Austin Fitness Extreme

The Birth of Bootcamps

2012-01-22T18:59:00.000-08:00

When I first started personal training some 15 years ago, Body for Life was the big thing. It was the simplest of concepts. Get people into a competition to see who could lose th most body fat and gain the most muscle in the shortest ammount of time. Prizes were given away. Gym memeberships were sold. EAS and Muscle Media 2000 became a household name. We all in the fitness industry owe a bit of grattitude to Bill Phillips. You youngins don't know who he is? Look him up. Body for Life the book , written by Bill Phillips, stayed on the best seller list for a record 154 weeks!!!! A fitness book for God's sake. And to be quite honest it was a very simple fitness book. Nothing new here, he just broke it down into very easy to follow instructions. Now , most gyms have their own workout challenge. The biggest Loser is a hit TV show. So what is the current trend? Well about 11 years ago a very simple concept started picking up steam. Let's take the model of an aerobic class and apply it to a "blue collar" crowd. We'll model it after the millitary. And we'll call it ......wait for it.......Bootcamp. I started teaching my first civillian bootcamp in 2001. It was the year I started Austin Fitness Extreme. I started off small. When Austin Fitness Extreme launched in 2001 I was one of maybe 3 camps in Austin. There was a Navy Seal bootcamp and a marathon running group. Over the past 11 years around every corner is a bootcamp of some sort. They're running up hills,down hills,up stairs, down stairs,pushing ,pulling,lunging,squating and jumping everywhere. So how do you pick a good one. Hmmm. Pick mine! No seriously. Think about what you want to get out of it. A good bootcamp will constantly evolve, much like the fitness industry. When I started I need a schtick of some sort. I went out and bought 40 kettlebells. A small fortune at the time. However, I was the only bootcamp with them at the time. Now everyone has kettlebells. Since my early days I have added just about every mobile piece of fitness equipment known to man to make myself and my camp more marketable. Most good camps will have aerobic based days and anaerobic days. The concept is to get the best of both worlds and house them under the same roof. Bootcamps should build you up more than they break you down. Don't get me wrong they should be tough , but they should be very doable. Beware of the bootcamp instructor who probably can't do the workout he/she is dictating. This is one of my biggest pet peeves. Also beware of any bootcamp that tries to sell you supplements. Like I said pick mine!!!!!!!!!

I need AGILITY

2012-01-06T12:05:00.000-08:00

The agility ladder is on of my favorite pieces of tourture. I'vebeen using it for the last 6 years. I remember the first time someone put me through a training plan designed around the agility ladder. Needless to say I tossed my cookies. These days you can encorporate the agility ladder with pretty much any exercise routine. Remember the key here is to always try something new and always challenge yourself . Take John here. In his forties, runs his own company, dad,husband, and he kinda looks like the "Brawney Man". John needed some new ideas for working out outside the regular push/pull/squat routine, so I had him encorporate this with some good ole fashion high knee hurdles. You gotta love it. Not only did he do this several times but we mixed up variations of the exercises to keep his mind and body guessing. At the end of the workout John's heartrate was elevated which gave him the ability to burn more calories post workout. That's key here. Keep your body burning calories. The other key is to not consume bad calories afterwards. I am hoping John didn't make a trip to Burger King when this was done. Keep you're body hydrated. Seventy degrees in Texas during the winter can still be miserable if you don't have enough fluids in your system.

Sports Films

2012-01-04T17:54:00.000-08:00

I love a good sports movie. There have been some amazing ones over the years. I think what makes a good sports movie is one in which you care about the characters. Lets see....... Rocky is an amazing sports movie , but when it comes down to it, it's a love story between Rocky and Andrian. In the end it doesn't matter if Rocky wins, you want Adrian to fall in love with him. That theme surrounds all the sequels. For all the boxing, Rocky is a love story. One of my other favorites is Hoosiers. I can't imagine living in Indiana or making high school basketball interesting, but from start to finish you care about the characters. Hoosiers is a movie about ,well.....transition...moving on.....overcoming the past. A coming of age film if you will. I challenge you to not love this film. The Program is a football film about ...........testosterone. It's a film for all of us who never played football in college but wishes we could have hung out with the team. You guys all wanted to be Joe Kane or Lattimer.
With all that said I hate mixed martial arts films. They are horrible. For the record if Kimbo Slice is in the film ....it sucks. Just sayin. The movie Warrior is amazing. Yes it is surrounded by the world of MMA, but man it's about family. Two brothers fighting in a tournament for two different reasons, but both trying to shake the shadows of the past. It's amazing. I almost cried..........but hell no I didn't. Instead I did 70 pushups and shadowboxed afterwards. Just like when I watched Rocky. Do yourself a favor ......watch it.

The Couple that works out together...stays together

2011-09-21T20:31:00.000-07:00

You know, I've been training people for the past 15 years and the thing I've realized is that when it comes to couples and exercise, the couples that share fitness as a passion and/or workout together tend to be the happiest. Why is this? Well for starters you're both taking an interest in each others health. The other big thing is that watching or just knowing that your spouse is working out is well.....attractive...dare I say sexy. I'm a very solitary person by nature, but I love working out with Nicole. Now does she want to be a Thai boxer. Hell no! Does she want to do a cage fight? Definitely not. She's a trained ballet dancer. I just love it. Our strengths are different. Our goals are different. But, she is very fit. Very balanced and very strong( and not just strong for a girl). What I find attractive about all this is that we share a passion for keeping our bodies healthy. Once a week she does ballet classes by herself, and I roll and or spar with people several times a week. What I look forward to , is our workouts together. When we took a vacation together this past summer we worked out everyday. I never thought I'd say this , but my girlfriend is my favorite workout partner.

As I've looked around this past week I've watched couple come in to the gym together. Some share a trainer, some have different trainers. Some just workout on their own. It has become so apparent to me that the couples that seem the happiest both workout . Date nights are great, but what about scheduling some workout time together. Release some of those endorphins. Get rid of some of that stress. Nicole and I are running a half marathon this year. I hate running. I've already run a half marathon. It's horrible. The thought of running it with Nicole makes it not just bearable....but an adventure. I know .....I've gotten sappy. ......Wait I'm still tough. I'm a hard ass....who am I trying to kid? I'm whipped. In the meantime try this:

squat and press 5 reps(10lb weights)

scissor jumps 5 reps (10lb weights)

front should raise 5 reps(10lb weights)

push ups 5 reps

mountain climbers 5 reps

v-ups 5 reps

do this circuit 4 times through. no break. increase by 5 reps each time through.....good luck!

But I have a Certification!

