How I Recently Beat The Army's Height Weight Program

For the first time in a long time I didn't need to be taped according to the Army's height/weight regulations. The last time this happened, I was a Cadet in the BYU-Idaho ROTC program attending the Advanced Camp or Warrior Forge in Fort Lewis WA. Prior to heading off to Fort Lewis I was running anywhere from 3-12 miles a day and training to pass the Army's physical fitness test known as the APFT. If you don't know what this test consists of, it's a series of events including 2 minutes of push-ups, 2 minutes of sit-ups and a 2 mile run. Typically when you take the APFT you also have the pleasure of being measured for your height and weight, where you fall into a certain bracket or range according to how tall you are compared to how round you are, plus age has a part in it.

To break this down for you, my recent height weight was;

Height: 72 inches (this is very significant)

Weight: 203.4 (haven't seen this in a while either)

Age: 40 (this is new)

The bracket I fell into requires me to be within the following measurements.

So let me explain the significance of 72 inches vs 71. For the past 14 years of service I've always measured 71 inches, but the last two measurements in a row (without cheating) I've been measured by two different people on two separate rulers. Each time I've measured at 72 inches placing me into the next bracket you see highlighted above. Granted I recently celebrated my 40th birthday which helps tremendously, but the thing I can't get over is how I (grew) just enough to place me into the next bracket. There are a few explanations that may be valid, but I'm going to give you what I think happened.

For the last several years I've been working hard to strengthen my core and work on my posture while sitting, standing, and even moving. My untested theory is by exercising so much and working on my flexibility and core strength, I've managed to help my spine lengthen by just enough to break the threshold and land myself into the next bracket, making all the difference. It also helps that the .4lbs gets rounded down to 203.

Far fetched? Maybe. Did I need to be taped? Nope, and I couldn't be more happy! There are not too many things in life that will take your pride away than standing in front of a few Sergeants who are questionably qualified to wrap their arms around you for tape placement while having your shirt off. You know who you guys are!

Now all of this alone is not the sole reason for passing. As I mentioned, I've been working my tail end off exercising. I've been using a combination of P90X2, Body Beast, running and playing large amounts of soccer with my boys. Nutrition has also played a huge role in my weight loss! I've been really working hard to stay in the 80/20 guidelines when it comes to deciding what to eat. It's tough for sure but I can do it, you can too! My diet consists of a balance of proteins and carbs, not to get into a nutrition discussion of what ratio is best, but that's what's been working for me. I've also been using Shakeology regularly which has been great for me to substitute a meal every now and then, but more like a snack to help supplement all the extra working out I've been doing. Speaking of supplements, the only thing I've been using on a regular basis is the Beachbody Energy and Endurance (pre-workout) and the P90X Results and Recovery Formula (post workout).  That's it. Anything else I've been eating, I've been trying to eat smaller portions and keep a mental note of about how many calories I've consumed. I'm not too big into tracking each and every calorie, but I am trying to do the simple math and burn off more than I take in. Or at least do enough to help keep my metabolism a little higher throughout the day.

So this is how I recently beat the Army's height weight program. A combination of hard work, discipline and the skin on my teeth or just pure luck! Keep up the hard work with your own health and fitness journey and if you have any questions, please feel free to contact me and I'll help you get where you want to be.

What's in your protein shake?

Darin Olien discusses the pros and cons of single macro-nutrients vs. multiple, dense macros. He's got a great point that if you eat only one source of macro nutrients every day, will you be getting everything your body needs? Find out his response.

Tune in to find out how all the ingredients in Shakeology work together to give you your daily dose of dense nutrition.

Listen hear:
http://tbbcoa.ch/InsideShakeology_Oct15

• Proteins and fiber – to help reduce hunger and food cravings.
• Antioxidants, Phytonutrients, Vitamins, and Minerals – to help fight free radical damage and help support a healthy immune system
• Adaptogen Herbs – traditionally used to help the body adapt and respond to the effects of stress
• Prebiotics, Probiotics, and Digestive Enzymes – to help nutrient absorption and support regularity and healthy digestion.

