5 Easy Breakfasts That Fight Belly Fat

If there's one really easy thing you can do to fight off the belly fat in 2011 it's this:


Eat a better breakfast. And to help you do just that my partners over at Prograde have listed out 5 super simple and delicious breakfast recipes. You're going to love them!

Check them out here:
http://dempseysresolution.getprograde.com/quick-and-easy-breakfast-ideas.html

Please be sure to let me know if you try them. Have a very safe, happy and healthy New Year!

Yours in health,

Eric
Dempsey's Resolution Fitness

PS - Don't forget, Prograde is having a HUGE sale right now on ALL their awesome products.
Just click this link below to discover how to save BIG:

http://dempseysresolution.getprograde.com/specials

December 2010 Smith Bootcamp Results

The girls of the December bootcamp at Smith did a great job this month. Despite the holidays and crazy schedules, they were able to lose bodyfat, lose some inches, tone up and increase their health & fitness levels.  Their hard work paid off and the new habits and lifestyle changes that they instituted will pay off for a long time to come. Kick the new year off with a new YOU! Get lean, strong and fast sooner rather than later by enrolling in the next bootcamp. Next bootcamp at Smith starts on Jan 3rd at 0915am. 

There is also a new bootcamp starting at the house on Jan 3rd at 6am-7am in addition to the 7pm-8pm Women's Boxing / MMA fitness bootcamp. 

You can get rid of the bad habits and get in the best shape of your life by joining the tribe! Begin the journey to a new You in the new year. 

Great work Ladies!

Eric

Dempsey's Resolution Fitness  

3 Simple Guidelines For Effective New Year's Resolutions

Everyone always comes up with New Year's Resolutions. In relation to health / fitness, people make bold resolutions with often unattainable goals. Most people start and then rapidly drop off when they realize they won't be able to attain the goals they set for themselves. So, to make it more effective, keep it simple and abide by these 3 simple rules:

1. Set realistic goals for your resolutions - stuff that you can actually achieve in a reasonable amount of time.

2. Keep your resolutions list short - top 3-5.

3. Prioritize the list 1-3 or 1-5.

If you can do these three simple things, you have a much greater chance of actually accomplishing your goals.

Check out today's video on this topic:



Eric
Dempsey's Resolution Fitness

6 Week Rapid Fat Loss Program: Beta Testers Wanted

Program starts Monday, Jan 3rd. Looking for 15 people, who want / need to get in shape fast, to test a new Beta version of my fat loss fitness program. Participants will participate in a 6 week metabolic conditioning program designed to burn fat and tone muscle. Program will run 3 days a week for 6 weeks. Before and after pictures will be taken. Weekly weigh-in's, bodyfat composition assessments and waist/hip measurements will be taken to record progress. Nutrition coaching will be provided as well as a targeted fat loss cardio program to be done on the off days in between workouts. The 3 time a week workouts will be an hour in duration and be very intense. Workout times will be from 6am-7am EST M-W-F. Cost per person will only be $67.00 for the entire 6wk program to cover training expenses. You must be very serious about this and be willing to follow the program to the letter. I am looking for each person to achieve maximal results in 6 weeks to gauge the effectiveness of this new program. The person who achieves the greatest results in 6 weeks will win 3 months of fitness bootcamp training for free. All others will receive an unbeatable special discount offer for fitness bootcamp training. This is a limited offer so act now if you want in on this special program. All applicants will be screened and only the 15 best candidates will be selected. Email me at admin@dempseysresolution.com and tell me why you should be selected as one of the elite 15 beta testers.


Eric
Dempsey's Resolution Fitness
http://www.dempseysresolution.com/

1 Unusual Fat Loss Accelerator

Have you ever heard of this stuff called astaxanthin?

It's a really, really potent nutrient that research has shown to help accelerate fat loss.
My partners over at Prograde have a really cool article about the stuff. Check it out at:
http://dempseysresolution.getprograde.com/benefits-of-astaxanthin-for-fat-loss.html

I also wanted to share with you that Prograde's new and improved EFA Icon contains 1.5 mg of astaxanthin.

Yeah, it's serious stuff. You'll know exactly what I mean after you read the article. It's research you really need to know about. Lucky for you - and me - Prograde is celebrating their new formula by putting EFA Icon on sale at 20% off! But please know that's their best selling product, so there's a good chance they'll run out during a sale like this. That means you need to get your order in NOW ;-)

Here's how to get your 20% off discount:
http://dempseysresolution.getprograde.com/specials.html

Enjoy!

Eric
Dempsey's Resolution Fitness

Top 10 Disturbing Things I Still See In The Gym Everyday

As I walk around the gym everyday, I notice trendy things that a bunch of people do all of the time. It amazes me that in this day and age, there are so many outdated, ineffective, dangerous and down right ignorant things going on. So I will list the top 10 as I could go on for days about this.

1. The vinyl sweatsuits are still alive and well. Can you believe that people trying to get in shape still think this is a viable way to change their body composition?



2. People are still on the cardio machines moving slow and reading books. Are you kidding?

3. Putting all sorts of weight on a bar or machine and then doing partial reps thinking they are killing it with full ROM.

4. Everyone doing all sorts of arm curls and crunches - dang -national biceps and abs day!

5. Doing an hour on the treadmill, then an hour on the eliptical, then and hour on the stairmaster before going to do arm curls and crunches. How do people have like 2-4 hours a day to workout? Get a job!

6. Going to an aerobics class or two and then doing #4&5.

7. Using super light weight and doing a million reps for a zillion sets.

8. Holding weight plates or dumbbells and doing hundreds of fast side bends and back extensions.

9. Super poor form and technique across the board.

10. Taking advice from rogue so-called trainers on how to do 1-9.

Of course, the list could go on and on and I won't even start with the wanna- be crossfitters who are just plain scary and dangerous. It is crazy and when I offer someone advise on how to do it right, better or just safely -they tell me no thanks, they got this! Geez, your doctor and chiropractor will have this soon to fund their trip to the bahamas. And then there are the knuckleheads who think I am a poorly paid spotter and are dismayed when I tell them differently. Needless to say, it is very frustrating for me to watch this day in and day out. All I can do is help those who wish to be helped. There is a better way! Leave a comment and let me know what you think and what craziness you see in the gym. 

Eric
Dempsey's Resolution Fitness

5 Simple Holiday Fat Loss Survival Tactics

With the holiday season here, it is easy to allow yourself to fall off the fat loss wagon and pack on the blubber. People travel, visit family, attend dinners and parties and get exposed to foods that they normally don't eat. But there is no need to back track just because of the holidays. It is not an excuse to throw all of your hard work out the window. So here are 5 easy things to do so that you minimize the damage and still enjoy yourself.

1. Have a Plan: Failure to plan is planning to fail. If you know your schedule, then you know what areas need more attention with your meal planning. Make a plan, get the food and prepare.