2011-08-18T06:23:00.000-07:00

Certifications are like flies these days. There allways seems to be one flying around. It amazes me how many people think that a certification makes you an expert on something. So think about this. Most certifications cost us about 100-300 dollars and we sit in a class for 2-3 days at most. DOes this make you and expert? Hell No! I've seen women who never had children explain they are experts in pre and post natal fitness because they have a certification. I 've seen a spin instructor that has never competed in a race say he is a certified competition instructor. I've seen people that have never lifted a weight say they have a dumbell certification. Insane. So what should you look for instead of a certification?.......hmmm.........How about experience. You can train a woman pre and post natal? Have you had a baby? How many women have you trained through pregnancy? Dumbell certification? Can you properly lift a 30lb dumbell above your head? Kettlebells? Is this all you do? DO you think you're a physical therapist or have you been to school and have a liscence to practice? I see this every day. It's a pet peve of mine in the fitness industry. We certify everything . Unfortunately experience is the key here. Most of us who have been training at least 10 years don't need a certification to teach us how to use a kettlebell or TRX.
A "good" personal trainer will have experience in not only training themselves(you'd be surprised how many don't) but also training different groups of people from all walks of society. I watched one of our"kettlebell" instructors have a 58 year old man with a history of back and knee injuries start swinging a 20 pound kettlebell. Seriously?!?! But she had a certification. Unfortunately she lacked a certification in common sense.
Fitness isn't rocket science. I will say this. Look for experience more than anything. On a side note , if you're under the age of 30 ,you're not an expert on anything. Just sayin.

The Cross Fit phase

2011-08-13T07:15:00.000-07:00

So several people have asked me why I am not the biggest fan of Crossfit. Well, here it goes. Cross Fit much like Taebo and Kravmaga have made a name for themselves based on a "hollywood" push. Off of that they manufactured their own facility and then put out their own certification process. So what's wrong with that? Capitalism at it's best right? First some "real" history on Crossfit. Crossfit is the loose translation of the Russian based gym. It was started by former Russian power lifters and gymnasts to give their off season athletes a facility in which they could maintain their bodies strength while not competing. It worked. They key word here is off season. Like anything else The originators off crossfit realized that they would have to periodically give their athletes different workouts to maintain their flexibility and keep their bodies from getting injured. Sound familiar? At the time Hammer strength and Nautilus were making these new state of the art machines, crossfit didn't have the money to manufacture let alone buy anything. So they got ropes, sandbags,used tires,kettlebells,bars,benches and pull up bars. They incorporated a great deal of power lifting moves into their movements in conjunction with kettlebell movements to build dynamic and explosive strength. Nothing new, just on a much smaller scale. The first crossfit in the US was introduced in Seatle(not California) .They started with firemen, a small group of local powerlifters, and a military presence as it's main focus. One of it's early patrons was a man named Jim Jones. Jim jones(founder of Gym Jones) was tasked with getting the actors in 300 into shape for the movie. While using several of the Crossfit exercises , Jim also encorporated sprinting and stretching to keep the actors from getting injured. When the movie 300 came out Jim Jones took credit for the actors and Crossfit took credit for Jim Jones. Interestingly enough Jim Jones is in no way affiliated with Crossfit nor does he support Crossfit. Why? Who knows.
So here is where Crossfit exploded . Off of the movie 300 Crossfit packaged their name, franchised it, and created a certification process. What exactly are they packaging? Kettlebells? They've been around for 100's of years. Bench pressing? Box jumps? Plyometrics?Ropes? Tires? Sledgehammers?Did anyone see the first Rocky? Oooh maybe it's the whole "circuit" aspect of it? Well years ago circuit training was the wave of the future. Except they were done with machines. Going from machine to machine for several reps or time until the entire body was worked. These "circuit " classes were deemed too easy for the serious gym patrons and soon they faded away. In reality it's all the same thing. A press is a press. A jump is a jump, and a swing is a swing. Full body workouts were not invented by Crossfit.
So, save yourself the money. Buy a kettlebell from Target and do some jumps, pushups and pullups for free. Most gyms these days have kettlebells , plyoboxes,pullup bars, and bench presses.
Be wary of any fitness craze that suggest "this is the only way" to workout.

The Other Side

2011-08-08T18:33:00.000-07:00

I remember the day I got the news I had been diagnosed with Cancer. It was surreal. I got in my car and sat for a minute or two. Why me? Was this karma for all the things I'd done wrong in my life? I felt very alone. I took a deep breath and drove home. I made a list of all the things I needed to do. I started writing a journal for Tommy. This was my "just in case I die" journal. Nearly 9 months later I sat in front of my oncologist again as she gave me the news that the cancer in my body had metastasized to my stomach and intestines. I had now been upgraded to stage 3. This time was a little different. I had recently broken up with my fiance and had discovered that much of our relationship was an illusion. I was at an emotional crossroads of sorts. My body was being torn apart and my personal life was a wreck. I felt so much guilt. As the years have passed I've realized how much I want a family. I was orphaned as a baby and later adopted. My childhood was abusive to say the least so I've always longed to have a family that I knew would never leave me and I in turn would never leave. My divorce from Tommy's mom left a large hole. As I sat there being told about the spread of the cancer in my body and the chemo treatments that were to come , I had this horrible thought. I was going to die and in turn abandon my son the way I was abandoned. While I put on a brave face, I slowly slipped into a depression. I was angered and hurt over the loss of my relationship. I had been lied to and led down a path that was very one sided. As I settled in to my once a month chemo treatments I came to an inner peace. I was going to fight as hard as I could. I was going to workout as hard as I could and strengthen my body as much as possible in spite of what the chemo was doing. I pushed every day. Probably a little harder than I should have. More than once I've been found by the side of the road struggling to get back to the gym after a poorly planned out run. I gained a great deal of clarity during the workouts. I closed the door on part of my life and opened my heart to what I felt was my true purpose all along. Beating cancer and being the best father I could. Strangely enough , something very funny happened. Time and Life threw me a line. I had lunch with a close friend who made a very insightful observation. "Tom, Have you ever considered dating a single mom? A single mom will get you. A single mom will appreciate the time you spend with your son. A single mom will view your willingness to provide for you ex wife as a positive. A single mom will look at you with maturity." Two days later I met Nicole. We had both spent enough time in nonproductive relationships and were certain of what "we didn't want" in lour lives. She had 2 beautiful children. I've heard the Phrase"I just knew" before and to be quite honest, I've never bought it. Silliness I thought. But, as I sat across from Nicole I just knew. It's an earth moving feeling. I felt as though I had just been punched in the gut. At the same time I felt as though I had just been given a huge breath of air. It was almost as though the world got a great deal brighter.
So here I am on the other side of a very tough year. I'm stronger. I'm so much happier. So much more full of life. I'm invigorated. I'm inspired. I'm more than a little .....energized. So here's a thought. If you could join a the best fitness facility in your town for the bargain price of 1000.00 a month would you do it? Probably not right. What if you got 50.00 off your monthly dues every time you came in. So if you came in 20 times in a month your membership was free. Now ....would you do it? Just a thought. Stay strong. Stay fit. Burn more calories than you take in. Crossfit is just a fad(don't buy into it), Yes pilates works, don't go to yoga class...stretch at home for free, group fitness is the wave of the future, of course Clemens did steroids, The NFL team owners make so much more money than the players, MMA fighters are the best physically conditioned athletes in the world, fat free doesn't mean calorie free, conceive believe and achieve, and .......don't just survive...thrive.

