the Week

A little David Crowder. Enjoy!



Press On,
Phillipians 3:14
Kyle

Home Workout

During my recent break from classes at Parker College of Chiropractic, I was not as consistent as usual with my workouts. Travelling & not being near a gym sort of hindered my workouts. However, I managed to stay active by swimming with my girls and performing a few workouts at home.


My favorite piece of equipment to use when I workout at home is my TRX Suspension Trainer. It's easy to set up & you can do multiple abdominal, lower body, & upper body exercises with it, such as the pushup seen here.


For more exercise ideas or to get your TRX Suspension Trainer visit here or click on the banner below.

Stay focused on your goal,
1 Corinthians 9:24
Kyle

No more excuses

People always have excuses for why they can't do certain things. They have excuses for not being on time, not performing certain chores or tasks, not exercising, not being able to lose weight, etc. That is what's wrong with this country. People don't want to accept responsibility for their actions. I see it from the kids at the school where I work to the executives of the big automakers. If people would accept responsibility for their actions, they would have fewer problems and our country would be headed in a different direction.

Being lazy is the easy way out. Why do you think we have so many overweight people and people in debt up to their eyeballs in this country. The reason is simple. That's the easy way out. These people have not accepted the responsibility of taking care of their health and their finances. The results are obvious and overwhelming. Let's start to take action. But more importantly, let's start to take responsibility for our actions and their consequences.

I challenge you to change one thing to improve yourself each day for one week & then post your changes & the benefits here on this blog. Be daring. Be drastic. Be bold!

Kyle

Running to get in shape?

An article in today's Monroe News-Star really bothered me. The article talks about a man who was severely overweight and had high cholesterol. In his attempt to lower his cholesterol and lose weight, he began to cut out junk food and sodas. I have no problem with this. However his exercise program consisted of strictly jogging.

As we know, jogging and long, slow, boring cardio is not the answer to weight loss. What he should be doing is weight training combined with interval training to promote the growth of lean muscle and decrease in body fat. Lean muscle burns more calories than fat. So, the more you have, the more calories your body will burn. Traditional cardio workouts do nothing to promote the growth of muscle. Check out my previous post on the ill effects of long slow cardio.

The man mentioned in the article did complete a marathon recently in just under 5 hours. I think about all the time he spent training for and completing this marathon. I can't help but think how much better shape he would be in and how much less time he would have spent exercising if he had only been performing 30-45 minute weight lifting and interval training sessions 3 times per week.

He will also probably need to be concerned with the pounding and wear and tear his joints have gone through due to all the long hours of continuous and repetitive jogging. This can lead to many injuries especially for overweight people. Think about this statistic: Every pound you are overweight adds an extra 4 lbs. of pressure to your joints when jogging or running.

If you are considering beggining a jogging program, remember you should never run to get in shape. You should get in shape to run. Lifting weights and interval training is such a more effective and safer method of improving one's fitness.

Kyle

What's wrong with health & p.e. classes in America?

When I walk through the gym at the high school I work at, it sickens me to see what takes place in these p.e. classes. The teacher rolls out a basketball & the kids choose teams & play basketball for 50 minutes. Or the teacher is a coach and is too busy talking about their upcoming game to even make the kids dress out and participate in any sort of physical activity. Then in health class we have overweight, tobacco chewing coaches who complain about how stupid the curriculum is that teaches kids about health and the importance of good health. Is there any wonder that Americans are so fat & out of shape?

I would like to see every school system reassign every health & p.e. teacher that doesn't believe in what they are teaching and doesn't display good, healthy habits in their own life. Our country is a result of what we are teaching in these classes, and that is a shame.

We need to be teaching kids how to eat healthy & how to properly exercise for weight loss & general overall fitness. Most kids don't know the first thing about weight training, & weight training is the key to weight loss & overall improved fitness. Walking laps around a track, which is another habit of the PE teachers at my school, does nothing to teach kids how to build muscle and lose fat. Weight training can not only build lean muscle & burn fat, but it can also improve your cardiovascular sysytem if done properly. Walking laps around a track does nothing but burn about 50 calories for someone.

It's great that some kids enjoy playing basketball for 50 minutes every day. But by the time they are 40 & 50 years old, these people probably won't be able to play basketball competetively. However, I guarantee that they can perform strength training exercises for 30 minutes 3 times per week. This strength training will do more to improve their cholesterol, blood pressure, & bone density than any walking or running program.

Now I have to get off my soap box and go do some chinups and pushups.
Kyle

Lifestyles don't lie.

I can't tell you how many times I have heard people say that they eat really well and exercise consistently and yet their waistline keeps getting bigger and bigger. YEAH RIGHT! That's why they look the same as they did last year and the year before that and the year before that. The power of the mind is amazing. People actually convince themselves that they are healthy or are taking the steps to get healthy. But in actuality they are only lying to themselves. Lifestyles don't lie. There is a reason most overweight people are overweight and most fit people are in great shape. It is their lifestyle. You will get the results of your actions, good or bad. Eat terrible=Look and feel terrible. Eat good=Look and feel good.

One tip I highly recommend is journaling what you eat and your exercise. This will let you know exactly how good or bad you eat, and how good or bad your exercise program is working. Give this tip a try for 1 week and see what improvements you need to make.

Until next time,
Kyle