2. Bring food with you when you travel: It is so simple. Cooler, cooler bags, tupperware, ziploc bags-you get the idea. Instead of fast foods during a trip, reach into your cooler or bag and pull out some jerky, nuts and fruit. Have ample water and a good beverage like green tea available. Eat frequently and stay hydrated.

3. Control The Macronutrient Ratio: If you are at a family member's or friend's house for an xmas dinner type event, control the macronutrient ratio of protein, fat and carbs on your plate. You can still have what you like, just eat it in the right amounts. Example - Ham or turkey, greenbean casserole, hot rolls and mixed nuts. Say this is what is served, have a lot of the ham or turkey, eat a bunch or nuts and then have a roll and a little  greenbean casserole and small dessert and you would be fine. The proteins and fats lower the glycemic index and damage caused by the carbs so lots of proteins and good fats and a little bit of the tasty carbs.

4. Continue to eat frequently: Keep your metabolism high by eating a little a lot. Don't allow yourself to go for hours without food and then become a hypoglycemic starving beast. Always hit the protein first.

5. Don't drink your calorie intake for the day: High sugar drinks are deadly to your body fat levels. Watch the eggnog, alcohol, lattes, juice and soda. A little is ok -alot puts you back in the fat body zone. 

Of course, you need to squeeze in workouts when you can. One round of a bodyweight tabata drill or stair sprints can help keep the metabolic furnace going - you can spare at least 5-10 minutes to knock out a high intensity drill.  Yes, that is much better than nothing - don't slack.

Most of all-enjoy yourself and be smart. Don't stress about it. One meal doesn't ruin a day, one day doesn't ruin a week. Consistency is the key. If you slip, get back on track. By applying these principles to your holiday season, you can have fun, eat some tasty stuff and still be a lean fit ninja.

Eric
Dempsey's Resolution Fitness

Resistance Band Training

View the blog
I've started adding more resistance band training into the bootcamp workouts recently. Bands are versatile and can be used for just about anything. The bands don't take up space, are easily transportable and can be used anywhere. The bands are great for travel and home workouts when time is short. I have started a video series of basic band exercises that I use with clients frequently. Check out the videos and let me know what you think.





Eric
Dempsey's Resolution Fitness

Poor Man's Protein Shake Revisited

So JP (above) told me today that he watched my video (below) and tried the poor man's protein shake. I originally learned of the shake from watching a Chris McCombs video that showed Bedros Keuilian firing up a protein shake that had ice, diet coke and tuna fish in it. I thought it was crazy so I tried it and made my video. This was back in 2008. JP said that the shake was horrible. Looked bad, smelled worse and tasted horrendus. But he choked it down not wanting to waste the tuna. -That's the spirit. I found this terribly funny so I had to mention it to you. Chris McCombs and Bedros Keuilian are both awesome dudes (very successful personal trainers and fitness marketers) and I use their materials and follow their work closely. If you haven't seen my video yet check it out below and let me know what you think.



Eric
Dempsey's Resolution Fitness

Welcome To Eric's Get Fit Magazine

Check out the latest edition of Eric's Get Fit Magazine. Lots of great content, exercise videos, recipes and articles. Or click on the articles below. Enjoy!

Fitness Magazine Articles

Eric
Dempsey's Resolution Fitness

Meal Of The Week - Chicken And Spinach

Quick Meal Of The Week: Chicken, baby spinach, baby grape tomatoes, almond meal and some ranch dressing. Fast prep, all cold. All 3 macronutrients. Fast and efficient. See what combos you can come up with to get the right stuff at the right time in the right amount.

Eric
Dempsey's Resolution Fitness

Don't Fear Going Out To Eat

I hear it all of the time from clients. "I was doing good then we went out to eat". Why is going out to eat so bad? All you have to do is make the right choices. For example-tonight I went out to Logans in Tigertown. I ordered a 16oz ribeye steak, broccoli, house salad, two rolls with butter and a diet coke. I needed a good meal with alot of calories after my heavy chest press and shrug machine deadlift workout today. It was the highest calorie meal of my day - optimal No. Did I overeat during this meal- probably not. I was still short on total daily calories which means I still undereat. I'm working on it like you should be. Was it perfect-No. Was it that bad - No. Was it really good tasting- Yes. One meal doesn't ruin a day, one day doesn't ruin a week, one week doesn't ruin a month. So don't fear going out to eat. Make good choices and most of all -enjoy yourself!

Eric
Dempsey's Resolution Fitness

What to NEVER Eat After You Workout

My partners over at Prograde have just released a shocking 39 page special report.

Not only is it eye-opening info, but it's absolutely FREE. Which is absolutely stunning because they should be charging for it. And who knows? Maybe they'll start to, but for now you don't have to pay so be sure to rush over to this link below and get your copy.

http://dempseysresolution.getprograde.com/what-to-never-eat-after-you-workout.html

Here's just a taste of what you're going to discover:
Why your workouts might just be a complete waste of time
How your body is literally being ROBBED of the results you're working so hard to obtain
What you should NEVER eat after your workouts
And much, much more...

Here's that link one more time:

http://dempseysresolution.getprograde.com/what-to-never-eat-after-you-workout.html

Yours in health,

Eric
Dempsey's Resolution Fitness

Lap Band Procedures: The New Weight Loss Fad

There has been a resurgence of popularity with lap bands for weight loss in the last few years. I have done numerous posts, audios and videos about lap bands and gastric bypass procedures. In my opinion, unless you have a life threatening condition, that requires such drastic methods, you should use the safe, healthy methods of proper nutrition and exercise to change your body composition. But in today's immediate satisfaction world, lap bands have become the new weight loss fad. People who don't want to exercise and eat good take the easy way out and get the lap band done for a quick fix nowadays. I think it's absolutely horrible to have this done without medical necessity. If you haven't exhausted all natural, healthy means of body composition change, I feel that you are doing more harm than good by having a lap band procedure done.

I have trained numerous men and woman who have had gastric bypass, liposuction and lap bands. There are common problems with each. First off, none of these people, who I have experience with, were overeating. Let me say that again - like I always do- none of these people were overeating. Just the opposite, they were all undereating and what they did eat was wrong and their metabolisms were slow at best. Once you have a calorie restricting procedure done, and you were undereating to begin with-you are hosed!

Sure they all lose a zillion pounds overnight and they fit into clothes 14 sizes smaller the next week. It looks good from a distance. But it is classic weight loss which is comprised of mostly lean body mass loss. That is always unhealthy. Remember that heart tissue, bone density and organ tissue as well as muscle and fluid are all victims of weight loss. Very unhealthy!

Then you have the new you after the 1000lb weight loss. Excess sagging nasty skin, lots of bodyfat, jello consistency in your body and weakness are common after effects. It is impossible to eat properly, your metabolism is worse off than it was, with no hope of making it better. Muscle, strength, energy and any real endurance are things of the past. The people who I have trained with these procedures, struggled to make any progress at all. They had no strength or energy and motivation was minimal. But they fit into size 4's so they didn't care. The look good naked drill ain't gonna happen after one of these procedures - more like nasty and scary. Very attractive - Not!