Turning 40 and losing weight fast

Well, as much as I would like to ignore it, turning 40 is happening and it's happening soon. It's pretty eye opening to think I will be that old and yet I'm pretty excited about it! Isn't this the mid-life crisis point? Shouldn't I be out looking for a new truck or motorcycle to help me get through this stage in life? Maybe, but for now I've found that being consistent with my diet and exercise, has helped me begin losing weight fast and keeping it off! That's rewarding enough, don't you think? I've noticed I feel better and I can keep up with my four boys who are all very active. I'm able to get out with their soccer teams during practice and play right alongside them without feeling stress on my knees or in my back. Being able to run and keep up with my boys and their teammates is only part of my plan to help me lose weight fast.  The other part of my strategy is including weight training, yoga and other great forms of exercise into my workout plan. I don't get stuck with a one size fits all mentality when it comes to staying active and living healthy. The best way to feel young is to stay active with all kinds of exercise and in order to do that I need to keep my body and mind in shape. It kind of makes me feel younger even though I know it's not going to stop time and make that 40th birthday get pushed off another year.

It all started a few years back when I caught myself gaining a little more weight than I would like to admit and not being in the physical shape I needed to be in. The scary part was, I really thought I was in decent shape and wasn't too far away from where I was in high-school and college. Boy was I mistaken! I had gained about 42 lbs since I started college and it wasn't registering with my brain that I needed to do something to help me start losing weight fast and to get started right away! That was when a really close friend of mine challenged me to do P90X with him. At the time I had heard of the P90X workout and how some said it was super intense, but I had never done anything like it. I took his challenge and really went for it! I decided I was all in and I would start right then changing my lifestyle in hopes to change myself as well as my family’s outlook on health and fitness. So far it's worked great! My family and I see food and now we think about the good, better and best choice when it comes to eating and what that food is actually going to do to either help us or harm us. The fitness side of things rapidly got better for me too! I’m down in weight and still losing inches, but most importantly, I feel amazing!

I’m getting closer to where I was in college which I thought would be impossible. My endurance started getting better! Hikes with the kids didn't seem so agonizing and I wasn't fighting for breath so much. I moved from doing P90X to attacking Insanity (my go-to workout), another Beachbody Workout I do right in my living room. I’ve bounced between several workouts over the years and have recently focused on Body Beast and P90X2 to help me add some muscle mass. Talk about losing weight fast! Doing these programs combined with following their meal plans and diets have improved my overall health dramatically and I can’t say enough good things about them.

So to wrap it up, I have to say I’m super grateful a friend of mine invited me or challenged me to take an honest look at where I was and see if I good do better. Now it’s become easier and more fun seeing where I can go with my health and fitness as I work toward losing weight fast to achieve my goal of keeping up with my kids. So when they start getting older I’ll still have Insanity as my go-to workout for anything to do with losing weight, increasing my endurance, building speed and power, etc... 

I believe every father should be able to beat his kids at any physical activity and my goal is to be bigger, faster and stronger than them, even when I'm older. We'll see about that as I turn 40...wish me luck!!

Why I think Shakeology is so awesome and I vomit my whole story on them...

I wanted to share something I feel is important. My wife posted about it on Facebook a while back and it made me think, there are a lot of people who are dealing with very similar issues. How can it help them too? If you relate in some way to her, I hope you find this helpful.


“Because a lot of my friends ask me why I think Shakeology is so awesome and I vomit my whole story on them, I've decided to do a little series called "Why I LOVE Shakeology." My #1 reason is: There is NO SUGAR or even FAKE SUGAR for that matter, in it except the naturally occurring sugar from the fruits in it and then the naturally sweet Stevia Root. Most of you know how "anti-sugar" I am, but most of you don't know why. A few years ago, I decided I was sick of being on Depression Meds and after realizing how much of an impact eating sugar had on my mental health, I decided to cut it out of my eating. Unfortunately for me, I have a MAJOR Sweet tooth. It was super hard to avoid the temptation. A few months later, some friends of ours, Eric & Chandra introduced us to Beachbody & Shakeology. I was SUPER skeptical. I wasn't sure it was really worth the money for "one of those shakes." So my awesome husband made an executive decision and took the leap for me. I'm forever grateful that he did. Shakeology tricks me into thinking that I AM getting a treat...(My chocolate Milkshake) and I can avoid crap because I don't feel like I'm being deprived. So that is my #1 reason, I get a treat still without really eating treats. PS. Everything you see in this picture IS IN SHAKEOLOGY, but we'll talk about that later.” - Rachel B.

