Almost finished!

One more Boot Camp to go, folks. Each day was a little more intense than the previous (nice job rebounding, K.K.), and Saturday's will be no exception.

Snow was predicted for today, but we didn't have any, fortunately. It was only about 30 degrees, but by the end I was so soaked with sweat I had to go home and take a shower!

November's Boot Camp Schedule is this: 2 intense sessions, both on Wednesdays.

November 18
November 25

Sign up through the ACFAC! 509.758.0110

Octobah Boot Kahmp | Ve ah nearly done!

Last veek--sorry--week of Boot Camp. Bring rain gear, just in case, and try not to short out.

And if you look closely, it's an evil smile I'm sporting in that picture.

Thanks to Chris Cable for his handiwork.

Obesity in Politics - Courting the Fat Vote

Being in the fitness industry, I like to be aware of current trends. Being a political junkie also, I love when I can marry these two interests. Somehow, during the election season in 2008, I missed this one.

As Obese Population Rises, More Candidates Courting The Fat Vote

Don't Be Shy

Thinking about dropping in for some Boot Camp fun? Don't be shy!

Worried that it's too tough? Wrong! You're going at your own pace.

Think you're too out of shape? Maybe, but not too out of shape for Boot Camp.

Think you're too old? Nope.

Too cold? Nah.

Too wet? Nuh-uh.

Quit making excuses, and come to Kiwanis Park on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays at 6:30am. See you there.

Google Voice | RussFit.com = 509.433.RUSS

It has been on here for a couple weeks, but I thought I'd bring your attention to it. See the little GoogleVoice bubble to the right? I got a Google Voice account. My phone number is 509.433.RUSS. That's easy to remember, isn't it?

When you type in your phone number, it calls your phone, then connects you to mine.

It's really handy, because it meshes with my contact list in Gmail. If a family member calls, it goes to a greeting for them. If a potential customer (you) calls, it rings right to my cell phone. If I can't get the call, it gives you a special message.

As soon as you leave the message, Google Voice gets to work on translating what you said into text, and then sends me a text message of the message you left. Pretty slick, huh?

I think 509.433.RUSS is actually a Leavenworth or Walla Walla cell phone prefix, but it's easy to remember, and nothing with the word "FIT" was available.

Week 2: Stepped it up--Did Anyone Notice?

Let's see some comments here, people. I've looked at the traffic, and people are definitely checking the site out. Don't be shy--if you've been to the Camp, leave a comment down below.

Here's what I'd like to know:

1| What's the work:fun ratio? Is it 1:1, 2:1 (twice as much work as fun), or 1:10? This is to get an idea of your perceived exertion.

2| If/When we do more (ACFAC in November), will you come?

3| If/When we do one at Gymnastics 360 in December, would you come to that?

Thanks for helping me with this quick poll! (And don't forget to get your protein!!)

Don't Forget - Stone House Coffee Co. has GREAT protein drinks!

Don't forget the drink known as Russ' Rev & Recover (or, Triple-R). It has a couple shots of espresso, 10-20 grams of protein (depends on size), and plenty of flavor.

It's sugar-free, fat-free, and hand-crafted by local baristas who care. It's at the Stone House Coffee Co. in Clarkston, on Highland Ave, across the street from the hospital.

I usually get mine iced, but today, in the interest of science, I tried one hot. It was delicious. In fact, here are some before and after pictures to prove it.

Regardless of how cheesy the pictures are, your body desperately wants protein in the first 30 to 60 minutes after your workout. Ideally, you would have eaten 10 to 20 grams before your workout, but that's not always a good idea for everyone. Instead, be sure to down a bunch within that first hour. If your body doesn't find the protein it needs in your stomach or blood stream, your muscles have two options: Either they don't heal as well/grow as strong, or they rob muscles you didn't work as hard.

So be sure to get your protein.

Week 2 - Off With a Bang!

Week 2 of Boot Camp started today with the biggest crowd yet. Nine intrepid athletes were on hand to see how far they could push their lungs in what was the warmest workout yet--a balmy 37 degrees!

