Camper P.O.V.

Welcome to our Camper P.O.V. series.  We'll be following a camper's journey through one of our many locations.  Check back weekly for updates on their goals, successes and challenges.  

Week 4: All in a Month!

The month of April has come to an end, another month of boot camp comes to a close. 

This morning brought a great feeling of accomplishment as I reflect back on the goals I set out to reach this month. After weeks of running, sweating and having my "comfort zone" be pushed beyond belief, this month of boot camp is over but my healthy habits have just begun!

My PT test this morning was a great end to the month and I am excited to say that I knocked :26 seconds off my mile time with a finish time of 7:47! While in relative terms :26 seconds doesn't seem like a lot, in these terms it is such a great feeling of accomplishment. I look and feel stronger, leaner and have a renewed confidence that I can pretty much do anything I set my mind to (including run up some steep, steep hills!)

My nutrition goals also got me to a great new point in eating - where I am refocused on healthy eating. Last weekend I planted a vegetable garden in the back yard, I've decreased my caffeine intake by 2/3 what I was drinking before and dropped the bad choices that I didn't really realize I was making. I can definitely tell a difference in my metabolism by eating smaller portions more often.

You can take a peek at my benchmarks & goals below, as I look forward to setting new goals next month.

I am happy to report that Spring is here, Chastain Park is lovelier than ever and I've made 20 or so new friends in the process of getting in shape. Oh, and my dress fitting yesterday made it all worthwhile - a perfect fit as I'm t-minus one month til my wedding. So glad Operation Boot Camp was there to help me reach this goal!

Goals:

- Perfect attendance (Nearly perfect, excluding some work interference, but did homework on my own those days)

- Weekend homework (Still need to work on & schedule into my days off of BC)

- Stick to a strict red book plan all month (YES! Had a few mishaps + a bachelorette party in the mix, but all-in-all success)

- Drink more water (Still need to focus on, but have increased)

- Drink less caffeine (Decreased by 2/3)

- Decrease my mile time to 7:30 (Mile  from 8:13 to 7:47)

- Fit into my wedding dress!! (Success!)

Ashley is a camper at OBC's Chastain Park location.  She loves boot camp, her dog Kona, and her awesome fiancé Shane.

From The Official Operation Boot Camp Blog

Smashing the CZ

Hey y’all!  How are you doing?  Are you eating cleaner, working out harder, drinking more water, planning ahead and believing in your body’s ability to change?  By now, your running has to be finding a groove, or at least you’ve hit it a couple of times so you know what it is you’re going to find out there on the road and why so darn many folks are addicted to it.  If you haven’t found it yet, commit to running for me today ok?  Today could be the day.

Most folks that work out, find that it’s really challenging to actually change their body!  You’ve seen them, haven’t you?  They’re at the gym all the time, but you never see any difference in them.  Have you ever wondered why?  My claim to you is the answer lies in the CZ.  The Comfort Zone.

Most people avoid conflict.  Most avoid being uncomfortable.  Don’t you?  That tension, anxiety, uncertainty of what is going to come next.  Whew!  We just want to know that we’re ok and have some confidence in the outcome.  Well then, how crazy is it that to effectively change our bodies, both inside and out, we need to go to a place of uncertainty?

In camp, we teach folks how to be really comfortable being un-comfortable.  That is the place where the transformation lives.  Think of it this way; if you keep doing what you’ve been doing, you’re going to keep getting what you’ve already got!  Book your ticket to a new land….the land of transformation.

Know this about that land; it’s going to be filled with uncertainty, challenges, speed bumps, out of body experiences, feeling nauseous,  reaching failure – counting to three and getting some more!  Most of all, know that it’s also going to be filled with success and positive changes.  Know that you will find strength in places other than your muscles and that the strength, courage and confidence you discover there will permeate your entire life.  Sound like the results you want?  Take a deep breath then and let’s go!

How will you know you’ve reached it?  How do you approach travelling to this new place?  The obvious answer is to just kick it up a notch, right?  Well, that’s true, but there’s a bit more to it than that.

How you know you’re IN your comfort zone is to ask yourself if you can carry on a conversation with what you’re doing.  If you can, then know you’re choosing to stay where you are.  There are drills you can do to learn your exertion.  Mark off two different spots – maybe you can use mailboxes in your neighborhood.  Make them about 30 or so yards apart.  Now, just run at a light – can chat with your friend pace and count your steps from one box to your target box. 