2011-02-01T03:11:00.000-08:00

It is so interesting to me how much kids can pick up. This passed year has been challenging year at best. I've been told I have cancer. I've been told I have diabetes. I have been told that a friend of mine has passed away after enduring a bout of throat cancer. While I consider myself very emotional person, I tried to face all of these with little emotion. If I admitted it to myself I was somehow losing the fight.
Well last week my son was having problems with his spelling words. He was getting a frustrated and he was so worried about not doing well. "I'm just never going to get this right." he said. All at once my childhood flashed before my eyes. I hated school growing up. Not because of the kids, because of the pressure my parents put on me. Lets put it this way, I didn't get a ton of "positive support". So faced with my little man at age 37 I took a whole different approach. "believe in yourself." "Be positive." "This is just a spelling test. I know you can do it." I kept repeating these words and he mentally came around.
So yesterday sitting at home, I was thinking about the challenges of the upcomming year. The list of goals that I wanted to accomplish and all at once it seemed an unattainable . I started feeling defeated. I want to add an extra bootcamp, write a book, film a video, take a few trips, and I want to fight one more time. I had these things written down as I was sitting on the couch planning my strategy. Tommy cam over sat doiwn next to me and asked me what was wrong. I told him I just had "too many things to do". I didn't know if I could do them all. "believe in yourself dad. Be positive." Wow. I'm not gonna lie , I cried a little bit.
It was the kick in the shorts I needed. I tell people all day to focus on the horizon not the miles of ocean they have to cross to get to it. I'm starting a new chapter in my life these days. I am living much healthier. So here is my tip . Feed your soul positivity. Get rid of anything negative. At the same time feed your body clean niutrition. It will work wonders for you. Every moring I have the following shake. I cut pieces of brocolli,bell peppers,sweet potato,squash,blue berries, and carrots, freeze them and than blend them with carrot juice and whey protein. Not bad. Ok , it is not a vanilla milk shake but I know my body is using everything in there. Give it a shot. Trust me.

2010-11-11T17:48:00.000-08:00

Well, it has been a while since I posted a blog. So here it goes. In the months that have passed I have ........found out that I had stage 1 colon cancer, found out that I was diabetic, started a cancer cleanse diet, had a minor surgery, gone back to the doctor and found out my protein levels are still elevated, told that I have swelling in my brain, reduced the swelling, scheduled an exploritive surgery to look for stomach cancer, and had a good friend pass away from throat cancer, .........but hey I'm still kicking.

So what has all this taught me? Life is short. Life is what you make of it. Love the ones your with. Appreciate and cherish what you have , don't keep complaining about what you don't have.

We are heading into the holliday season. As we all know this means one important thing................presents!!!!! No, actually I was thinking of moderation. Have one less glass of wine, one less piece of pie, and one less scoop of stuffing. And try and do something active that involves the family.....The Turkey Trot for example. Maybe a pick up game of "touch" football. Two years ago while spending the hollidays with Jenns family , we all went in the front yard and played football. We were all dressed with our church clothes still on. Jenn looked amazing in a skirt, I must say.Anyway a thought did come to me as I was being clotheslined by my beautifull ,skirt wearing fiance on the way to the goal line, "I'm sure glad I'm in shape". It makes doing things like this a great deal more fun.

So as you workout and deny yourself that one extra piece of pie, don't think about fitting into your clothes, think about how much more fun it will make your life. It simply gives you more options. We can all sit on the couch with the best of them right? However, only the very few can go out and run a 5k. Why is that? It's time to set the bar higher. Expect more from you body. Put in the work , indulge in moderation, and you will see and feel the difference.

As for me ....cancer sucks. It realy pisses me off. So I'm going to practice my zig zag running so my lunatic fiance doesn't clothesline me in two weeks. I'm also going to watch my diet, workout hard, hug and kiss my son a little more (he hates it), and push to thrive in this world not just survive. I love you guys. We are running the Toys R Us hill tomorrow... BRING IT!!!!!!

2010-04-22T20:22:00.000-07:00

I remember the first time I got put through a circuit workout. I was at Maurice Smiths kickboxing gym back in 1998. I had worked myself up to a level that I was allowed to train with the other high level pro fighters. I had lifted weights and regularly ran 2-3 miles a day, so I felt I was ready for the workouts. Well, after about 10 minutes I was staring at the bottom of a trash can while I puked my guts out.While not everyone realy wants,or needs to train like this I found myself in the following years tweaking my normally stale workouts by adding high level cardio routines to weight routines and vice versa.

Two years ago while I was at Extreme Couture in vegas, Tyson Griffin(UFC fighter) asked me if I wanted to do cardio with him. I stupidly said sure. "go grab a pair of 20's." he said "and meet me by the treadmills". What the hell had I gotten myself into?

"Set your treadmill to a 7 incline and 7.0 speed" Seriously!? "a minute and a half on the treadmill and then jump off and grab the dumbells and do a minute and a half of shoulder press,curls,upright rows,squat thrusts,squat and press, and reverse flies. 18 minutes total. You up?" Unbelievably I said yes. What followed is kind of hazy.

I've used this workout since to torture myself as well as my clients. I've also tweaked the concept a little. Adam is always up for silly stuff like this. So think about this:

10 high knees

10 pullups

10 high knees

10 staggered pushups

10 high knees

10 curls

10 high knees

10 scissor jumps

10 high knees

10 mountain climbers

Seriously!? Oh hell yeah

2010-04-14T13:59:00.000-07:00

"So what is the best exercise for......legs? "Squats. "What about chest? "Pushups. "What about biceps? "Curls." Triceps? "Dips." And back?" Pullups.

" But I can't do pullups. "I don't know what to tell you.

And so goes the conversation I have at least once a month. We are all looking for that perfect exercise. The one that stands above all the others. The one that we can point to and use as a benchmark for our strength. It still amazes me how many people can't do a pullup. I love pullups. It's one of those exercises you can't fake or cheat. You either go up or you don't. Simple. When I joined the Navy, I had this dream of being a Navy Seal. Seriously, don't laugh. When I enlisted I weighed 201 lbs. I could barely run a half mile let alone do the 8 required pullups. Pullups became my mission in life. I would learn how to do pullups. Books would be written about my pullup abilities. People would travel from miles around to watch me do pullups. Ok maybe I've gotten ahead of myself.

So now at the age of 36 , nearly13 years after the Navy, I teach people how to do pullups.(amongst other things)

It was ironic that a young man came in to see me a few months ago with the same dreams I had at his age. Wade wanted to become a Navy Seal. "You don't say." I told him. Wade is a clean-cut nicely manicured young man, who looked more like a boy scout than a Special Warfare operative. He was.......too nice. So in my typical "Evil Tom" fashion I decided to see what this kid could do. Well, I must say, Wade has become a beast. I still think he is too nice, but he can probably do about 30 pullups nonstop.