Feeling down? Go chop wood or something.

The thing I hated most about growing up, at the time was, the endless amounts of fire wood I had to split and stack for my dad. My dad would go out and cut trees bringing back what seemed to be the whole forest, and my brothers and I had the pleasure of making sure it was split and stacked for those cold winter Central Oregon nights.

Little did I understand at that age the benefits of what was taking place as I swung a splitting maul over my head; making stove size pieces of  wood over and over again. As I look back on this life changing event, I now realize the multiple health benefits that were not so evident to a teenage kid who would rather have been inside than standing in front of the chopping block.

The physical activity of swinging a splitting maul and stacking all that wood was in fact producing all the wonderful effects associated with a workout. It's well known even short spurts of exercise create a natural high as some call it, where your body releases endorphins into the brain and produce an improved mood and reduced stress levels . "Regular physical activity will provide more health benefits than sporadic, high intensity workouts, so choose exercises you are likely to enjoy and that you can incorporate into your schedule", says the American College of Sports Medicine brochure Finding Your Motivation for Exercise.

So if these benefits are so good for us, why is it so hard to stay consistent? Why wouldn't we want to always feel good about ourselves and overcome the down swings? That's what I've struggled with over the years and as a kid it was hard to see all the benefits I was providing myself. I didn't know back then, but chopping wood was most likely keeping both me and one of my brothers from joining the crowd of those who take prescriptions to offset the effects of depression. I still feel the onset of what I might call depression at times, but I focus on being consistent with my workouts (living an active lifestyle), and eating healthy. It's hard to measure, but I think how I feel speaks volumes for the effort I'm putting into it.

If you find yourself struggling with feeling down try a few activities you like vs trying to attack a super intense workout. Maybe it's walking or riding a bike. It could be a couple of sets of 30 second planks to help strengthen your core. What ever it is, get after it and in the words of my Dad, "get out there and chop wood!"

If you find this inspires you to take a step toward helping yourself feel better, pass it on and share it with someone you know who may need help. You're worth it and so are they!

Brandon Marshall gets his "Fix" and hits his rookie weight

NY Jets WR,  Brandon Marshall hits rookie weight after Fixing his meal plan.

According to an ESPN article, Brandon Marshall is down to "230 pounds, his rookie weight--13 pounds lighter than the start of the off season." After deciding to drop weight before training he and his wife were on vacation and got sucked into, or rather inspired by an infomercial about the, the 21-Day Fix workout and meal plan. In addition to the 21-Day Fix, an Extreme version has been taking the diet and fitness stage with tremendous success promoting portion control. 21-Day Fix Extreme is designed for those who desire a more rigorous workout than the proceeding 21-Day Fix, yet is still focused around controlling portions and managing a healthy meal plan.

Marshall, mentioned it was "pretty cool" and bought into the plan discussing how lighter weight means easier on the joints and faster on his feet.

His description of the 21-Day Fix was, "you can control what you're putting in your body. You can control whether that's the wrong foods, fried foods, how much food you're putting in. The more you're aware of that and the better you take care of your body, you put yourself and your team in a better chance to win."

For more information about the 21-Day Fix or 21-Day Fix Extreme and it's portion control system, email your questions or comment below to see how it can work for you.

Performance Tips to Supplement Longer Workouts

Pre-workout shmerk-out! It worked great for the first part of my workout, but faded in the second half. Yesterday I decided to get in a short run prior to my day's strength training routine of Body Beast, Chest and Tris. What I wasn't ready for was the second workout which took upward of an hour to complete. I simply started to crash while doing push-ups and found myself laying face down on the floor wondering what I was thinking. It's a really good thing I found this article I'll reference the day after! I'm pretty sure two days ago it could have helped me tremendously in preparation for a double workout.

I typically am a "Fasted Cardio" kinda guy. You may have heard about it being one of the latest fitness trends, but I've been doing it my entire life not knowing it had a name. I just knew I would feel sick if I ate anything prior to a hard workout so I stayed away from any solid foods until after I was finished. What I have found that really helps for the typical one hour workout is Energy and Endurance. That's what I took prior to getting all fired up about a double, yet failed to realize it may not be enough.

Sure enough, as I mentioned before, I was short of breath and wondering what possessed me to attempt a double and found myself mixing up a batch of my Results and Recovery post workout supplement to try and give me the energy boost to finish my resistance workout.