In order to fix the sagging excess skin, you must have a whole body tuck - gross! Then of course, many actually gain the weight back and they are worse off years later than when they started. I say don't do it. If you have had the procedure done and by some miracle, you are looking good, healthy and happy, then more power to you. But you are the exception-not the norm. If you tried everything under the sun and nothing worked and then you had this done and it worked well for you-then good for you. Once again-not the norm.

There are also the new group of lap banders who get the procedure done and then take some lame exercise class like zumba and credit their disciplined die hard training in their aerobic class with their massive transformation - all without mentioning that they had the procedure done. Bottom of the barrel!

I will never recommend any of those procedures or any program that promotes weight loss to anyone. It's a money making quick fix that promotes bad stuff and misinformation about health and fitness. I hope you will think twice and work on your meal plan and exercise before you give in to this new expensive quick fix fad.

Burn fat and build muscle the healthy way. Change your body, increase your energy and performance and change your lifestyle with hard exercise and good food. That's what I recommend.

Eric
Dempsey's Resolution Fitness
 

How Do You Know That You Are Making Progress?

  Many clients ask me how to tell if they are making progress during their fitness program. Of course, there are the standard measurements, scale, calipers and performance to assess progress. But those don't always reflect actual body changes that are ongoing week to week. Sometimes the numbers don't reflect what you see. So you have to add other assessments to that previous analytical list. Here are some other things to track and acknowledge.   
1. Are you fitting back into your old clothes (that haven't been fitting up until this point)?
2. Are people asking you what you are doing because you look so good all of a sudden?
3. Can you see changes in how you look in the mirror and do you like the changes?
4. Is your spouse commenting on how you look and is your spouse giving you more physical attention than usual?
5. Are you doing things more easily than you used to? Like walking across the parking lot, going up stairs, carrying the baby or groceries, moving things around during housecleaning or at work?
6. How is your jewelry fitting? Rings and bracelets loose or still tight?  

This list can go on and on. I recommend keeping a journal -logging your workouts, cardio, nutrition plan and general comments or thoughts. Everytime something happens or someone comments about how you look, write it down. When you are feeling down and doubting yourself, bust out the journal and read all of the wonderful things that you have been working hard at to earn. That will get you fired up to make more progress so you can have more awesome journal entries. Reward yourself with a cheat meal or drink when you earn a good journal entry. Most of the fat loss battle is in your head! You can do it! You will do it! Now get out there and make it happen!

Eric
Dempsey's Resolution Fitness 

The Insanity Of Appetite Suppressants

Everyone has seen, heard of and maybe used a variety of appetite suppressants. Because everyone is overeating and that's why they have body composition issues - right? I am still waiting to meet a person who has gained weight because they exceed their daily calorie requirement constantly. It is possible to do, if you go to burger king or the like, every single day for 2 or more meals a day. More than likely, you don't do that. Or maybe all of my clients and others have lied to me - probably not.  

There is a 33 billion dollar a year weight loss industry that makes alot of that money from appetite suppressants. There are all sorts out there, more than one can imagine. The sad part is that 99.99% of people don't need it at all. In fact they need just the opposite - more calories and more frequent meals to activate or ramp up their metabolism. I have been involved in weight management training with soldiers and civilian clients for the last 25 years. I have never seen a single person who has consistently been overeating every day and as a result, had weight issues. Maybe I'll meet a client who fits that alleged profile someday.

The social influence backed by western medical incompetence perpetuates the sale and use of appetite suppressants. After all, when you go to the doctor with a weight issue, they say "eat less, exercise more", which is assuming that you are overeating, but they never check to analyze the data. Then they prescribe appetite suppressants and then try to up the game to a lap band or gastric bypass procedure for a cool 10k. Then you are really screwed!

Appetite suppressants promote lean body mass loss, weaken your organs, heart and bones and have a bunch of other nasty things that help kill you. Ulcers, acid reflux and heartburn are common when you keep your shrunken stomach empty and just full of acid. Then you have the body's starvation response and all its healthy benefits (sarcasm).

Then add in the stimulants that are in most appetite suppressants. They say that high doses of caffeine, sugar and other herbs stimulate your metabolism promoting weight loss. You are continually energized (artificially) and don't have to worry about getting tired, eating, sleeping right. Think of the health benefits = none! But in today's busy world, it's an appealing thought - social influence. But if it's the magic pill, why does the obesity rate continue to rise to epidemic levels. It doesn't work long term cause you get sick, fat and dead.

You will lose weight and shrink down into a skeleton, with gelatin (fat) wrapped, unhealthy, brittle bones and unhealthy organs. You will pour your flabby, gelatin ass into size zero jeans and tell yourself that you look great until you take the size zero sausage wrap off and look in the mirror. Then it's scary time! If that is what people think is cool - I'm not on board with the concept. It's gross and unattractive. It's unhealthy and leads to many health problems. But society and your doctor will tell you it's the way to go. I say hell no, don't do it.

I teach people the exact opposite of everything to do with appetite suppressants. Learn about nutrition, proper calorie intake for your current situation, macro and micro nutrients, how to raise your metabolism with good, real food, through meal frequency and timing and exercise properly. Be healthy and do things the natural way. Get stronger, increase your energy levels and endurance, lose fat, stabilize your blood sugar and hormone levels, look better naked and do it all with natural, whole food and exercise. That's what I support and teach. It takes longer, is more difficult and tests your patience but the long term results are worth it.
People count on you. Your health and wellness are important. You are worth it. Do it right.  

Eric
Dempsey's Resolution Fitness

Columbus Day Quickie - Kettlebell Squats

Knocked out another quick workout using kettlebells and squats. Progressed up through the weight doing deep squats from the rack position and finished with a high pull to goblet squat. Short but intense. Didn't look like much but it did the trick.

Eric
Dempsey's Resolution Fitness

Saturday Night Workout - Bench Press & Hex Bar Deadlifts

Quick workout on Saturday night. Bench press and hex bar deadlifts. 4 sets each, back to back, with no rest. I am really weak after riding a desk for the last 8 months. That will change soon, as it's back to killer workouts from now on. The desk will go away soon, to be replaced with heavy barbells, dumbbells and kettlebells.

Eric
Dempsey's Resolution Fitness

Hunting Crocodiles: The Technician Usually Wins Over The Brute

  
Just as David beat Goliath, the technician usually beats the brute- time and time again. This applies to all aspects of life. I say usually because everything works once and nothing is an absolute. So I have an old story for you from my Father, (a WWII Vet who passed in 2006): In Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, around 1944, my Dad was on the canal with the 25th ID, occupying the island, during the island hopping campaign. One day a villager came to the soldiers and said a boy had gone missing down by the lagoon and they thought the Old Croc got him. There was a zillion year old Crocodile in the lagoon that was at least 20 feet long and must have weighed over 2000lbs. It was huge and feared by all the islanders. The elders said it was there as long as they can remember. Many animals and children as well as numerous adults became hot chow for the granddaddy Croc. The commander on the ground said it was time to put an end to such terror and swore to the village chief that it would be handled swiftly. So my Dad's platoon was tasked with going down to the lagoon and dispatching the great beast. They loaded up on guns and ammo and grenades and headed down to the lagoon loaded for bear.