So I gave him this drill.

1 regular pullup, transition to a close grip pullup, and then transition to a chin up. Three times through no break. It's miserable. Give it a shot.

I love Misery

2010-03-25T16:27:00.000-07:00

I started Martial Arts when I was 5 years old. Ever since then I've been a closet martial arts geek. My fiance will tell there is no closet. I am a full out in the open martial arts geek. I started with Kenpo Karate, then went to Tae Kwon Do. When I first heard of the UFC in 1995 I put in an application. God was watching and I didn't get in. Something about not being big enough.Go figure.

I entered my first pro bare knuckle karate tournament in 1996. I then had my first Thai Boxing match in Canada in 1997. Ever since then I have been either competing or teaching MMA or Thai Kickboxing. They truly are two of the most exhausting sports you can compete in. A few years ago Lance Armstrong was working out at our gym. He joking looked at me after one of my sparring sessions and asked"When can I get you on a bike?" I smiled and said "the day I get you on the mat." I've had triathletes almost pass out after being on the mat for 2 minutes. At the same time, I don't even want to think about sitting on a bike for more than 30 minutes. To each his own I guess

I love training. As much as I love teaching, it's fun to mix it up with people who are a great deal better than you. Nick Gonzales, my sparring partner and good friend of 7 years(not to mention Renegades and XFC champion) has always been there when I need to get my butt kicked. If I can make it through a full round without getting tapped , I'm doin well. Here I made it out with maybe 1 second to spare.

2010-03-15T07:14:00.000-07:00

I remember when I first started training, one of the questions I always encountered from women was "if I lift weights will I get big? I dont want to get big." My response was always then and is now.

To put on mass you have to eat a certain way and lift a certain way. Weights by themselves wont put on mass.

That being said I have noticed the new craze which is Crossfit. I have always said that Crossfit is a gym not a style of working out. They advocate circuit training which has been around for years. Kettlebells, powerlifting, plyometrics, and bodyweight exercises have been around forever. Nothing new here.

So this weekend I was at "The Crossfit Games" in Austin. I'm a people watcher by habit, so I sat and watched. I noticed a few things. First off the womens division was huge. And I mean in size. These girls looked like powerlifters. And no wonder, they were performing powerlifting movements. Now the workout in itself was impressive. thrusters, single arm kettlebell cleans,double under jump ropes,kettlebell swings, and powerlifting clean and press. Impressive. However, not a ton of variety.I know the day before encorporated concept 2 rowers, hand standpushups, pullups etc.

Crossfit advocates pushing maximal weight, for max reps, for time limits. I agree that this can get you much stronger, and faster. However, is this the only way? Hmmmmm. The answer is no. In fact, is kind of a restrictive way at best. What I have noticed is that the workouts that Crossfit advocate can be hard on those with prior injuries, older, and women. I havent seen any pregnant crossfitters yet. I havent seen any 60 year old crossfitters yet. Are they out there? Im sure they are. However as an experienced, educated personal trainer. I would never, ever advise a pregnant, former injured, older than 45 or younger than 15 client to perform powercleans, handstandpushups, or thrusters to get more fit. That's just me.

So in closing be carefull what you choose to follow. It's not the only option. Just a popular one right now. Kind of like Tae Bo.

2010-02-18T15:19:00.000-08:00

I always get asked What is better; cardio or weights? Well, why can't you have both. One can support the other. We have a ton of runners and cyclist at our gym and I always see them do exercises that don't support in intensity or rhythm their chosen sport. I'll watch a marathon runner do some machines and think "How does that support running?" Sure it is overall fitness, but having your movements mimic the intensity with which you pedal or run I believe can help you improve your run time and ability to finish stronger.

Open your minds. Think about this. If you were a powerlifter and you had a big meet comming up, would you do a step aerobic class? Probably not. So why would you do a bench press and lat pull down in preparation for a marathon?hmmmmmmmmmmmm

So mix it up a little. You can lift weights and do cardio based exercises to get the results you want. In fact, follow a cardio based exercise with a pure weight bearing exercise. Here I have Larry doing a cardio based exercise followed by pullups. ....4 times through. No break. I know. I suck.

BALANCE CORE EXPLOSION

2009-12-30T16:05:00.000-08:00

I've told this story a million times, when I first started working out I literally tore Dorian Yates(former Mr. Olympia) workout out of FLEX magazine and went to the gym. I'm not being modest when I say that I was pretty horrible. Boy workouts have changed since then. Hell, gyms have changed since then. When I was 18 ,gyms were essentially "meat markets" .Chalk, big leather weight belts, spandex, and Otomix were the norm. Now gyms are "fitness centers". All kinds of people come in. The rich ,the poor,the super fit, the not so fit, the beautiful, and the not so beautiful all workout side by side.

I'm always in search of new ways to make people miserable. It helps when you have clients willing to do it. Take Adam here. There is no better way to feel bad about yourself than to stand next to Adam. No body fat, can compete in a triathlon, can add muscle just by saying"add muscle", and can do just about anything I throw at him. Oh and by the way a beautiful wife and two amazing children. Life just isn't fair.

Anyway, after I miserable workout I had Adam perform 6 of these pikes on the swiss ball combined with a plyometric clapping depth push up. Sick!

I love core exercises and I believe more people could benifit by adding core strength into their workouts. What I have been doing lately is taking plyometric movements and combining them with stability and core work. While this might be a tad advanced(that's right I said "tad") this exercise can give you some insight as to what you may be able to accomplish. Good luck!

WHAT A GREAT YEAR

2009-12-24T06:06:00.000-08:00

I love a good story! I'm a sucker for romance. I cry these days over just about anything. Sometimes the very best stories are right in fromt of us. They don't need to have movie stars or big budgets. Just the people we know.
I wrote about Patti a few months back. In October of 2008 she found out that she had cancer. 2009 was to include 6 chemotherapy sessions, and 3 very invasive surgeries. In October of this year Patti and many of her friends and family ran/walked the Race for the Cure in Austin. It was amazing to see so many shirts that said "survivor" on them. What moved me the most were the shirts that said "in memory of". As I said before, I lost my Aunt to cancer . I think about her everyday. She was my inspiration to make fitness my career when others told me I was stupid. Everyday I go to work, I walk in with her in my heart.
Patti and her family have had a remarkable year. As I write Patti is at home recuperating from her final surgery. I'm so proud of the lessons that everyone has taught me this year. I may teach people how to get in physical shape , but in many instances my clients show me how I want to live.
I'm fortunate to have all these amazing people around me. So for Patti, Michael,Kathy, Brent,Jean,Anne Marie,Maureen,Ted, Chela,Norman,Geoffrey,Tim, Mark,Kendra,Michael, Susie,Hayden,Shallon,Sharon,Tim,Bridge,Alex,Annie Tate,Wendy,Heather,Kevin,Kathy, Charles,Angela,Pierre,Margaret,Mary,Big Dan,Matt,Brent, Nancy,Carrie,Rose,TJ,Becky(and baby),Teresa,Owen,Scott,Meg,Lee,Bob and Chere' Thankyou for opening your hearts and lives to me. I love you guys and hope you all have a wonderful Holliday. Be safe. And don't over indulge too much.