We ran single-file on the levee and did fartleks for a warmup. Look it up--it's a real word. Then we took it up a notch.

Week 1 was not to weed out the "sick and the old," as someone suggested, but to give everyone's body a chance to adapt to the cold and to massively increased anaerobic requirements. After minor barfage the first week, and lots of effort, our bodies decided that if we're really gonna do this, we're gonna do it right, and our bodies started adapting.

Now we can step it up a little, and go faster, harder, and with fewer breaks. If you just joined or are thinking about joining, don't let that stop you--your body will still adapt if you start now, it'll just adapt to a higher level. You'll be fine--seriously.

We ran cones, sprinted hills, did shoulders, did pushups, did berpies, did tree-sits, did abs, did obliques, and finished with some minor stretching. And we did it with much less breaks than usual.

If you were there today, and thought it didn't feel that much harder than last week, that's GREAT! Because it really was harder than last week, so your body is getting fitter already.

Boot Camp Day 2

Day 2 went great! No barfing, which means people's bodies are adapting quickly. We did more plyometrics, ran some agility drills, did plenty of hills in various ways, and generally had a lot of fun.

We used ammo boxes today to strengthen the deltoids, rotator cuffs, trapezius, and various assorted other muscles necessary for good posture. Very important if you work in an office.

The day started cold, but after the warm-up jog, we were already feeling warm. Nice work, everybody!

Make sure you get 5-15 grams of protein every couple hours. Your body will thank you for it.

One down, Eleven to go!

Boot Camp Day 1 is over! Eight people braved the early morning cold today and gave themselves a present--a fat-burning workout designed to keep burning fat for the next 24 hours.

After a chilly warm-up run, we did what any self-respecting boot camp does--jumping jacks. Military style is 1, 2, 3, ONE, 1, 2, 3, TWO, 1, 2, 3, THREE...and so on. We eventually quit counting to conserve our lung power.

We did such an awesome job with that, we rewarded ourselves with plyometrics, including high knees, butt kicks, skipping, running backwards, running sideways, and then with pushups.

Had we gone home without pushups, we probably couldn't have looked at ourselves in the mirror because of the shame. We did them on the missile boxes, so our hands would be warm for the berpies in the grass.

Hill sprints, abs, and stretching rounded out the workout, followed by some diet tips and tips on puke reduction.

Yes, one person's stomach put up a small rebellion, but with a steely look in her eyes, KK just heaved it up and came back for more. I've never seen anyone get back to exercise that fast after throwing up! She did awesome! At least 3 other people admitted to be on the verge, but were able to fight it off.

By Thursday, the feeling will be lessened, and will keep being reduced with each session as the body adapts to the extra acid and can naturally buffer against the influx.

Great job, Boot Camp! I was very impressed with everyone there, and hope to see even more people on Thursday!

Order of Events | Boot Camp 6 October 2009

Tuesday, Tuesday, Tuesday!

Order of events:
6:15 | Get sign-ups and waivers out of the way. If you've already paid online, great. Bring waivers, too.
6:30 | Basic safety instructions and info
6:35 | The Warm-Up
6:40 | The Workout
7:00 | The Panting, Sweating, and Recovery

Speaking of Recovery, we're planning to have coupons for Russ' Rev & Recover, a special recovery shake made at Stone House Coffee Co by Dustin & Robin Spooner.

It's a sugar-free, fat-free, protein-laden taste sensation designed to get you revved for the day with a couple shots of espresso, and to help you recover from your workout with whey protein.
For a nutritional breakdown, check below.

Speaking of recovering, you'll need to get plenty of protein this month. Shoot for 50 to 150 grams per day. Shoot me an email with your weight if you'd like me to be more specific with your personal requirements.

Russ' Rev & Recover (Triple R)

20oz - 300 calories/ 2 g fat/ 20 g protien

16oz - 270 calories/ 1g fat/ 18 g protien

T Minus 20 Hours and Counting...

Boot Camp is nigh upon us! Tuesday morning, 6:30, Kiwanis Park. Look for the yellow camo truck with the banner in the back.
You'll be so glad you came that you'll wish you had more time for pushups.

Pay here
Waivers here