Problem was there wasn't a bear down there but a gigantic old crocodile who didn't get old by being weak and stupid. The soldiers lined up on the embankments of the lagoon and began systematically lobbing hand grenades into the lagoon to flush the big croc out. The crocodile had just finished his meal- the missing village boy and wasn't pleased with his post dinner disturbance. With no fear, he swam straight out into the center of the lagoon and faced the platoon of soldiers. The platoon leader was quite annoyed by the "Bring It" attitude of the old Croc. He ordered the soldiers to open fire at once and to unleash hell. Every type of weapon opened up on the croc in a salvo of destruction that would have killed off the Mongolian hoard.

One little problem, big croc was still sitting there smiling at them unharmed. So they opened fire again. Water gushed up as bullets tore up the lagoon from all sorts of rifles, machine guns and pistols. As they stopped to reload, they looked in amazement to see, that the big croc was still there silently laughing at these buffoons, who thought they could defeat the eternal lagoon master. Most of the weapons were low on or out of ammo. The platoon leader was commanded to cease fire cause there wasn't any more ammo o the island and if the Japs attacked, they would be screwed.

 As they grumbled about how ineffective their shooting was, a little boy walked out of the bushes and approached the soldiers. He must have been around 9 or 10 yrs old  and was from the local village-son of a tribal hunter/warrior. He explained that they were doing it all wrong and that the bullets would not penetrate the thick armor of the croc's back and head. The croc's weak spot was the soft white underbelly and throat. The platoon leader said that they couldn't get to it cause the croc was out in the water belly down. The boy said exactly - that's why he was going to have to take care of it for them. Before the platoon leader could protest -the boy stuck his large knife in his teeth and dove off the bank into the lagoon. He swam out to the croc, approaching the croc from his blind spot. Once he was close, the boy reached up and grabbed the croc around the neck with a knife in one hand.

Needless to say the croc was not pleased and began his death spiral in an attempt to knock the boy free. The boy hung on for dear life with his legs and one hand and stabbed the big croc in the neck and belly when he rolled over. The boy stayed on the croc for a sick amount of time and continually kept stabbing the big croc over and over. The water was red with the croc's blood. After awhile the croc began to bleed out. The spiralling finally slowed and then stopped.

Once the boy was convinced that the big croc was dead, he slid off the croc and swam to shore. The soldiers were amazed and speechless. They cheered the boys return to shore and treated him like the hero of the day. Later they winched the big croc in and took pictures. It was longer than two jeeps and wider than a jeep. It was monsterous. They asked the boy, how he knew to do that and he said his Dad taught him that. That's how they hunted croc's for food and skins. The boy had been doing it for several years by then.
So a platoon of soldiers with high powered weapons (the brute) couldn't bring the beast down but a small boy with a big knife and surgical placement of the blade (the technician) killed the giant. The boy was awarded a citation for bravery from the commander and became the local legend.

So when you see the "meatheads" or "wanna be" tough guys slinging weight or doing stupid crap in the gym. Remember the technique lessons that you were taught. Do it right and get the results. Poor form and muscling through a drill doesn't mean you are tough or in shape. It means that you are an amateur and probably a soon to be injured amateur at that. Keep it simple and use good form and proper technique. Go down in weight until you get it right, no matter what anyone else is doing.

Head and back straight, core tight, drive on the heels and FIRE THE GLUTES BABY! Remember that and you can never go wrong.

Eric
Dempsey's Resolution Fitness

Preparing For Fitness Training In The Cooler / Cold Weather

With October upon us, the weather is changing. You have to prepare for the seasonal changes so that your fitness training continues without a hitch. Cold weather doesn't mean that going outside is out of the question. It means that changes have to be made to how you operate in the environment. Here are some simple steps to take to ensure you continue training hard yet safely, regardless of the weather.

Clothing: You can't continue to train in a tank top and shorts when the temp drops and the wind picks up. You need to layer your clothes and cover extremities. The easiest way to determine what you need for any particular day is to stand outside for awhile and assess the environment and weather. It's always better to have too much clothing available and to strip off a layer at a time as needed rather than show up too lightly dressed and then freeze with nothing to put on. This is part of planning. Hat and gloves are crucial. So bust out your cold weather clothes and make layered options to wear to your workouts. Keep in mind the wind chill factor regardless of the temp. Choose the right type of material for cold weather training. Being soaked by sweat and being hot, with too many layers on will cause you to freeze when you take layers off. Moisture wicking material like polypro and outer insulators like fleece work great when used properly. 

Hydration: Many people don't drink as much water in the cooler months as they do in the summer. This can be an issue if your workouts are just as hard. The water is still needed. Continue to maintain your water intake.

Nutrition: This is a year round necessity for continued success. You have to stay on top of your food intake regardless of the weather. Eat a little a lot! Keep your body fueled and your metabolism high. The cold weather causes you to burn more energy by shivering and you still sweat, especially with layers on. Proper nutrition is essential.

Daylight: It gets darker, earlier, in the cooler months so reflective clothing or reflective bands are important for safety. Running in the dark is fine if your smart. Don't assume a driver can see you- make sure they can see you.

Flexibility: You must warm up and stretch in cooler weather. Warmup first and then do active flexibility drills. Never stretch cold. Cooler weather can keep you tight and injuries are common. Don't allow yourself to cool down until it's cool down time - stay moving. Jog in place or do jumping jacks in between sets or rounds to stay warm and limber. Don't forget a good post workout stretch. Stay limber and keep your range of motion and mobility levels high to avoid injury.

These are some simple steps to follow that will allow you to train in cooler / cold weather. The fat loss / muscle building battle continues regardless of the weather. So make a smart plan, be safe and continue to excel.  

Eric

Dempsey's Resolution Fitness

 

To Be Empowered Through Strength

 Around the military, most of the fitness training is endurance based. So there are a bunch of runners, triathletes and the like. There is something to be said for when you run your first 10k and make it or do well. You have a sense of accomplishment and you feel good about yourself. It's a great thing. I have been there and done that. But running doesn't transfer easily into daily life. It's not like the old days when Grok the caveman had to travel 100 miles to catch up with the herd of animals he was tracking for hot chow. You don't zip 5 miles down to the local store for milk in your running shoes. So even though you feel accomplished with your run, it kinda stays with the road.

With strength training, it is totally different. When I have a woman who could not even do a pushup on her knees to start with and I get her to bench press 100lbs or more, the sense of accomplishment is huge. And when that same woman can go about her daily life activities and pick up things she always needed help with, that sense of accomplishment stays with her daily. The added muscle and strength not only make you look better and function better but it psychologically makes you feel better about yourself. You no longer feel fat and helpless. You don't jiggle as much when you move. You are confident that you can handle a physical challenge when it presents itself. And after overcoming the mental fears of heavy weight, you feel as though you can do anything. You become empowered.