2009-12-24T05:54:00.000-08:00

I got introduced to the swiss ball about 12 years ago. At first the swiss(stability) ball was used primarily for abdominals. The swiss ball has morphed into one of the best pieces of fitness equipment. You can do just about any exercise on the ball as well as a few new ones. One of the first things I tell my new soon to be moms is to get a swiss ball. At the very least, sitting on one will help your back. The swiss ball ranges in size from small to extra large. The following exercises are designed to engage your shoulders, chest and abs. Remember to try to keep your back flat(tuck your naval to your spine), and get your balance before you "slowly' start your exercises.

2009-12-17T03:24:00.000-08:00

I was sitting down reading a womens health magazine while i was waiting for a client the other day and happened to overhear one of our trainers talking with one of their clients. I often people watch and listen to conversations. What i heard was a common question amongst clients. "How do I get rid of this?"(pointing to the tummy). What sparked my curiosity was two things. First this person did not need to lose "this" She was in phenominal shape. In her 40's and working full time, she had a physique most would aspire to have. Not too skinny, and deffinately not fat. She had great muscle tone. Regardless of all this she had it in her head that she needed to lose 10 to 15 pounds. Insane! But, this a common problem that reflects our(womens) morbid obsession with weight loss.

The second thing that caught my ear was the trainers response. I overheard a plethora of muscle groups named. The transverse abdominus, the rectus abdominus, the serratus. Pushing fat to the front with muuscle gain. Only this exercise can help spot reduce. WOW! What impressed me the most was not this verbal regurgitation of muscles , but the fact that the client bought it. Hook, line and sinker.

For the record there are NO exercise that spot reduce. Fat can be taken off your body one of two ways. Either control what you consume(your diet) so you don't overstuff yourself. Or increase the intensity of how you burn your calories. So hear are my suggestions:

5 small meals a day

10 glasses of water a day

Cardio 3 to 4 days a week(no more than 20-30 min)

resistance training 3 days a week

One complete day off

ANd do th circuit above

2009-12-10T14:22:00.000-08:00

So lets talk about...Sugar. A trainers #1 enemy when it comes to helping people loose weight.Sugar is almost impossible to hide from. So what is sugar? Any carbohydrate that is not fiber is sugar.

The word "sugar" is like a double edged sword. On one hand sugar, in it's natural state, is arguably the most important food for all humans, because that's the only thing that the body burns for energy(glucose) . So important is glucose to the body that even if not supplied with sufficient ammounts of carbohydrates(which are transformed into glucose), the body has a built in mechanism to use fat reserves and turn them into glucose, and can actually, if need be ,turn protein to glucose. On the other hand elevated sugar levels mean elevated insulin levels. When insulin levels are elevated the body won't burn fat. In many cases it will store fat.

So the key is to consume enough carbs that the body can perform work but not so much that the body stores fat. It is a fine line to walk.

One thing to keep in mind is that during an intense interval workout, the body will burn a certain ammount of calories during the workout as well as significant ammount of calories post workout. Now one thing I have always said is that weight training can be aerobic and anaerobic all at the same time. Example: jumping jax with 8lb dumbells.

Included in this video is in my personal opinion one of the most complete weighted movements availabale. Holding a weighted olympic bar at waist level, perform a squat thrust with a pushup at the bottom. Once you tuck your knees up to your chest perform a powerclean in one swift movement, pause ,and than press the bar above your head. Perform 10 of these exercises in a row. Take a 30 sec. break and continue for 4 more sets. you will find that this movement works all your muscles and also elevates your heartrate.

2009-12-08T16:37:00.000-08:00

So how many different ways can you do a pushup? Well there are several. The pushup has been around forever. I did my first one when I was 6 in P.E. class and I'm actually doing 100 of them right now. Blindfolded. with one arm tied behind my back. Seriously, with the many variations of pushups you can literally work almost every muscle in your body. so here is a sample of me "yes me" doing several pushups in sequence. Try doing 10 of each of these back to back with no break. It stinks, but I promise you'll feel miserable.....in a good way.

In your quest for the ultimate workout, wait that's my quest, don't forget that so many exercises can be done with out any fancy equipment. Just you and some floor space. Every week I am going to bring you variations of bodyweight exercises that you can do in your home. At the same time I'll discuss some current questions that get thrown at me.

2009-12-07T02:53:00.000-08:00

ok, so it has been a while since I posted. But now I am recharged and undistracted. We find ourselves in the holliday season which has so many of us playing catchup when January 15th rolls around a we realize that maybe we shouldn't have indulged as much as we have. Two things to keep in mind:

Moderation

It's all about doing things in moderation. There is no rule that says you have to drink all the red wine. Just nurse a glass for a while. And once you've had a plate of food, think to yourself "seconds...realy?" Enjoy the food, just don't eat "all" the food. Make sure you leave time in your schedule the following day to do a workout.

It is the Hollidays

Don't be that one person at the party who says "I'll just have salad" Don't leave an event early or worse yet not go at all because all they are serving is corndogs and ice cream.I know, horrible combination. Plan ahead. Eat early and enjoy your friends and family. Don't try to make people who do eat feel guilty. And if you are a man with a brain don't look at your girlfriend,fiance,wife and say "are you realy going to eat that?"

Look forward to the next days workout. Speaking of which, I am always in search of fast efficient, challenging workouts.

Try this for your legs:

10squats

10left leg lungs

10 right leg lungs

10 in and out jumps

10 scissor jumps

10 tuck jumps

Back to back no break! Give it a shot. It is far and away one of the most miserable things I have ever done or had someone do.

2009-09-30T13:17:00.000-07:00

Let's talk about what's really important........Fashion? As the fitness industry has changed over the years, so to has the fashion industry that caters to it. No more sweat pants and hanes t-shirts to work out in. The fitness industry now has several options to workout in. Nike doesn't make just shoes anymore. Armani has a line of fitness clothes. So what is the best? Well what ever you feel comfortable in for starters.Here's my 2 cents worth:

Nike: much like polo the Nike brand never goes out of style. Often copied, never replicated. Nike provides different styles for men and women. I love their shoes. Nike is no longer just running shoes. With the explosion of Michael Jordan several years ago Nike has marketed itself to all sports. running,tennis,football,baseball,basketball,golf,swimming,soccer,cycling, and jsut about everything else. I like Nike clothing. Sometimes it doesn't last so long. My fiance tells me they make the best jog bras.