Let’s say it takes you 40 steps.  Now, I want you to cover your target area in 10 percent less steps – so ten percent of 40 is 4, your target number of steps is no 36.  Turn around and run back with a little bigger stride and little faster pace.  That was 10 percent out of your comfort zone, now do it again and discover how it feels to be at 70 pcnt, then 80 pcnt then give me a full on sprint!!  START LOW on that sprint and make sure your legs are warmed up properly before you do it though.  As adults, especially adults that haven’t sprinted or run hard in years, sprinting is really hard on our bodies.  It’s a really great thing for us to do with our bodies though and I highly recommend it at least once a week!

That’s how to find your pace out of the CZ for cardio, now let’s talk about finding it with strength.  I see folks in gyms frequently just moving weights around.  They’re looking like they’re doing something, but my claim to you is they’re not doing a whole lot. 

For the same amount of time, you can produce powerful results!  I saw a video one time about the difference just one degree can make.  Think about this, at 211 degrees Fahrenheit water is not boiling, but just one degree hotter and you have a chemical reaction that produces boiling, steam and power!   Here’s how to crank it up a notch, how to get one more degree out and go from staying the same to irreversible change.

First, familiarize yourself with the muscles on your body.  Know what they look like, how they move and what actions they produce for you.  For my purposes here, I’m just going to discuss the biceps muscle on your arm.  When your bicep shortens, it moves the lower half of your arm toward your body.  That’s it! 

Now the way to get at that little guy is to think about it!  Think of how it’s shaped, where it is, what it does for you and then make it do that!  Grab a weight that you can handle, but wouldn’t accidently find yourself swatting at flies with.  (I’ve actually done that!)  That’s a sure sign what’s in your hands is NOT heavy enough.  J  I want you to bend your knees, engage your quads, tighten your abs, chest up nice and proud, chin up.  Now tuck your elbows into your sides, do not balance them into your ribs.  I want them, well, imagine you have like Frankenstein bolts sticking out of your sides and you clamp your elbows onto those bolts.  Now, squeeze that muscle and miraculously watch the watch come toward your shoulders.  Focus on your muscle, not on the movement – does that make sense?

I want you to squeeze that muscle.  Keep tension on that muscle, do not let the weight drop.  Control the movements.  Actually make requests of that muscle and make so many requests, it finally tells you no!  That’s when you know you’re approaching a place of change.  If you don’t reach that point of failure, your biceps will stay healthy, they’ll be nice and look fine, but they won’t change.  If you’re looking to really change, then here’s what you do next.  You let the weight drop quick shake it out, quick count to 3 and then keep going.  If you really want to change, then do that over and over.  Push that muscle, max it out.  Long and slow reps, reps at tempo, 3 counts up 1 down, 1 count up 3 down, pulses at the top, isometric contractions, reps half way up and then to the top, half way up and then ease it back down. 

Point is to think of that muscle, how it’s shaped, what it does and work it.  The work is done when you take that muscle from it’s longest point to it’s shortest and make it burn, make it fail, shake it out and keep on going!

Now, apply this to the rest of your body!  We’ll talk about how to do that in greater depth soon – how to properly work your body, where to start, if you’re a beginner and how to focus and continue to produce muscle confusion and out of the zone workouts when you’re at the top of your game.

Thanks so much for checking in with me!  I hope to see you out there playing hard and staying young!

In Fitness and In Health,

Melanie Churchwell

Aka Melly Mel

Fresh vs. Frozen Produce: Which is healthier?

This is a great question that we get a lot.  Read this article from livestrong.com for great info weighing the pros and cons of both-while keeping your budget in mind!

Nutirion Bite with Livestrong.com

Grilled Vegetable Gazpacho

With the warmer weather comes the need for cooler foods!  Here is a traditional gazpacho that can be made easily in the Cuisinart or blender and be taken along for lunch or even a snack!  Get your veggies! 

Classic Andalucian gazpacho combines raw vegetables like tomatoes and onions with red wine vinegar for a little kick. Kerry Simon transforms the recipe by using grilled vegetables brightened with a blend of vinegar, orange juice and lemon juice.

Yield: 10

Ingredients

• 4  large  garlic cloves, unpeeled
• 2  large  red bell peppers, cored and quartered
• 2  large  yellow bell peppers, cored and quartered
• 2  medium  zucchini, sliced lengthwise 1/2 inch thick
• 1  large  white onion, cut into 1/2-inch slabs
• 2  ears  of corn, husked
• 2  tablespoons  vegetable oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 1/2  teaspoons  ground cumin
• 1/2  teaspoon  crushed red pepper
• 2  cups  tomato juice
• 1/2  cup  fresh orange juice
• 3  tablespoons  fresh lemon juice
• 2  tablespoons  red wine vinegar
• 1/4  cup  chopped cilantro
• 1  English cucumber, thinly sliced

Preparation

Light a grill. Thread the garlic cloves onto a skewer. Lightly brush the garlic, bell peppers, zucchini, onion and corn with the vegetable oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill the vegetables over moderately high heat, turning frequently, until lightly charred and crisp-tender, about 10 minutes. Transfer the peppers to a bowl, cover with plastic and let steam for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, remove the garlic cloves from the skewers, peel them and transfer to a large bowl. Using a large serrated knife, cut the charred corn kernels into the bowl. Peel the peppers and add them to the bowl along with the zucchini, onion, cumin, crushed red pepper, tomato juice, orange juice, lemon juice and vinegar.
Working in batches, puree the vegetable mixture in a blender or food processor. Pour the gazpacho into a clean bowl and season with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, about 2 hours.
Just before serving, stir the cilantro into the gazpacho. Ladle the soup into bowls, garnish with the cucumber and serve.

