Challenge yourself to join us in an epic hike down into the canyon, dive into the frigid Colorado river and back to the rim all in one day… because they said it couldn’t be done.  Afterwards we celebrate our accomplishments in Sedona, one of the most spiritual and relaxing places on earth and set new, more challenging goals.

Please follow this link to learn more about the Extreme Adventure Week Grand Canyon 2012

I always said I would compete again and since it has been 10 years I thought I better get a move on. Sheri has never done a competition so she is a little nervous and will need encouragement from us all. No matter what happens or ho we place we are going to look great, have some great photos, memories and welcome the challenge to achieve ultra low levels of body fat.

There is nothing “secret” about it. We will simply be applying all the fundamentals that we teach you here at Vitality Fitness Studio with 100% dedication and robot like execution.

Get a Plan, Follow a Plan, Achieve Results.

Follow along each week and we’ll keep you posted on the ups and downs of competing right up to the backstage pump and the celebration where we are sure to close down some restaurant.

If you’d like to get your hands on a copy of what we are doing from cardio to cooking, lifting to resting follow this link and fill out the form at the bottom of the page.

11 Weeks Out

3 1/2 cups water

1/4 teaspoon salt, optional

2 cups old-fashioned oats

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped, optional

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Pinch nutmeg

2 tablespoons dark brown sugar, plus more, to taste

1 cup lowfat milk, divided

1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions

In a medium saucepan, bring the water and salt to a boil. Stir in the oats and raisins, reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, uncovered, for 5 minutes.

In the meantime, place nuts, if using, in a dry skillet over a medium-high flame, and toast, stirring frequently, until golden and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Set aside.

When the oats are cooked remove pan from the flame and stir in the vanilla and nutmeg. Swirl in the brown sugar and place the oatmeal in serving bowls. Pour 1/4 cup of milk on top of each bowl,.. and top with toasted nuts and a sprinkle of cinnamon.

Note: For a quicker version using quick cooking or plain instant oatmeal: Cook the oatmeal according to the directions on the package. Stir raisins, brown sugar, and nutmeg into the cooked oatmeal. Top with milk, nuts (toasted or un-toasted) and cinnamon

Just as you want a diversified portfolio you also want to ensure that you achieve a diversified approach to your health and fitness.  You have heard it argued that fitness is 80% nutrition, 20% training or some variance of that.  I think the best explanation I have heard has you think of your fitness efforts spread over 4 categories. 25% nutrition, 25% lifting/stretching, 25% cardio, and 25% rest.

The vast majority of magazines focus on the nutrition, lifting/stretching and cardio aspects and simply brush over rest if talked about at all.  Today, research finds factors such as elevated cortisol levels, hyper active adrenal glands and sleep deprivation caused by increased work loads or anxiety, as a major contributing factor to our society’s poor health.

Boil it all down and the simple truth is that you need to get your rest if you want to build muscle and lose fat.  Another very real truth is that if you are tired you are not gong to have time to prepare proper meals, you’ll crave quick, unhealthy snacks and will have no energy to train properly.  Even if you do manage to muster up the will power to get in a workout your intensity will be sub par.  You can not transform the body by walking through your training sessions.  There needs to be an element of intensity and challenge to force adaptation.  Good luck doing that when you can barely keep your eyes open.

Bottom line is, get your rest and give yourself a non negotiable bed time.  Seems simple enough but this one aspect to your training can be the most difficult to achieve but I promise if this component is working well you’ll have a much better chance at being successful with the other 3.  With that being said and to bring this back to business, if you want your net worth to keep rising (and I know you do) you need to be driving up that mountain called success with a body that works.  Ensure your vitality and the other aspects to a great life will fall into place.

3-4 chocolate chips per muffin
3-4 walnut bits per muffin

What you need:
3 egg whites
1 whole egg
150 grams of roasted potatoes
3/4 lean ground beef
1/4 cup diced onions
garlic salt
salsa

Prep your potatoes and beef ahead of time and this breakfast is possible in minutes...
I have used these numbers to support my lean gain goals. If you have fat loss goals adjust the amounts for yourself. These food choices can be used for fat loss all the way up to a show with smaller quantities.

I didn’t kill myself here either taking about 6 minutes to do it I have done it in under 4 mins but was when this style was the norm.  I challenge all of you in Guelph and beyond who are watching this to give it a go to start your next leg workout and tell me what your time was.  I promise you it is tougher than it looks.  Jump consistently as plyometrics are meant to be done smoothly and with no break in transition from one rep to another, stretch the hams each frog squat rep without your fingers leaving the floor and body squat deep and quick.

I have decided to compete with Sheri in the WBFF Quebec Championship this April 28..

I have always said I would do one more show and here it is 10 years later and I still haven’t so I figured I better step up.  Sheri has never done a show so this is a big step for her too.  We are very excited and a little nervous at the same time, which is a good sign.  If at first your goals don’t scare you a little then they are not truly worthy of the title of “goal”. What is the point if this goal is not about to stretch you and challenge you to move outside of your comfort zone?

So here we are laying it on the line ready to start our 12 week transformation process and I invite you to tag along.  I’ll be documenting the journey from diet to training and the ups and downs along the way taking you all the way backstage to see how it all unfolds.

On a business note I strive to grow my real estate holdings company by another 3 duplex units, a 6 plex or 1 new duplex or larger build from the ground up.  Personally to continue to not work weekends and plan an adventure for the family every week.

Let me hear what you have planned for yourself as telling people about your goals is one of the things that start to make it real.  I hope it scares you a little too.  I heard a great quote the other day and I think it applies.

“We must all suffer from one of two pains: the pain of regret or the pain of discipline.  We only get to decide which one.”

Do you suffer from the winter blues or winter depression,  also known as seasonal affective disorder? How do you cope with the long winters in Guelph?

In 2005, psychologist Cliff Arnall was asked to figure out the most miserable day of the year.  Using an elaborate math formula, he came up with the third Monday in January reasoning that Blue Monday is the day when a slew of unpleasant variables such as drab weather, failing New Year’s resolutions and Christmas bills collide, creating a veritable maelstrom of negativity.

When your motivational levels are at an all time low you can go in to hibernation or you can pick yourself up off the ropes and make a goal that will really fire you up..

One of the best ways to hold yourself accountable to your goals is to tell people about it.  This really puts yourself out on a limb as nobody wants to be that person who is all talk.

My challenge to you is to write me your fitness goals for the next few months and allow me to post them for everyone to read tomorrow.  I’ll be sharing with you my goal and it is a pretty challenging one so I hope you guys dream big.