Stella McCartney: Well..............it's expensive. Sometimes clothing designers overcomplicate things. It's workout clothes afterall. Who really needs all those zippers and pleats? I'm told their workout bags are amazing but the clothes never fit quite right.

Puma: I actually think Puma has some real stylish stuff. Their clothes are made a little more for fashion then they are for working out. Puma has made some good shoes. Bold colors and very sleek lines.Very affordable.

UnderArmor: I love the UnderArmor story. Started by a bunch of young guys out of the back of their car. They made spandex look tough. They are geared a little more for men but I have been seeing some Under Armor clothes for women out there. UA makes their clothing for practicality. If it's usefull they include it. One drawback. They will start retain that"sweat smell" after a while.Also if you don't like spandex, UA has made sure to include some nice dry fit loose fitting options.

LULU Lemon:I gotta say I wasn't a big fan of this stuff in the beginning. LULU Lemon was more geared towards yoga. On top of that they were expensive. One visit to the LULU Lemon store changed all of that. Aside from kickboxing and MMA shorts and shirts, LULU Lemon is the only , I repeat only fitness clothing I wear. I love it. It fits perfectly. It's made out of all natural fibers. And I swear it will never stink. Their clothing is built for,style,comfort,and support. Yes they still make yoga clothes. They also make so much more. I literally physically walk my clients over to LULU Lemon to get clothes sometimes. I have never had a disappointed client. Even the frugal men have to admit the clothes are the best.

Now back to that whole fitness thing I do. No gym no problem. Karen is demoing a leg routine that anyone can do in their home. Starting tomorrow You'll actually see some posts of me getting tortured. And yes I'll be wearing LuLu Lemon shorts.

A CHALLENGE FOR EVERYONE

2009-09-18T20:08:00.000-07:00

I love a good challenge. In my quest for the ultimate burn I came across an idea based on MMA(mixed martial arts) conditioning. An MMA fight usually last 3 or 5 rounds of five minutes per round. Take that time frame and there lies your workout. 5 minutes.

Take 5 different exercises and perform them for 1 minute each at full intensity with no break. 5 minutes that's all.

Now lets expand on that concept. First 5 minute round; Nothing but push movments. Five different push exercises performed for 1 minute each. No break.

Meg performs each exercise here for 30 seconds. No break. I'm telling you she is a badass. She makes us all look bad.

Round 1

decline spiderman pushups
depth plyometric pushups
side to side(stiff arm)
dips
alternating shoulder press

Two minutes after I filmed this Meg did all exercises for 1 minute each and then washed it all down with a 5 mile run. Completely insane!

2009-09-18T19:48:00.000-07:00

Many years ago there was a movie called "Perfect" that came out. It starred John Travolta as a Rollingstone reporter doing a story on dating in and around the then gym industry. Jamie Lee Curtis starred as an aerobics instructor. Word is they tried in vain to get Olivia Newton John to do it(she had just released the song "physical") but she turned it down. The point of my little reflection is that the concept behind "aerobics classes" has changed so much in the past 20-30 years. At the very least leg warmers are out! So to is the unitard. Thank God.

These days you aren't limited to a few choriographed moves on the step to get a good workout. At the same time using the step can be benificial to anyone. Could you imagine 25 years ago if Arnold was usuing a step to get his legs in shape. Blasphemy! Only weights can get your legs in shape. Untrue. Very untrue.

I love the step. I make all of my clients men and women alike use it to some degree. You can buy an aerobic step at any walmart,target, or Academy these days. I highly suggest getting one if you have ahome gym.

Karen is shown doing a plyometric leg circuit here. try doing 1 minute of each exercise she does in succession without any break. Miserable!

How fast is too fast?

2009-09-10T15:00:00.000-07:00

About 15 years ago I started seeing a ton of people wearing heartrate monitors while exercising. You can pretty much buy them anywhere these days. I actually saw one at Randalls in their health isle. What I get asked a great deal is "what should my hearrate be when I'm exercising?" Two questions you need to ask yourself.

What's your resting heartrate?

What's is your fitness level?

If you get winded walking up a flight of stairs I would suggest seeing a doctor before you start plugging in numbers to a heart rate training program. If you are a competitive athlete your numbers will be slightly different.

So lets take someone who is 36 and in good physical conditioning.(LIKE ME!!!)

Max Heart rate: This is the maximal ammount of times your heart can beat in one minute. There are a few factors to this (age,gender,fitness level). The rule of thumb for this 220-age for those who are fit you can try 205-1/2age. With both of these formulas in mind a MHR for a fit 36 year old can be 220-36=184 or 205-18=187

With that number in mind you can set your training into 1 of 4 training zones.

Very Light or Daily activity zone: 50-60% of MHR This is a great zone for beginners,people recovery sessions, or someone comming off a layoff. This zone should be easy and shouldn't leave you out of breath

Exercise for Health zone:60-70%of MHR This is typically called the "fitness zone" This zone will help strengthen your heart. It will also increase the sum total of small blood vessels in your extremities. It increases metabolism by increasing the enzymes in your muscles.

Aerobic Or Exercise for Fitness Training zone: 70-85% of MHR. This is the zone that is commonly referred to as the Target Heartrate Training zone(THR). This zone improves overall endurance as well as raising the speed your body can exercise at without building lactate.

Improved -Performance Training Zone:85-100% of MHR. At this point you are training at a level that is between you're aerobic and anaerobic zone.A very fit person will be training at or near their anaerobic threshhold. This is the zone used for sprints,hill training,breakaways,and time trialing. This style of training will increase your muscles tolerance to very large ammounts of lactic acid.

Think about these 4 zones and where you want your specific training to be. When all else fails try doing pushups for a minute........or run a hill.

2009-09-03T04:41:00.000-07:00

Variety! If you are as old as me you remember the old step classes where about 30 people in unison did the same workout. It was a well thought out program that looked amazingly choreographed. These days the concept behind group fitness has changed a little. sure you can still do that same kind of class where everyone is doing the same thing or you can try a class where you use several different stations to mix it up. Much like a circuit. Circuit classes started off as weight machine classes where clients went from machine to machine in order to get a full body workout. Now, these classes resemble obstacle courses. In Austin Fitness Extreme I take that circuit concept and blow it up a little. If you look at this picture you can see the varying exercises that half of the class is doing.

What Else Can You Do?

2009-09-01T20:27:00.000-07:00

You've got to be kidding me! Seriously? Where the hell did you come up with that? That's just twisted. I hate you. These are all the remarks I get from people I tell to do the seemingly impossible. Mind over matter. You're only as tough as your last workout. Ok that is silly. The truth is some hurdles are meant to be jumped over. We all have that hurdle that we hesitate 1 extra second longer than we should. Ok maybe this is a metaphor for lfe.

When I first met Lee he was as gym member. He worked out regularly but nothing special. You know, push ,pull,squat,crunch. he always wore these horrible wife beater tank tops. One day I grabbed him and few other guys and said "lets try something new."