Kerry Simon, Food & Wine, JUNE 2008

Camper P.O.V.

Week 3: Forgetting Bad Habits

Welcome to our Camper P.O.V. series.  We'll be following a camper's journey through one of our many locations.  Check back weekly for updates on their goals, successes and challenges.  


It's Week 3 for me as a boot camper and I can't believe I only have one week left of the program this month.

Last weekend was tough for me as I was in town, celebrating birthdays and going to events, so sticking to the nutrition plan was much harder than my normal structured work day meal plan. Preparation and knowing the difference between what's good and not good for you makes a huge difference for me. It continues to amaze me what a difference small changes, small decisions can make.

Making the decision to not hit snooze on your alarm clock and get out there to workout every morning - "mind over mattress" as they say. Taking a few minutes in the morning to prepare my healthy snacks and pack my lunch so I'm prepared to succeed for the day. Skipping the Starbucks drive-thru, or asking to have my salad dressing put on the side instead of covering my meal in extra calories. Grabbing a bottle of water instead of a Diet Coke, taking the stairs instead of the elevator.

All these little things, that over the course of a day, a week, a month have added up to a life-changing experience in the long run.

In Week 3, I can absolutely say I can see a difference in the way I look and feel. There is a noticeable difference to me in the amount of energy and drive I have during the workouts. I am faster, more determined and better able to push up those serious hills we have at Chastain Park. My oh-so-present sweet tooth has nearly diminished - it's amazing what a lack of sugar will do to you. While before I craved ice cream, I now look forward just as much to my sugar-free pudding cup after dinner.

I think it was Kate Moss who was quoted as saying "Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels" - but I'd put a boot camp spin on it to say, nothing tastes as good as being healthy feels. Fingers crossed as we jump head first into Week 4!

Ashley is a camper at OBC's Chastain Park location.  She loves boot camp, her dog Kona, and her awesome fiance Shane.

Three Tried and True Moves to Get You Ready for Summer

It’s time to pack those bulky sweaters up and get your shorts and summer shirts out.  Are you ready to share your legs, abs and upper body with the rest of us?

I want to share with you 3 tried and true dear old friends.  They never fail to firm things up and give your body parts a shape you want to share.

Let’s take a look at Planks, Squats and V Sits

Plank

A good plank gets you strong from the inside out.  It works you, when done properly, from the tip of your head through the soles of your feet.  Planks are truly amazing.  They build upper body strength, core, glutes, quads, hammies.  They just help make it all look good!  I love them because they help you look great, but at the same time, they also work in such a way to help you build that underlying support structure that protects you in action sports.  Cool benefit for sure.

There are many variations of plank, but today, we’re just going to keep it pure and look at the basic Push up Plank and Bows and Toes Plank.  The proper position in a plank should look like this; lay on your abs on the ground, palms of your hands on the ground under your shoulders and press yourself up into a push up plank position, onto your toes.  This is the position you would drill some pushups from.

Nice flat back, no bootie in the sky, abs are in tight, shoulders down off of your ears, chin up and strong from your head, pushing down through your heels.  This is a Push Up Plank.  From here, drop down on to your elbows, staying up on your Toes – thus the Bows and Toes.

Hold it for as long as you can.  You may start with 20 seconds.  That would be fantastic.  Then work your way up to holding it for a minute, and then go for it.  Keep adding length to how long you hold your planks.  We have a workout in camp where we hold it for 1 minute, 2 minutes, 3 and then finish off with a 4 minute plank.  They sky is the limit!  Don’t preset your capabilities, ok?

To keep going and push your abilities with plank, when you get to that limit where you don’t think you can hold it any longer, hold your position and drop to your knees.  Give a quick count to three then pop back up onto your toes to get that goal time for your plank.

Planks will build up your core strength.  Having that nice strong core will help you stay centered in your day.  You will stand taller, be more able to respond to things that come at you whether on a tennis or basketball court, or in your office or home.

There are many varieties of planks and we will look at those varieties in a week or two.  Feel free to contact me if you’re ready for them now!

