Learn all about how Fiber can keep you healthy as well as help you lose weight, and also get the inside scoop on some great places to get your health and fitness supplements online!


MP3 File

What the heck is the Glycemic Index?? If you've heard this term, but don't know what it means, OR you are afraid of carbohydrates, this podcast is for you!


MP3 File

Learn the difference between fast twitch and slow twitch muscle fibers and how to train each for maximum effectiveness!


MP3 File

Get the inside scoop on antioxidants, as well as find out which company can PROVE their product packs the right nutritional punch!


MP3 File

Do you know how to power your lifestyle and weight loss efforts with the proper nutrition? Get the true to life answers now!


MP3 File

Find out the 4 top ways to utilize your iPod or other multimedia device to keep you motivated and to pass the time when you're working out!


MP3 File

Learn about how using Cross Training during your exercise and nutrition program can keep you on track with your fitness goals, and keep you from getting bored!


MP3 File

My Weight Loss Blog, Week 5

Woohoo - halfway to the finish line! Today is the official start of Week Number 5 out of 8, so 4 weeks are down, with 4 left to finish.

This morning's weight was 169.5, with a bodyfat percentage of 14.1%! Yay! That is down a total of 5 1/2 pounds since I started, and 2 complete percentage points of bodyfat! I look and feel better than I have in a very long time, and this effort has SO been worth it!

I also start getting to wear my 25% pin since I am over 25% towards my long-term goal!

However, all of that being said, now that we are in the 2nd half of the goal setting time period, I need to crank everything up for the next 4 weeks. Despite my good progress so far, I haven't really been "putting the pedal to the metal" as far as exercise goes, and I need to do that for these last 4 weeks.

I have been exercising regularly, although not as intensely as possible, and I took this past Saturday off completely. I am still cross training, which I'm sure is one of the reasons for my success. Every single day is something new on the exercise schedule, and I have been making great use of the EyeToy:Kinetic workout game that I bought as well.

This coming up week will not entail any additional exercise, but the exercise sessions themselves will all be ramped up a notch. I am also going to throttle back a point or two on carbohydrate intake in the evenings, although nothing major there. I need my carbs for energy! :)

Okay, that's it for your halftime update. Stand by for the 2nd half of this broadcast as people continue to see less and less of me.... :)

-- Aaron

Find out the easiest and most effective way to burn through bodyfat WITHOUT doing any more cardio than you are already doing!

Challenge your muscles! Learn why you have to continually challenge your body in order to keep it from adapting to your training program!

Today's podcast talks about the many benefits of bodyweight exercises, how you can easily do them in any environment, and where to get a list of some of the most effective movements!

My Weight Loss Blog, Week 4

Yay, I've made it to week 4 without falling off the wagon! :)

Okay, okay, I never really thought that I would fall off the wagon, but I do want to impart upon the faithful readers of this blog that minding every single calorie in and every single ounce of energy expended each day is not as easy as it might seem!

I will be glad when I get to my goal so I can go back to just "generally" tracking this sort of stuff, instead of keeping a daily log like I do right now.

In this particular time frame, that daily log included dinner and drinks with the lovely and talented Ms. Amy last Friday night, and brunch (which always TURNS into drinks!) with Amy, Patrick, Polegirl, and Mishel on Sunday. We watched the Jags lose to the Colts, but it was still a good day, and much fun was had by all. I also did not workout at all on Sunday, giving my legs (and my head!) a much needed rest.

Neither of those instances are what I would call "ideal" for weight loss, but I still managed to drop another .3 percent off of the total bodyfat level this week, which puts me at 14.8% right now, with my bodyweight holding steady at 172.

Still a far cry from my goal, but I am not worried. Despite my truncated timeline, I still haven't busted out all of the tricks that I have up my sleeve, and I will likely save them until crunch time, if they end up being needed at all.

In the meantime, I DID get my Playstation 2 set up, and the EyeToy:Kinetic game is SO much fun, and it is SO hard! I expected it to be a bit difficult, but it went way beyond that. I've only played it a few times so far, but I plan to hit it several times this week and see if I can manage to NOT kick the coffee table or knock over the bookshelf in the living room....

As far as changes to the program this week: nothing major. I will not be taking Sunday off as I did yesterday, and I plan to spend more time with the EyeToy, and I'll do cardio one more time than I did last week. Otherwise, it's back to minding calories, shaking hands, and kissing babies....

Stay Tuned!

-- Aaron <~~~~ Sucked down a pumpkin spice latte on Sunday with no guilt whatsoever! ;)~

My Weight Loss Program, Week 3

Well, here we are at the beginning of week 3, and all is well! The official weight on the scale this morning was 172 lbs, and my bodyfat is 15.1%. That is a loss of 2 1/2 lbs since last week, with a bodyfat loss of another .4 %.