Lee is a bonifide maniac now. He is doing things that I find difficult. He has watched his diet, become inventive with his workouts, and just blazed past me in cardio conditioning.

What's his motivation? Maybe to make me look bad. Whatever it is , it's working for him. On this day I caught Lee after he had done an hour workout and asked him to try this simple task. It goes to show that with a willing mind and capable body...........Tom can convince you to try anything.

Try this at home

5 squat thrust with 12lb weights

10 squat thrusts with 10 lb weights

20 squat thrusts with 5 lb weights

No Gym No Problem

2009-08-30T15:39:00.000-07:00

I have been personal training for almost 13 years now and one of the things that has become very clear to me is although my work revolves around the gym, most of my clients don't. Many often travel out of town on work related business. It always seems to happen as we are making headway. A little discouraging? Sure. However even the busiest of schedules can accomidate a workout from time to time. Now I don't expect my clients to travel with a kettlebell in their suitcase.(amazingly some actually do) Nor do I expect them to call me in hopes of motivation.(yes some do) What I would like everyone to do is what I like to refer to as a "Fitness Daily 1" . No gym in your hotel? It's snowing outside so you can't run? I don't understand the hotel gym machines? I have heard it all. What it all boils down to is.........................I'd rather do something else. I'm with you on that. So my "Fitness Daily 1" programs are designed for people that don't haver much time (10 min tops) when they are traveling. It doesn't take long at all. Take a series of exercises that you can perform with no weight. Just you and the floor. For the most part if you ever see a "boot camp" that has millitary calisthenics , these are the exercise they are alluding to. I was in the Navy and can tell you that at no time did we ever get physical training with any type of machine. It was just our bodies and some space(and not always much of that). It's very doable.

Take the exercises that Karen is doing. Very simple. For this demonstration Karen is doing 10 reps of each exercises. Take that numer and increase it to 20. Do these exercises 3 times through. That should take about 6 min(maybe longer). Remember "It's your only body. Take care of it." I know, kinda Cheesy.

2009-08-24T02:54:00.000-07:00

Ahhhhh The hill. Every once in a while I drag Austin Fitness Extreme to the "ToysrUs" hill. Aptly named because it is located behind ToysrUs. It's about a quarter mile long. Pure misery. We start the morning off with a few exercises(pushups,squats,curls,crunches,jumping jax) and then work our way down to the hill. First we do a few short sprints. We culminate by doing suicide runs up the hill. I'm demented. As I videotaped this I kept wondering what is it that makes some people push themselves and others not. Is it desire? A heightened need for torture? Maybe it's guilt over the pizza they had yesterday? Or maybe it's the fact that they don't want to waste the 200.00 they plopped down for the workout. Who knows. I do believe that misery not only loves but needs company sometimes.

Group fitness classes have increased so much over the years. In the beginning they were "aerobic classes" then "step classes" then "tae bo" and last but not least "boot camps". Living in Asutin, I've watched as bootcamp classes have increased significantly over the years. There used to be only 2 or 3 outside of the gym sponsored camps. Now when you go out to town lake it looks like a asylum for fitness enthusiasts. I see group t-shirts, kettlebells, Gillberts Gazelles,rubber bands, a few tires, sprint groups,triathlon groups, mommy workouts, mommy with baby workouts, I see it all. And the truth is ......I love it. While they may not all want to workout with me , it's good to see so many people taking an interest in their own personl fitness. At the very least get in shape so you can chase after your kids.

I look forward to the months and years ahead where I can motivate groups of people as well as individuals. Misery does need company sometimes. It's helpfull to look to your right and see someone who hates the instructor just as much as you.

Ps. I saw Inglorious Basterds. Loved it.

All you men out there watch Shakira's new video La Loba. Need I say more.

2009-07-26T21:38:00.000-07:00

Ok so I have been asked to post a few videos of pregnancy workouts. As strange as this may seem I had to wait for several ladies to actually look pregnant. The main thing to keep in mind is that as pressure on your back increases you need to find a way to support your back during exercise. No deadlifts. No deep leg presses. Try to keep in mind that your hips will expand so you should widen your base to accomidate that. Keep very aware of your form and breathing.

One thing I didn't mention before is that it is very important not to undertake any brand new style of working out during pregnancy. Not the best time to run your first marathon. Watch this video and look how she supports her back through the range of motion.

2009-07-20T13:49:00.000-07:00

I've been personal training all kinds of people for the past 11 years. I would probably say that 60% of those are women. It has given me great insight to women . I still dont have it all figured out....Let's be honest, I'm not even scratching the surface. One thing I love watch is women as they go through the change of pregnancy. It still amazes me. I watched as my exwife went through the stages of pregnancy and in turn have watched as no fewer than 15 current and past clients have done the same. The first thing I did was go out and buy a ton of books on pregnancy and fitness. It is possible to continue with a workout regiment during pregnancy. The three most important things you can do is : first, ask your doctor if he/she has any guidlines for you as it pertains to fitness. Your blood work may show certain restrictions. Second ,tell your personal trainer. We actually need to know. It will change our approach. First off I wont scream"what the hell...10 more reps!!" Third and most important, listen to your body. Listen to your body. Listen to your body. If it hurts..STOP! A few warning signs to be on the lookout for once you have a doctors clearance to workout:

pain in the abdomen,chest,legs
Nausea
Abnormal bleeding
Heart palpatations
Overheating,especially during the first 6 weeks

Remember that your body changes. Don't beat yourself up about it. Your uterus grows to about a thousand times its normal size. This puts pressure on your diaphragm which can cause a change in your breathing during cardiovascular exercise. Kepp this in mind and slow down your pace. The growth in your uterus will also put pressure on your bladder so make sure a bathroom is close by. The extra weight you will be carrying will also put added pressure on your back,knee and ankle joints. You may get some swelling in those areas. Make sure your back is supported and try to widen your stance during certain exercises like squats. Go get yourself a swiss ball(big blow up ball). Use the bosu.

Overall you can continue with any workout program. Just pair it down. It is better to be over cautious. Even circuit training is still very doable. Take your weights down about 10 to 20% and cut your interval time in half.

Listen to your bodies ladies. You're beautiful no matter how you feel. Try to rest as much as possible and...........consider the name "Tom" . Seriously.

2009-06-30T13:32:00.000-07:00

So the Saturday workouts continue. I overheard a new gym member tell one of our managers that she realy wanted work on her core. "do you have anybody who specializes in core work" To my disbelief this manager actually pushed them toward a certain trainer. Ok, so what is "core strength?" Very loosely put core strength, is the direct relationship in strength and balance between your back and abdomen while doing work. So, if you do a shoulder press while balancing on one leg while standing on a bosu you engage your core? Sort of. The reality of this movement is that it is not realistic. If you flip the bosu over so both of your feet are on the flat portion and then perform a shoulder press, you are actually going to engage your core in a more benificial way. So why over complicate things? I'm not completely sure. Let me say, that I love seeing people get inventive. However, you do need to be practical. Any trainer worth his weight can teach a client how to engage their core. If you are doing pushups and I tell you to pull your abs in tight then boom! your are engageing your core. What I am getting at is that all trainers know how to show clients how to engage their core. Correct form? core work Good posture? core work Keep your balance? core work. Like I've said before, don't overcomplicate things. Now if you want to try balancing on one leg ,while blindfolded, on the bosu, doing a shoulder press than have at it. Just understand it may hurt your knee and ankle. But your core will be ripped.