This psychological strength and new found confidence allows you to face things that used to intimidate you. These are things outside the gym in daily life. Instead of saying "I can't" - you just do it. Instead of thinking "I'll never be able to" - you attack it and conquer it. You are now empowered in all aspects of life and your potential for achievement in all areas rises dramatically. So put down the pink dumbbells and grab some heavy weight. Challenge yourself and work super hard. Eat really good to fuel your body. Be proud of your efforts and achievements. Then take your new strength and go out into the world. Attack any goal in life with the same intensity as the deadlift bar. Attain, achieve and accomplish. Your goals are now within your grasp because you are empowered.

Who is ready to become the next member of the strength club? I have the bench press, kettlebell squat to overhead press, barbell deadlift and iron woman clubs for my female clients. If you want to become part of any of these exclusive elite clubs, contact me and begin the journey.

Eric
Dempsey's Resolution Fitness     

Meal Of The Week - Filet Mignon, Shrimp And Salad

This meal of the week consists of filet mignon, cocktail shrimp, salad (consisting of green leaf lettuce, mushrooms, grape tomatoes, crumbled bleu cheese and red onion), and jamaican ginger ale. I actually made this myself and it was good. I impressed myself with this meal and it didn't take long to make. All of the ingredients were found at Earth Fare in Auburn. If you like Fresh Market then you should check out Earth Fare the next time you are in Auburn.

Eric
Dempsey's Resolution Fitness

Counting Calories And Using A Food Journal

There are a bunch of viewpoints on counting calories and using food journals. Many mainstreamers say it's unnecessary and all you have to do is eat good and that's enough. I say that's a bunch of crap. 
I check my clients bodyfat, bodyweight and waist or hip measurements weekly. Some say that you should only check this stuff once in awhile. I check it weekly to keep everyone on track and to have accountability. Frequently, client's numbers go up and down and they get confused as to why. Of course there are many variables that influence your numbers. I always ask everyone how they have been eating this week and I get a variety of answers like "better, ok, not so great, eating real good". Then that rarely corresponds to how a person's numbers actually look that week. There are many reasons for this. The clients want me to tell them why their numbers are what they are. Of course, I can speculate as to what their numbers usually indicate based upon the book answer and historical evidence and experience.

But when my clients bring me their food journal, it turns from speculation to a more analytical view of data. Then I can usually dial in on the real problem and set people straight. Data takes the guess work out of the equation. I give everyone a bootcamper's handout when they first enroll, that shows them how to calculate their calorie requirements and gives them an example food journal, along with all of the nutrition basics. I show you how to calculate what you are supposed to be doing and the food journal shows you what you are actually doing. When you compare the data, the answers are usually very apparent.

In the beginning, when you are learning all of this new stuff and trying to change your lifestyle and break bad habits while replacing them with good habits, you need to track data. Counting calories and maintaining a food journal has shown time and time again to be super beneficial to the client. It raises the rate of progress to a very fast rate. Compliance with the program equals success guaranteed. Non-compliance negates your odds of success. So I recommend in the beginning, you should track your calories and maintain a food journal at least once a week if not everyday. I recommend using fitday.com as your online calorie counter because it is free and allows you to print off pie charts and all sorts of data. Do you need to do this forever? - hell no!

Once you have developed good habits and have changed your lifestyle, you will know if you are eating right or not. But it takes about a month of consistency to make or break a habit. So I would say 90 days is the minimum that you should track your data through calorie counting and food journals. Discipline yourself and put as much (if not more) effort into data tracking as you do in your workouts. So track your data and print it off. Bring it in for me to analyze with you and I can explain all of the variables to you and things will be much clearer.  

Eric
Dempsey's Resolution Fitness

Does Your Cortisol Levels Affect Your Fat Loss?

Does Your Cortisol Levels Affect Your Fat Loss? 

The answer is absolutely! Cortisol is a steroid hormone produced by the adrenal gland. It is released in response to stress, and to a low level of blood glucocorticoids. Its primary functions are to increase blood sugar through gluconeogenesis, suppress the immune system, and aid in fat, protein and carbohydrate metabolism. It also decreases bone formation. Usually your cortisol levels peak in the morning which is why breakfast is a must. Intense exercise also raises cortisol levels - another reason your post workout meal is the 2nd essential meal of the day. So when you don't sleep well, have a stressful day, workout hard and skip meals, you keep your cortisol levels peaked which keeps the fat on - which is not what we want, obviously. Cortisol also counteracts insulin so you can't lower your blood sugar levels which also keeps the fat on. So cortisol does a bunch of things that keeps you from getting lean. 

What can we do to help keep our cortisol levels low?
The answer is follow the plan. Eating right, making sure that you get breakfast and your post workout meal along with the rest of your meals, sleeping well, trying to control your stressors (very hard), music, sex, laughing, having fun and being happy are all things that help lower cortisol levels. Magnesium, vitamin c, omega 3's and black tea are some of the many things that also help lower cortisol levels. There are many other hormones that affect your fat loss but this is one of the big ones. While it's impossible to do everything perfect, doing the best you can to regulate cortisol levels will greatly assist in your fat loss progress.    

Eric

Dempsey's Resolution Fitness

Lenny's Recommendation From LinkedIn

"I do not have enough great things to say about Eric Dempsey. For eight months, he trained me in his boot camps at Smith Gymnasium and at his facility in Salem, AL. Eric shared his vast knowledge of nutrition, physiology, and classic and contemporary training techniques, while explaining the logic behind each exercise and the workout as a whole. Being able to work closely with such a friendly and talented professional motivated me to work harder than I had ever worked before.

As I progressed, so did our workouts, and our client/trainer relationship grew to one of mutual respect and trust. I knew then as I know now that Eric would never steer me in the wrong direction. He has such a vast skill set and so much experience that he helped me to make progress quickly and safely. His odd object, tabata, and kettle bell workouts were intense and awesome. I was amazed that I could do the things I was doing. Eric wasn't because he knew I could do them.

Our professional relationship is on hiatus because I relocated, but I use the skills and information Eric imparted to me every time I workout. (And I workout in my driveway. My next door neighbor is a personal trainer. He said he'd LET me workout with him for $60 an hour. Then he saw me do a killer Dempsey's Resolution Fitness workout and rescinded his offer.)

Eric Dempsey is the most sincere, dedicated, and caring person I have ever met in the fitness world. I have seen him work with people of all ages and ability levels with great results. I even let him train my mother. If you are serious and honest with yourself and with Eric, then he will help you take the blue flower from the valley up the mountain."

Service Category: Personal Trainer

Year first hired: 2010

Top Qualities: Great Results, Expert, Good Value

Thanks Lenny! Best of luck to you in your northern adventure. Nice words from a great client and friend.
 
Eric
Dempsey's Resolution Fitness

Mid-Way Results for the Smith September Bootcamp

After two weeks of super easy workouts with me, the september smith bootcampers came away with these numbers:

Keeping in mind, that I run fat loss bootcamps and not weight loss (a monkey can get you to lose weight), the recommended rate of fat loss is about 1% a week or 4% a month. Everyone did really good. 