That is a total of 3 pounds in 2 week, and 1 full percentage point of bodyfat! Now, as excited as I am about that, I need my bodyfat to go down more quickly in order to reach my goal of 9.1% by January 14th, so I am going to make some modifications to the program this week.

Last week I did really well on nutrition, and even the Christmas party Friday night didn't cause too much damage. Also, I have to give props out to Amy's boss who gave us free reign to use his tab at the bar! Nonetheless, we kept things fairly under control. Only 1 small plate of food, and a nice slice of turkey breast. We had several drinks, which were obviously not in the nutrition program, but let's see YOU go to a party with a bunch of doctors and see how interested you are in drinking nothing but coffee and water... :)

Last week's exercise included some kind of activity every single day, some of it moderate intensity, some of it more than that. I did my first high intensity cardio session on Friday for 25 minutes, and I ran at a moderate level on Sunday for 55 minutes. Most days also included some type of resistance training as well.

This week will be more of the same, although I am going to add in 2 or more days of pre-breakfast cardiovascular training, since that is a solid way to melt of bodyfat, but not muscle, and I am going to crank up resistance training intensity as well. Now that I have 2 full weeks of conditioning under my belt, I can take off the kid gloves when I hit the weights.

Also, I am going to add in a second dose of Tahitian Noni's Soy Protein, and another shot of Tahitian Noni Juice as well. I drank soy protein once a day last week, and took 2 shots of juice each da, but since my resistance training is going up a notch, I am going to crank up my protein and antioxidant intake as well.

So, that's it for this week! There are no baby quiche parties on the upcoming agenda, and I am *remotely* caught up on work obligations, so I should be able to be a good little boy and carry my butt to the gym on a frequent basis, and my PlayStation 2 is scheduled to be delivered any day now, so I should be able to start beating the crap out of stuff here at home, too.

However, on that note, we also put up the Christmas lights on Saturday night, and Amy was a good sport about me going for the "Griswald" effect, so hopefully I don't end up knocking over the tree, or getting electrocuted! ;)~

Happy December, y'all! <~~~~ I just luv saying "y'all"!

-- Aaron

My Weight Loss Program, Week 2

On Monday morning, November 28, 2005, I weighed in at 174.5 lbs, with a bodyfat percentage of 15.5%. The difference between this week and last week is a loss of 1/2 a pound, and a bodyfat loss of .6%.

Not too bad for my first week out, although I am nowhere NEAR satisfied with that! I did have to take it somewhat easy my first week because I previously hadn't been exercising very regularly, and the increase in resistance training as well as cardio made me fairly sore. Following the same advice that I give to my clients, I didn't try to push it to the limit the first week out.

However, Week #1 is over now, and all bets are off! My body is almost completely recovered from the resistance and cardiovascular training that I did last week, and today is a fresh start to the week, as well as my capacity for exercise.

Last week I stuck with the basics, doing abdominal exercises, squatting, lunging, and pushing exercises, as well as some shoulder and back specific movements. For cardio, I got in 2 good runs of 38 minutes and 40 minutes respectively, I hit a treadmill and a crosstrainer at the gym, I practiced flexibility and core stabilization movements, and I beat the crap out of a kickbag for about 20 minutes one day with kickboxing moves.

Again, not too bad for Week #1, but I am not happy with my bodyfat percentage this morning, so Week #2 needs to be more on task. I have ordered and received my OWN kickbag for my house, so I can practice the excellent art of kickboxing more than just one time this week. In addition, I ordered a WAY cool PlayStation2 game called EyeToy: Kinetic. It is basically an interactive workout that you do in front of your TV that appears to be an incredibly intense workout. That should be arriving towards the end of this week. Check out http://www.eyetoykinetic.com/language.html if you want to see it for yourself.

I am also going to ramp up the cardio that I do at the gym for longer sessions, and more intensity as well. EVERY day will be a cardio day this week, and I will utilize cross-training techniques to keep from overtraining any particular joint or muscle structure.

I ate fairly well last week, so I don't see any major changes needed in that area. However, I have started to plan my meals better, since I have recently picked up some new clients, so I will be spending more time than usual away from home.

So, that is it for this week! I am okay with the progress that I have made so far, but I am not ECSTATIC about it, so stay tuned to see what happens next week after I turn up the volume on this program!

-- Aaron <~~~~ A little thinner, a little wiser, and A LOT more motivated!

My Weight Loss Program, Week 1

Well, as ironic as it may seem coming from a personal trainer, I've decided that it's time for me to lose some weight! Although I have remained in "decent" shape just due to the activity level of my job, and a reasonable nutrition program, I am not happy with where my bodyfat level is.