Here's the article which I read this morning and I hope it helps you before you decide to tackle a double without the adequate nutritional supplements.

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Author - Denis Faye

There’s an old axiom that goes “You need to know the rules before you can break them.” It’s been credited (wrongly) to everyone from Picasso to the Dalai Lama to Han Solo. In truth, I’m fairly sure it originated from an endurance athlete who was referencing the use of performance supplements.

When you reach a point in exercising when a 2-3 hour workout is considered recovery, your physiology changes and so do your dietary needs. Your average caloric intake can hover in the mid-thousands. Hydration needs skyrocket. And salt goes on everything.

Supplementation also becomes crucial. Because you’re continually pushing your body beyond its normal capacity, it becomes difficult to acquire all the nutrients you need from standard food. (Not that you should skimp on that “standard food,” mind you.)

I’ve been seriously cycling for a few years now, refining my supplement requirements the whole time. Over the last several months, I’ve shifted the majority of my supplementation to Beachbody Performance—and not just because I work here. Believe me, there’s no way on earth that I’d blow a race in the name of corporate loyalty.

For most users, I strongly suggest sticking to the recommended serving directions on the Performance labels, but knowing these rules—and having followed them with great results—I’ve been breaking them slightly in an effort to adapt the Performance line to my increasingly freakish endurance-based physiology.

If you’re an endurance athlete, or if you’re training for Beachbody On Demand’s BODathon, here are some tricks you might consider.

Use Energize During Your Workout
The level of caffeine in Energize is intended to push you through 60 to 90 minutes of hard effort but after that, a bump might not hurt. A study in the Journal of Applied Physiologyshowed that when cyclists were given caffeine during the latter part of a two-hour time trial, they saw an enhancement in performance.

On a similar note, I’ve been known to stop for an espresso or two during any ride longer than 100 miles. I can’t claim any performance gains, but it does make an otherwise painful trudge slightly more civilized.

The subjects of the study only needed a small amount to see a benefit, so the next time you go out for a long one, try mixing a half serving of Energize in with your Hydrate a little before the two-hour point.

Use Energize On Rest Days
The benefit of the caffeine in Energize is acute, meaning when you take it, you’re, well, energized. However, beta-alanine and quercetin have been shown to have both acute andchronic benefits, meaning they positively impact your abilities if you take them on a regular basis. (One beta-alanine study showed marked improvements after four weeks of continued use.)

With this in mind, if you replace one of your morning cups of coffee or tea on your days off with Energize, that wouldn’t be a bad thing.

Hydrate Later in the Day
I know my training partner Kevin is exerting himself during longer races when I look at his back and see his “salt wings,” the white crusted patterns made on his jersey from all the sodium and other minerals he’s losing through perspiration. Hydrate goes a long way towards replenishing those electrolytes, but in these situations it’s possible to lose more than you can replenish at the time. Also, most of us tend to skip a sip here and there when we’re focused on performance.

To make up for this, it’s not a bad idea to continue hydrating with Hydrate throughout your day after a hard effort. Of course, good ol’ water works too, but don’t hesitate to switch between the two.

Boost With Power Greens (Almost) All Day 
A number of your body’s vital processes are dependent on something called the oxidation-reduction (redox) cycle. Free radicals promote oxidation. Antioxidants promote reduction. When the free radicals in your system overwhelm the antioxidants, it’s called oxidative stress—and the punishment your body takes when you work out excessively can drive that oxidative stress through the roof, causing inflammation, pain, and muscle soreness.

The obvious answer is to dial up the antioxidants, but you need to be clever about it. First off, limited, post-workout, oxidative stress plays an important in the recovery process; so that’s not a great time to take antioxidants. Also, isolated antioxidants (like vitamin C pills, for example) aren’t as effective as the antioxidant compounds in whole foods, so you’re better off eating them or using a greens powder.

With that in mind, I recommend sprinkling a scoop of Shakeology’s Power Greens Boost into everything your palette can handle—yogurt, smoothies, Shakeology, whatever. Just don’t do it leading up to or immediately following your workout, as so not to inhibit healthy oxidation.

Eat, Supplement, Eat, and Supplement Some More
If you discovered fitness through Beachbody products, you probably have a mindset that less is more when it comes to caloric intake. That, after all, is key to sculpting, carving, and/or getting ripped, right?