Heather lost 11.2% bodyfat, up a pound - she was a crazy girl and did like an hour of cardio after the workouts. But she ate good so it paid off luckily.

Sarah lost 7.1% bodyfat, up a pound

Patricia broke even on bodyfat and was down 2.6lbs

Justina lost 4.9% bodyfat and weight stayed the same.

William lost 5% bodyfat and he managed to lose 7lbs as well. 

So you can see that when getting lean (which is completely different than losing weight), you can actually gain weight from increased lean body mass (LBM) while losing bodyfat. Fat loss and weight loss are apples and oranges or oil and water and have nothing to do with each other in general. 99.99% of weight loss comes from LBM usually and is unhealthy. Be smart and healthy! Lose fat and not LBM. 

Keep up the great work everyone and eat your food.

Eric
Dempsey's Resolution Fitness

Not All Protein Powders Are The Same

The July 2010 consumer reports article on heavy metals found in 15 top protein powder brands was very alarming to many people. Everyone assumes as I used to that these companies making health and fitness supplements must be good to go right? Well the facts show they are not. Most of the companies use more money in their marketing than for the production quality of their products. Here is a link to the consumer reports findings for heavy metals in protein powder:
 http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine-archive/2010/july/food/protein-drinks/whats-in-your-protein-drink/index.htm

I used to use and recommend allot of the stuff listed in this report, for many years until I adopted Prograde as my single source supplement company. Prograde is a high quality, no frills company founded and run by respected fitness professionals. These guys would not have anything harmful, negative or low quality associated with them. I study their other fitness and marketing materials as well as sell their nutrition products because I believe they are superior. I also use their products as do most of the successful fitness professionals that I follow. The guys from Prograde use their own products as do their families. It's a smaller company with top quality and results at the forefront in this industry. So I use and recommend Prograde Protein. 

During an independent study Prograde Protein's heavy metal counts were found to be miniscule compared to the others. For a variety of reasons, heavy metals are found (even in trace amounts) in damn near everything. Check out the findings for Prograde Protein for yourself here:
http://dempseysresolution.getprograde.com/metals-in-your-protein.html?advert_id=CN

Some other reasons that Prograde Protein is superior are the fact that they put lactase in their protein powder to aid in digestion, it's naturally sweetened with stevia, it is low temperature microfiltered and has Ion-exchanged Whey Protein Isolates for unparalleled purity, Only 2g of carbohydrate per serving,  5.3 grams of muscle boosting Branched Chain Amino Acids and is gluten free. Also Prograde Protein contains 2.5 grams of the essential amino acid Leucine, shown in extensive scientific studies to be responsible for activating protein synthesis and muscle growth at the DNA level.

Another great thing about Prograde Protein is that it's on sale for 20% off right now. Give it a try and see for yourself. Prograde products fall into the "you get what you pay for" category. High quality, effective, reliable, and dependable are characteristics of Prograde. You owe it to yourself to have the best because you are worth it.

Eric
Dempsey's Resolution Fitness 

Is It Possible? Burn Fat, Build Muscle And Increase Your Performance At The Same Time

Most traditional fitness programs are centered around a theme. There are weight loss programs, body transformation programs, sports / performance enhancement programs, muscle building programs, lifestyle enrichment programs and programs to work on specific trouble areas of the body (hips/buns/thighs etc...). If you train with me or have trained with me, you know that my program is anything but traditional. I don't believe in having different programs to do all of the mentioned stuff above.

With my program, you work on all of those areas at the same time. Efficiency and functionality are my themes. Getting the most bang for the buck and the hour are important in today's time crunched world. Dynamic, total body, multi-joint, compound movements have been proven to be more effective at achieving the greatest amount of benefits in the shortest amount of time. Heavy strength training, metabolic resistance training, targeted fat loss cardio and supportive nutrition have proven, time and time again, over the years, to increase performance and overall health, burn fat and build muscle, all at the same time. Not only does my program cover all of the areas but the functionality of it carries over into daily life activities, regardless of who you are -be it an airborne ranger or a housewife.  Also, the time it takes to achieve these goals in the different areas are minimized, provided that you follow the program and eat right. 

So stop wasting time and money trying to find an easy out. There is no easy way to achieve great things. Your issues and bad habits didn't pop up yesterday. There is a time factor required to make things right. It can be shortened in a healthy way. You must earn it by traveling down the right path and by negotiating the obstacles that stand before you. Let me guide you down the path. Follow the way to become lean, strong and fast -sooner rather than later. It is totally possible and it's proven by my clients daily. So when the masses say it can't be done - I say bullshit -I do it everyday and so can you.   

Eric
Dempsey's Resolution Fitness

Trans Fat -Truth & Myths

 

Trans fats, also known as hydrogenated oils, are synthetically produced by adding hydrogen atoms to unsaturated vegetable oils. Unlike natural unsaturated or saturated fats, trans fats have no nutritional value. They have been overwhelmingly shown to increase the risk of death from cardiovascular disease. Food producers like using trans fat because it has a longer shelf life. 

Does zero trans fat on the label mean that there is really no trans fat in your food product? The answer is no! According to FDA guidelines, products containing less than 0.5g of trans fat per serving can be labeled as zero trans fat. So that means that one serving of zero trans fat can contain up to 0.49g of trans fat. Do the math and you can see that 0.49g of trans fat per serving can add up over the day and week. With one serving of zero trans fat at breakfast, lunch and dinner, you can rack up 1.5g grams of trans fat and that's the low end. The American Heart Association recommends limiting your trans fat intake to less than 2g a day. One serving of zero trans fat for 3 meals a day puts you at about 75% of the AHA recommended level of trans fat intake. In one year, you could add up 547.5g consumed under the guise of zero trans fat. That sounds like a whole lot more than zero to me. 

Major sources of trans fat include:  

1. Cakes, cookies, crackers, pies, breads, and other baked goods
2. Animal products prepared in partially hydrogenated oils
3. Margarine
4. Fried potatoes
5. Potato chips, corn chips, popcorn
6. Household shortening
7. Salad dressings
8. Breakfast cereals
9. Candy

Trans fat goes by many different names or disguises. You may see zero trans fat on the label but then find these common names in the ingredients instead: Hydrogenated oils, partially hydrogenated oils, or mono and diglycerides. These are all trans fats and should be avoided. Sadly, many so called health foods contain these other names in the ingredients. So you must read your labels and be aware of the trickery being used to poison you in order to make big money.

Eric
Dempsey's Resolution Fitness 

Can Organic Food Make You Fat?

What is organic? The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has established an organic certification program that requires all organic foods to meet strict government standards. These standards regulate how such foods are grown, handled and processed. Any farmer or food manufacturer who labels and sells a product as organic must be USDA certified as meeting these standards. Only producers who sell less than $5,000 a year in organic foods are exempt from this certification; however, they must follow the same government standards to label their foods as organic. If a food bears a USDA Organic label, it means it's produced and processed according to the USDA standards and that at least 95 percent of the food's ingredients are organically produced. The seal is voluntary, but many organic producers use it.