So, in practicing the eternal art of leading by example, and also to prove the effectiveness of the Tahitian Noni supplements that I am using and endorsing, I have put myself on a short track to success!

I say short track because one of the things that I have learned about goals is that they have to be measurable and timed, and I know if I give myself TOO much time, that I will slack off and let work responsibilities get in the way of my daily workouts.

However, as I preach to my clients, it doesn't really matter how much you weigh, it matters what your bodyfat level is. Last Monday when Amy and I returned from the Tahiti Trim Plan 40 training conference, I weighed myself and took my bodyfat percentage.

On Monday, November 21st, I weighed 175 lbs, and my bodyfat percentage was 16.1%. My goal is to get down to 9.1% percent by my birthday on January 14, 2006.

In order to keep a public record of this journey (you know, so people can cheer for me -- LOL), I am going to make a weekly weight loss entry into this blog. Every Monday I will record my weight and my bodyfat level.

In order to reach my goal, I need to lose almost 1% of bodyfat every SINGLE week, and I have Percentage Pins that I will be wearing to work every day that will say how far along on my goal I am. The total bodyfat percentage that I will lose is 7%, and I have a pin for when I am 10%, 25%, 50%, and 75% towards my goal.

Since today is Sunday (and I just started last Monday), there will be another entry tomorrow morning with an update, and a plan for the upcoming week. This past week I have gotten back on track with my exercise program, although nothing too drastic as I had to take it somewhat easy my first week back on the program. I also managed to eat pretty well this past week, even though Thanksgiving was on Thursday.

Weigh-in and bodyfat analysis on Monday morning. Stay tuned!!

-- Aaron <~~~~ Will invoke ALL manner of bragging rights when I pull this off by my birthday!!!

One Step Closer to the Matrix!

Do you think that human beings don't generate their own energy? Science disagrees! They have found a way to harness the energy created from common walking and hiking in such a way that it can power portable electronic devices such as MP3 players. This is some very cool stuff, and the applications are endless!

http://apnews.myway.com//article/20050909/D8CGDU100.html

-- Aaron <~~~~ Techno geek at heart!

Obesity STILL on the rise!

Check out this lovely bit of information on the fact that obesity rates are still on the rise in every state in the continental U.S. except for Oregon. And the rates in Oregon simply stayed the same - they didn't drop!

How is it possible that the U.S. has more resources and education about health and fitness than any other country in the world, yet we are the most out of shape country in the world???

That is simply sad, and according to this article, the U.S. taxpayers are the ones picking up the tab:

http://snipurl.com/h6lk

--Aaron

Low-Carb Pioneer Atkins Files Chapter 11

The title for this blog says it all! As the proprietor of a true HEALTH website - not a weight loss website - I am nothing less than glad to see the "low-carb" craze going out the window.

I am glad that people's eyes were opened up about excessive consumption of sugar, but carboyhdrates in general always have been and always will be the body's preferred source of fuel.

Here is the URL of the story. Now, where the heck did I put those candy bars... ??

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/atkins_bankruptcy;_ylt=Au50EFO354QvCFpfReUu2wOs0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTA3ODdxdHBhBHNlYwM5NjQ-

-- Aaron

Moving!

Ack! Who likes to move?? What a nightmare it can be! Time consuming, difficult, stressful.... a general pain. In the case of Fitness Destinations, when we moved our hardware, our ISP cut the power a day and a half early, which is why the Fitness Journal didn't get sent out until Friday afternoon. Thank the maker for laptops and Wi-Fi!

All things considered, the move is complete, our hardware and systems are all back up and running, and we expect no further hiccups. However, we DO expect to have some new content and services available on the site very soon, and all of that will of course be sent out in the Fitness Journal. Be sure to sign up for the Journal if you haven't already to stay in the loop!

Now then.... where is that box of grid squares???

-- Aaron

Word of Mouth

I recently read a marketing study that said word of mouth and advertising in local publications are still the most effective forms of advertising today. That is nothing less than incredible, given the MASSIVE reach of the Internet, and the equally massive amount of advertisements that we all see on a daily basis when surfing the 'net.

My point? When it comes to health and fitness, there is so much confusion about what is right, what works, what is healthy, etc. The answers are really pretty basic, but between the media and the diet companies, confusion still reigns supreme.

So...... what I'm asking you to do is SPREAD THE WORD! If you've gotten some great advice, information, products, or services, tell your friends, family and co-workers about it. Whether it is a website, a local health professional in your town, or even a book that you read that was particularly useful.

Help the Confused Ones to learn the truth by spreading the word about where it is hidden!