If endurance is your goal, it’s time to leave those rules behind. The human body was designed to put up with about 90 minutes of punishment, which is why that’s where our programs tend to max out. Beyond that, things can seriously break down. The most obvious issue will be running out of blood sugar and glycogen, also known as “bonking.” This extra wear also really takes it toll on your muscles, so it’s important to feed them in a way that promotes recovery as quickly as possible.

Let’s put this into perspective. The most you’re probably going to burn during an hour-long, full-tilt workout is about 800 calories. That’s a full day’s exercise for most people. This morning, I went on a 2½-hour recovery ride—meaning I mostly took it easy—and my computer logged me as burning 1,772 calories. My serious training rides can go past 5,000 calories. And I’m no anomaly. According to Nanna Meyer, senior sport dietitian for the U.S. Olympic Committee, Olympic-level endurance athletes burn 3,000-8,000 calories a day.You move a lot, you burn a lot. It’s that simple.

So you need calories—and you need to be strategic about consuming them. Beachbody Performance features a lot of supplements, so it’s tempting to skip a serving here or there if you think it’ll help you lose an extra pound or two. Don’t do that. There are ways for endurance athletes to trim down, but skipping feeds that are specifically targeted to enhance both performance and recovery isn’t one of them. Drink that chocolaty Recover after your workout. Drink that vanilla-y Recharge before you hit the sack. You haven’t just earned it; you need it.

There’s hard science behind the official recommended dosage and timing of Beachbody Performance supplements, but it doesn’t hurt to experiment as long as you know what you’re doing. These tricks have worked for me and for the endurance athletes I train with, so give them a try. If they don’t work, try something else. After all, my suggestions may not be rules—but that doesn’t mean you can’t break them.

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Read more about Body Beast.
Read more about Beachbody Performance.
Beachbody on Demand - Streaming Fitness.

Eating Healthy On The Go

Being on the road is tough but when you have little choice in what there is to eat it makes it even more tough.

Here are some ideas I use which may help in your attempts to eat clean while on the road when you may not be in your normal routine.

First off drink more water. There are multiple benefits to drinking enough water during the day and helping to curb the appetite is one of them. Plus drinking water first thing in the morning helps increase your metabolism which boosts calorie burn longer through the day.

Another great benefit of drinking the prescribed amount of water is your skin will become more healthy. So what is the prescribed amount you should drink each day? Well that depends and here's a great guide to know how much you should be consuming.

Carrying snacks. Having a snack or two handy while traveling is a great way to have better options when it comes to eating. You may find that snacking on nutritious foods that have a combination of healthy carbs and proteins are a better option than what is provided to you while traveling. The general idea is to be the one in control of what you consume. I'm rather active so I prefer to eat a balance between foods full of carbs and proteins in order to have the energy I need to continue throughout the day.

Meal replacement shakes. When it comes to food on the go, in my opinion, meal replacement shakes are amazing! Packed full of great ingredients these shakes can provide the dense nutrition which your body needs and craves. My go to meal replacement shake for the past few years has been Shakeology and for good reasons. It's packed with over 70 superfoods that most likely will never be served in your typical on the road meal stops. It gives me enough healthy energy to make it through the day without having to drink any other type of stimulant drink.

The bottom line is you still have choices when it comes to your health and what you ingest. Make the right choices consistently over time and you'll find yourself a few lbs lighter, tackling your day with more energy and getting closer to your personal goals when it comes to your health and fitness.

Why You Should Workout on Monday

Let's face it, nobody likes Monday's, well some people do but they are rare and will most likely be found in a gym somewhere chasing a dream and trying to reach a goal. What is it about them that makes them so motivated to get after it on a Monday?

Well, I have a thought that these types of people get off on the right foot and it sets the stage for how they feel the rest of the week. Yes, Monday's are tough! Coming back from a relaxed weekend where the stress level was low compared to what you face on a daily basis during the work week grind. That's why it's so important to hit Monday running!

Starting out your work week with some type of exercise will help lower your stress levels, increase the functionality of your mind and help you feel great about yourself.

So the next time you hear someone complain about it being Monday again, be grateful for the weekend you just enjoyed and hit Monday doing something that's going to help you reach your goals and feel great that it's Monday.

Thomas Budge
Success Coach

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