Products that are completely organic — such as fruits, vegetables, eggs or other single-ingredient foods — are labeled 100 percent organic and can carry a small USDA seal. Foods that have more than one ingredient, such as breakfast cereal, can use the USDA organic seal or the following wording on their package labels, depending on the number of organic ingredients: 100 percent organic. Products that are completely organic or made of all organic ingredients. Organic. Products that are at least 95 percent organic. Made with organic ingredients. These are products that contain at least 70 percent organic ingredients. The organic seal can't be used on these packages.

Foods containing less than 70 percent organic ingredients can't use the organic seal or the word "organic" on their product label. They can include the organic items in their ingredient list, however. You may see other terms on food labels, such as "all-natural," "free-range" or "hormone-free." These descriptions may be important to you, but don't confuse them with the term "organic." Only those foods that are grown and processed according to USDA organic standards can be labeled organic.

Eating organic is a popular topic in the health and fitness circles. Eating organic is touted to be the way to go. I advocate eating organic whenever possible. But does eating organic promise to keep you lean? The answer is no! If you eat improperly, it doesn't matter how organic the food is. You will get fat regardless. There is a misconception that if it's organic, it's good for you and you won't gain weight. If you make a cake with all organic ingredients- you are still eating a cake and you will still become a Jabba The Hut look-a-like. So it's about eating the right types of food in the right amount at the right times.

And yes, when you eat right, you want to have as much of your food organic as possible. But make no mistake about it, organic carbs are still carbs, organic sugar is still sugar and whether you eat organic or not, you can and will get fat doing the wrong thing and eating the wrong stuff. So keep it real and use organic foods when you can but make the right choices and follow the basic nutrition principles. Don't let the term organic let you become fat.

Eric
Dempsey's Resolution Fitness  

You Are Your Own Worst Enemy In Your Fat Loss Battle

Human homeostasis refers to the body's ability to physiologically regulate its inner environment to ensure its stability in response to fluctuations in the outside environment and the weather. Your body wants to maintain command and control and only recognizes stress and change, regardless of whether it's good or bad. When you begin a new exercise program or nutrition plan, you create a new stress or change to your body. The body is programmed to not think this is cool and it try's hard to stop it immediately.

Usually, in the first two weeks of the start of a new exercise and nutrition program, your body will make massive adaptations to combat this new stress in order to achieve homeostasis. This will cause you to make some serious progress and trick you into thinking you are now good to go. Past the two week mark, you have to keep pushing the envelope in order to continue to place stress on the system causing even more change.

Then around the 6 week mark you need to really shake things up and stress the system more to prevent natural plateau. The difference between maintaining and a plateau is your intent. If you are still wanting to make progress and you stop getting ahead, then you have reached a plateau. If you get to a place where you are happy with your progress and you want to stay where you are at, then you have entered a maintenance phase by allowing the plateau to take effect. Your body is all about you staying in your maintenance phase forever because it can then re-optimize your systems for your current situation.

Most people don't reach a place any time soon, where they think they are ready for a maintenance phase. So change and stress must continue to bombard the body to keep adaptation in full swing. Your brain will trick you constantly by sending out signals that make you feel content or full with no need to train harder or eat more or better. You'll think "I'm good to go right here". But it's rare that that's an accurate place to be because you have yet to attain your fitness goals. So you must press on. Understanding this self-mental trickery is a key to success. Knowing that this will occur will allow you to watch for the warning signs and take appropriate action to stay ahead of plateaus.

Normally, when you operate in your comfort zone with fitness and nutrition, you will not make any significant progress. Of course, this is what your body wants you to do to maintain control. Your brain will scream "I can't do it, I can't lift that weight, I can't run any faster or I'm full and can't eat another bite. This has to be recognized and you must stay in the red zone of exertion and nutritional advancement. So when your brain trys to defeat you, you must run faster, lift heavier, get one more rep in and force another bite of food. Fight hard to stay out of your comfort zone and ignore your brain when it trys to stop you.

Two techniques that I use frequently at the  home bootcamp are the black mailbox and the 3 second drive/push. The black mailbox is the point in the road, near my house, where the road starts going uphill, three quarters of the way through a 30 second sprint. This is where your brain screams "stop-I'm going to die" and you want to slow down and fail yourself. So I tell people when you reach the black mailbox, you must force yourself to run faster until you hit the finish line. And almost 100% of the time, when a person does what I tell them, their sprint time improves dramatically.

The 3 second drive / push technique applies to the deadlift and the bench press. When you are deadlifting a heavy weight that is maximal or near maximal, it takes approximately 2-2.5 seconds for the bar to leave the floor when exerting yourself maximally. At about 1 second, your brain screams "this is too freakin heavy, I can't lift it, stop now". If you listen to your brain -you fail and don't make the lift, even though you could have. With the bench press, you must continue to push as the bar hits your sticking point. You must push continually for the full 3 seconds while focusing on core stabilization and the weight will creep up slowly if you are going to lift it.  

The bottom line is that your body is programmed to strive to reach / stay at homeostasis regardless of your body composition and fitness level. Your body wants to optimize your systems to operate smoothly at it's current stress level. Your brain will send signals to persuade you to slow down or stop even though you could physically do it. You must push past these mental barriers and learn how your body works. The more time you spend operating in the Red Zone of intensity will allow you to make progress and master your limits. When your brain screams stop - take another step and see what happens. You will be surprised. Progress and your goals are within your grasp and control. You can do it!

Eric
Dempsey's Resolution Fitness 

Earth Fare & Fresh Market Get The Thumbs Up From Me!!

So I finally got to check out both Earth Fare in Auburn and Fresh Market in Columbus. Both are equally awesome and very similar. I recommend both of them. Try to check them both out if you haven't yet. Definitely gonna be future grocery store tour locations. Today I got some avocado oil, organic honey, cold bottled yerba mate tea, a couple different salads and some new Clif endurance gel packs. Great stuff.


Eric
Dempsey's Resolution Fitness

Fitness Bootcamp At Smith: August 2010 Results

August bootcamp finished today. The girls did great!

Tristan lost 6.3% bodyfat and 1.6lbs,
Patricia lost 4.4% bodyfat, 2.2lbs and 2.5 inches from her hips 
Justina lost 6.7% bodyfat, 2lbs and 1 inch off her hips.

The girls performance also went sky high. They finished a full 20 minute tabata drill, really good burpees, pushups and mountain climbers, they did heavy goblet squats using 40, 50 and 60 lb kettlebells, plyo box jumps on the tall box and some killer core work and sprints with a staircase thrown in there to spice it up. So a noticeable change in body composition, clothes fit better, they look better, feel better and peform better. They have more energy, strength and endurance and they are eating really good. With the the 3 total body bootcamp workouts a week, targeted fat loss cardio plan and nutrition handout- the bootcamp is a stand alone, complete fitness system that is proven with over 18 months of real results.