-- AP

New Food Pyramid

Well, after very much pomp and circumstance, the FDA has finally released the official new Food Pyramid. There are some significant changes, and for the first time, exercise itself is part of the deal - as it always should have been! Also, the new version has some great resources, like the following MyPyramid site that allows you to get a personalized version, complete with tips, food lists, snack ideas, etc. Check it out:

http://www.mypyramid.gov/

-- Aaron

Beating People Up

Okay, did you really think that I was going to write a blog about beating people up?? What about if I just talk about boxing and martial arts, and then YOU can decide if you want to beat people up?

Whew! Guilt free at last....

Anyway, we have just added a new partner to the website who specializes in boxing and martial arts equipment, so get your punching bag on here: Fitness Equipment

The reason why this is so momentous is because boxing, kickboxing, and martial arts are not just good for the body, they are good for the SOUL! Whether it be the confidence boost that you get by realizing that you can break bricks with your forehead, the flexibility that you get from having your instructor stretch you like Plastic Man, or the incredible cardiovascular endurance that you get from bobbing, weaving, ducking, punching, kicking, and chewing gum at the same time, get your fighting skills on track!

You never know, you may have to beat up some old lady who is trying to get the last can of cranberry sauce the night before Thanksgiving... ;)

-- Aaron

My Mind is on Auto Responder

Have you ever set up an auto responder for your website? You know, those messages that you set up weeks or even MONTHS in advance to send to your website visitors about any number of topics? The basic idea is that once people leave your site, they need to be reminded to come back, or they need to be told about your newest products, etc.

So, the point of all of this babbling is that I have just spent the weekend setting up auto responders for several of the products, newsletters, and mini-courses available to Fitness Destinations website visitors and customers.

Let me just say for the record that trying to anticipate what you might want to say to someone months before you actually say it is an exercise in "outside of the box" thinking. And, it can drive you quite insane!

I've come to believe that the reason why some people on the Internet seem a bit..... off... is because they are! And it is a direct result of their auto responders!

Maybe we should just go back to the Pony Express???

-- Aaron <~~~~ Trying to decide whether I want to compliment myself or chastise myself six months from now....

HUH?!?!

This article is great! Or is stinks... I'm not really sure which, and that is because it is CONFUSING! Which is, of course, the point of this blog. With this type of data coming from "government studies", it's no wonder people don't know what to do! Check it out:

90 minutes of exercise? Yeah, right

By the way, the CORRECT amount of exercise is, ironically enough, a MINIMUM of 30 minutes per day, and a MAXIMUM of 90 minutes.

We now return you to your regularly scheduled confusion....

F/D Staff

PubSub!

This is a very cool service that I just stumbled upon! Basically all you do is set up as many keyword or keyword combinations that you want, and the service scans the internet for those words.

You can install an optional sidebar in your web browser, and anytime those words come up, you'll get an automatic notification to go check it out!

I've been using this method for years to monitor News stories, but this service isn't just limited to the News, which means that you'll get the "real" scoop on your keywords. Check it out:

Welcome to PubSub

Early Morning Motivation

CNN.com - Keeping fit on that business trip - Feb 10, 2005

Once again, solutions arise for the problems that people have when trying to exercise on the road!

CNN.com - Keeping fit on that business trip - Feb 10, 2005

G4tv.com - News

Although at first it seemed doubtful whether or not this would stick, it seems that the video game workouts are taking hold!

G4tv.com - News

CNN.com - Tips on keeping fit on the road - Feb 10, 2005

WAY too many people let traveling or other changes to their schedule become a "valid" reason for getting away from their normal exercise and nutrition program. Don't let this be you! Check out this great article on sticking with it when you travel.

CNN.com - Tips on keeping fit on the road - Feb 10, 2005

CNN.com - Doctors say kids should lay off juice - Feb 11, 2005

Oh, this is classic "$$$ vs. common sense", and something that fitness professionals have been trying to tell people for years. Don't DRINK your calories! In this instance, the article is specifically about kids, and you may be surprised at the potentially negative effect that good ol' fruit juice is having on our youth. Check out this quote from the article:

"'This is an example of how children's diets can be perverted by the unbridled actions of the food industry when it places private profit ahead of public health"

CNN.com - Doctors say kids should lay off juice - Feb 11, 2005:

First Audio Blog!

First of Many

Greetings and Felicitations from the fine management folks here at Fitness Destinations!

This is our website blog, which I expect to quickly turn into a very unusual place to see and do all sorts of fun and interesting things!

We'll be posting links to articles and cool websites, we'll be chatting about this that AND the other thing, and - with the help of today's technology - we'll be calling in from time to time with an update from the road! How cool is that?!?

Stay Tuned, and Stay Healthy!

-- Your Humble Hosts