Squats

Alright, I know some of you are not fond of squats.  If, on the other hand, you like for your tushie to be closer to your shoulders than your knees, you might want to make these your best friend!  Yes, they can irritate your knees, but let’s take a look at what could be irritating your knees with them in a moment.  Chances are it has something to do with your form if you don’t have knee integrity issues.

Stand with your feet about shoulder width apart, abs pulled in nice and strong (that strong core you built with your planks!), chin up and sit back down on an imaginary chair.  Seek to have the top of your quad (front thigh) parallel to the ground and your tailbone tipped to the sky.  Don’t let it roll under or have your back curved.  You should be able to wiggle your toes. Imagine you have a beach ball between your knees and squeeze as you ease back up.  Do not stand all the way back up, keep your quads engaged and your knees bent throughout your entire set of squats.  If you stand all the way back up, you will give your muscles that quick break and will not get as much done to build that gorgeous shapely calorie burning muscle you need to keep your bum up off of your thighs.

There are many varieties of squats.  The other one I want to talk about is one that may keep you squatting if you do have knee issues.  Grab an exercise ball and put it behind your back between you and a wall.  You will be able to place your feet further out in front of you, leaning back into the ball and when you roll down, you can not go tighter than a 90 degree angle with your knees.  If you have a smith machine, you can also stand in front of it and lean back into the bar to produce the same angle for your precious knees.

Abs

Crunches and V Sits and Bicycles, oh my!  There are so many ways to work your abs, let’s talk about a terrific move that builds that entire abdominal area as well as your hip flexors, quads and lower back.

A V Sit uses your legs and arms as levers.  The longer the levers are from your center (you tush on the ground) the greater the challenge to your core.  Example, if you start on your bum in a ball – your knees into your chest, your arms at the sides of your bent legs – nothing touching the ground except your tailbone – this would be a great starter position.

Think of your body from your hip joint up to the tips of your outstretched fingertips as one side of the “V”.  From the hips down to your toes is the other side of the “V”.  Pivoting from your center, lower your upper body and lower body simultaneously to about 3 inches off the ground, so your body is in a straight line, then squeeze your abs in, keeping your body nice and straight, bring your upper body and lower body up into a “V” position.

Now that is the advanced version.  As I stated before, you can start in a ball with your tailbone the only thing touching the ground.  You can also put your hands on the ground behind you and copy the same movement as stated above.  Upper body stays straight, lower body straight, lowering as close to the ground as you can and then back up into that V position.

These are challenging to begin with.  You can do them sitting on a bench, holding the backside for balance as well.  As you build your strength with them, you will find that you have built your abs from the bottom up.  Gaining strength in those lower abdominals seems to be the most needed and most challenging for many.  Take the time to work these into your workout routine and you’ll be blessed with enviable abs.  Will be nice to take your six pack with you everywhere you go!!

Comment and let me know if you need help with any of these moves.  I’d be pleased to hear from you and keep you safe while you get strong and shapely.

In Fitness and Health,

Melly Mel

Portion Size, Portion Size, Portion Size

If it seems like we're always talking about portion size, you're right.  But we do it with good reason!  This can be the culprit to weight gain even if you are eating the 'right' things - too much of a good thing CAN be bad!   So how do you control your portion sizes?  This can be the most challenging thing that we do, we are motivated to exercise and we make good food choices, however, we can sit down and eat an entire pound of whole wheat pasta and veggies! 

Here are a few tips and resources to help you out, but the secret is really just self control.  You just have to be able to put down the box and slowly back away from it.  The mind and the body do not always agree, so you have to be the voice of reason! 

1) Never eat anything from the container or box.  Always take out what you want and put it in a bowl, bag, etc.  If you have the whole container, you are more likely to eat the whole thing.

2) Plan your snacks for when you are leaving the house, office or when you are going to be away from the pantry.  Take a small baggie of what you need and leave, eat it in the car or while you are out that way you cannot go back for more.

3) do not go back for seconds.  Try to make a reasonable portion choice the first time and restrict yourself from going back for a second portion unless you have waited 20 minutes and you are truly hungry.

4) Have healthy snacks already portioned in your house, office, car, etc.  Have small bags of trail mix, granola bars and if you have access to a frig, make a yogurt and fruit mix, 1/2  PBJ sandwich.  Never leave home without a snack so that you do not get to your next meal ravenous! 

5) Use Tupperware containers to measure your cereal, nuts, pretzels, etc.  If you do not know what a 1/2 cup looks like try measuring your food out with a Tupperware for a week and you will get the visual stimuli you need to know what is enough.

Here is a link to help with portion size visualization.  Stephanie McCartt from Grant Park sent me this link! 
http://www.webmd.com/diet/healthtool-portion-size-plate