If you're interested, the next bootcamp at smith starts on September 1st at 0915.

Eric
Dempsey's Resolution Fitness

Egg and Capsicum Salad

Egg and Capsicum Salad
Ingredients
2 boiled eggs, diced
2 bacon eyes, diced
1tbs oil
½ green capsicum, diced
¼ cup parsley, chopped
1tbs mayonnaise
1 cup mixed salad leaves

Instructions
Place oil and bacon in a frying pan on medium heat and cook until bacon has started to crisp.
Remove excess oil and place bacon into a mixing bowl along with boiled eggs, capsicum, parsley
and mayonnaise. Combine well. To serve, place salad leaves on a plate and top with egg and capsicum mixture.

The Paleo Cookbooks provide you with a range of dishes for every occasion - from
light no-fuss meals through to dinner parties, family celebrations and summer
salads. Simple and Easy to Create Recipes with clear step by step instructions you
will be able to produce paleo friendly meals that get rave reviews from friends and
family every- time! www.paleocookbooks.com

Eric
Dempsey's Resolution Fitness

Save 25 Percent On This Ultra-Potent Formula

I'm going to make this drop dead simple for you:

There's a ton of quality research that has been done on Essential Fatty Acid supplementation.
I trust my partners over at Prograde completely and they are the only brand I recommend.
Their Krill Oil based EFA Icon - as in Essential Fatty Acid- is ultra-potent.
It's also 25% off RIGHT NOW!

http://dempseysresolution.getprograde.com/essential-fatty-acid.html

Yours in health,
Eric
Dempsey's Resolution Fitness

PS - Oh, and if you're the kind of person that likes low quality fish oil that gives you the "fish burps", well, you're not going to like Prograde's EFA Icon. Again, it's ultra-potent and it doesn't cause "fish burps" like the cheap brands do. ;-)

PPS - Yes, their website is 100% secure and they guarantee everything they sell. Just click the link below to save 25% on research backed EFA Icon.

http://dempseysresolution.getprograde.com/essential-fatty-acid.html

Clips from recent workouts at the RSLC Gym

Shrug Machine deadlifts: I'm starting back up slow so I only got to 360lbs
and dumbbell one arm push press got up to 90lbs but couldn't get 100lbs yet.
Super heavy, short duration workouts get my strength back up while not wasting hours in the gym.

Eric
Dempsey's Resolution Fitness

Meal Of The Week: Breaded Chicken with Fennel

Primal Meal: Skillet fried chicken breaded with an egg and walnut batter. Fennel with scallions, avocado, lemon juice and olive oil.  It was good! Thanks Lisa!

Eric

Dempsey's Resolution Fitness

Lenny's Saga of Strength & Conditioning

Tonight, we said our farewells to Lenny. He is moving up north to NJ to continue his journey. He excelled continually in his training here. Last night he finally got up the big 79lb kettlebells with a squat to overhead press on his final kettlebell workout. Lenny has come a long way since starting in January at 305lbs. Well over 50lbs down, he is now much leaner and stronger than ever. He sets the example for drive and determination. He will be missed but we'll see more of him as he updates us from the north while he continues the mission. Good luck Lenny - I know you will do great things.

Eric
Dempsey's Resolution Fitness

She lost 1.5 inches off her waist in a week - not bad Huh?

When you get tired of not making progress and you decide that you want some real results, let me know. I'll see if I have room to fit you in. Don't wait too long to decide though, things happen fast around here.

Eric

Dempsey's Resolution Fitness

Another Look At Sprinting vs Slow Steady State Cardio

There are numerous articles and studies talking about the eternal argument over steady state (slow) cardio and high intensity interval training (HIIT) or sprints. Both sides point out the strengths and weaknesses of the other. Over the last 28 years, I have done ample amounts of both, so I'm gonna tell you my 2 cents on it. Here is the BLUF: bottom line up front - for fat burning and performance enhancement, HIIT or sprinting is superior for both.

Coming from a martial arts, fitness and military background, I have had to live as a weightlifter in a runner's world. Based upon your lifestyle, you have to adapt to the requirements of the day. In the Army- which is a camouflaged runner's world, guess what? - you have to run. Most of the running involves distance. I spent many years running 4 or 5 miles or more a day. Long distance running combined with heavy rucksacks and long footmarches, jumping out of planes and smashing into the earth like a freakin meteorite, my knees and back were shot for most of the 20 years. And if the carb loading, steady state cardio crew was correct, I should have been ripped like a fitness model.

But I wasn't! The more I ran, the flabbier I got. In fact, one of my running buddies had a pot belly- aka fat as f@#k, and he could run like a gazelle. The gut never went away though regardless of how many 5 mile runs we did. So I know for a fact, from personal experience, that slower distance running doesn't burn fat effectively. It can make you fat or keep you fat, due to the catabolic (muscle eating) effects of running.

As far as performance enhancement -(running longer, faster), I spent many years running different distances at different paces trying to improve my run times for various distances. Of all the different running improvement techniques that I tried, only one type of training worked - fast, short distance training. On my list of stuff that works are sprints of any kind, track sprints, stair sprints, hill running, fartlek runs, indian runs, interval runs, swimming, short distance (6 miles)- fast footmarches with heavy loads and intervals on specific cardio equipment like the versaclimber or jacobs ladder. So that's what I recommend for speed improvement. And then when I added the distance in, I ran it as fast as I could with a varying pace (Sprinting straightaways, slow down hill, fast uphill) and my overall time improved. Because my anaerobic threshold increased from the speed work, I was able to maintain a faster steady pace for distance. Technique, Stride and posture work is also essential to increasing performance. Check out all the running videos on crossfit's website for some good info. -And I don't recommend them often.

Back to fat burning! So we've established that slow mythical fat burning zone runs don't do nothing for fat loss and sprinting does. You can google countless studies showing the tech specs of how sprints work or don't work for fat loss. I know it works. By itself is it totally the best - no. The best way to burn fat is to use the biologically sound, science based, 3 phases of fat loss. Mobilize free fatty acids out of the fat cell and into the bloodstream with sprints, transport the fatty acids through the blood stream and into the muscles with a slow recovery period after the sprints and oxidize the fatty acids by burning it off as fuel for the muscles with a hard steady run. So a combination of sprints, slow recovery and hard steady state cardio activates the 3 phases of fat loss in sequence. That is why I have my clients use the 42 minute targeted fat loss cardio plan.

If you are short on time and have x number of minutes to workout, then either do a tabata drill or sprints. 20-30 minutes is all that you need. If you are really short on time, then do one round of tabata (4 minutes) or some super intense short sprints for 4 minutes to activate the EPOC effect and burn calories for 12-36 hours after the workout. The full 20-30 minute workout will amplify the EPOC effect for long term post workout calorie burn and metabolic activity. Intensity is the key. So hit it fast and hard and eat good and the old jeans will be back on in no time. Be safe. Drink water and stretch and have a great day!

Eric
Dempsey's Resolution Fitness