The Best Part of My Life

2009-06-19T14:28:00.000-07:00

Ocasionaly, in the midst of working and going about my daily routine of training and listening to my clients, I forget the reason why I get up every morning. At 2:00pm when I'm done for the day it all comes back to me. At 2:01 I become Daddy. No more reps, no more weight, no more water breaks. It's now all about homework,swimming,riding a bike,drawing pictures,fishing and the art of fort making.

When I found out my exwife was pregnant I was scared out of my mind. I had no idea what to do. I was afraid that I would miss out on something if I became a dad. I was a complete mess. I had just begun earning a living at personal training and in my selfishness I though having a child would somehow change all of that. I was an only child. I had no cousins that lived close. Babies were those annoying creatures in church, movies, and restaurants that made you want to get up and leave. I had an epiphany a month before Tommy was born.....My life was going to change. Well, it did.

I still have a great amount of passion for what I do. I wear shorts and tennis shoes all day long and get paid very well. I help people discover their inner athlete(I know it sounds cheesy). I watch people regain their self confidence. I watch people change their lives. Most importantly my life in fitness has given me the ability to spend time with my son. I pick Tommy up everyday from school. I live to watch him come down the hallway with his class wearing a backpack bigger than his little body. I get to hear about his day. In these past 7 1/2 years the craziest thing happened. I became a "daddy". I never go out anymore, and I never feel like I miss out on anything. On the nights that Tommy is with his mom I'm restless. I can't sleep. I find myself in his room holding his pillow. It's humbling to love something so much that when your near it you are complete and in it's absence you're empty.

This Sunday is Fathers Day. The greatest day of the year! As it approaches it reminds me of how I got here. Doing what I love has given me the opportunity to spend time with the ones I love. So for Jenn(my savior) and Tommy(my angel) thank you for making this journey the best part of my life.

2009-06-16T06:32:00.000-07:00

Real men Use the Bosu. I know it looks like a giant blue boob. But try this: flip it over, do a push up and when come up pull the Bosu to your chest, stand up and repeat. After doing 10 do 10 pullups as well. We did this after an hour in the Austin sun doing kettlebells,pushups,hurdles and weighted jumping jax. It's all about finding new ways to push yourself. Give it a try.

2009-06-15T19:36:00.000-07:00

So I always get asked about our saturday class. Is it realy hard?Depends on who you ask. I started the saturday class by just walking in the gym one day and grabbing a couple of guys and asking them if they wanted to try some new stuff. As the weeks have progressed a few people have come and gone.

As you can tell, I realy like the circuit style of workout. While I do enjoy doing the traditional lifts(bench,squat,curls,tri extension,bentover rows,dead lift,power clean) I have found that taking several exrecises and stringing them together has given me the best results in terms of performance.

When I first started working out I would stare at the guys in the muscle mags , and wish I could get that big. Muscles meant strength. Strength meant respect. Respect meant awe. I still see those guys in the gym whose sole purpose in hitting the gym is "getting huge". As the years have progressed a new meaning of fitness has come to light. Bodybuliders aren't considered the picture of health anymore. A new "hybrid" athlete has come to light. An athlete that can bench his bodyweight 20 times, do 20 pullups, run a 7 minute mile for 3 miles straight, swim for 1/2 a mile, and jump on a 36 inch high platform 20 times. This athlete looks fit, not bulky or skinny. This athlete can adapt his/her body to any sport they chose. They are complete athletes.

This style of workout is completely adaptable to any level of fitness. It's all a matter of degrees. In one minute will you do 10 pushups on your knees or 50 on your toes? It's up to you how hard you push yourself.If you show up on Saturday though, it is up to me. Come by.

2009-06-09T03:24:00.000-07:00

So summer is here, and I consistantly get asked what exercise will help you get that beach bod or boat bod. We all know how important it is to feel comfortable with a swimsuit on during summer.

First off "watch that diet" don't expect to feel or look slim and trim if you are feeding off of beer and nachos all day long. Yes, I am still do the "Engine 2 diet". No ammount of exercise can make up for the horrible things we put in our bodies. So eat in moderation. Drink in moderation.

Second, make sure you get some good cardio in there. I'm not saying you have to run 5 miles a day, but get your heart rate up for an 20 to 30 minutes at least 5to6 times a week. This can be running,swimming,biking,kickboxing. Remember to mix it up a little . Jog for a minute and sprint for a minute.

You've heard me say this a ton of times. I like circuit training. I realy feel like stringing together several exercises for a minute each to realy push you bodies muscular endurance is one of the best ways to train. Now if you come in and say"Tom I realy want to be able to bench press 2x my bodyweight" than your workouts will be different. For most people however, being fit is more about feeling good about how your body looks and how it performs.

So for your workouts , try the above circuit to push your lower body in conjunction with your upper body. You can substitute exercises, and don't forget to do all exercises for at least 1 minute. This weekend I did the following workout:

bench press with 135 for 25 reps

pullups 25 reps

bicep curls with 60lb barbell 25 reps

dips 25 reps

jumping squats 25 reps

4 times through 100 reps total per exercise. Give it a shot!

2009-05-30T07:41:00.000-07:00

A guy walks in to a doctors office holding his knee, he walks up to his doctor and says"hey Doc it hurts when I do this." He jumps up and down. His Doctor smiles and says"don't do that."

So a couple of weeks ago I watched one of my favorite workout partners come running back to the gym. She had a grimace on her face. She had been out running around town lake. As she hobbled up, I noticed she had Therapy tape(commonly used by physical therapist) running up and down her calf muscle. Obviously in a great deal of pain and in no mood for my jabs, she gave me the look. You know the look that says ......Don't even open your mouth. I get that look from my girlfriend when I've pushed it just a little too far. Anyway, so it leads me to this whole idea of why we miss the obvious. Listen to your body. Don't ignore that voice that screams................GIVE ME A BREAK!!! STOP RUNNING!!

I see so many people come to me and tell me that they're current running,cycling,lifting etc. activity is starting to cause pain in their bodies. I always try to steer them in an alternate direction. If running hurts, try to swim to break it up. If traditional lifts hurt, try balance and stability work to break it up. This deoesn't mean you can't come back to your previous routine. In fact, I encourage it. Give your body and mind a break. This doesn't mean you have to come to a screeching hault. Just take a different path. If your regular path to work is shut down do you just stop working? No, you find an alternative. Treat your body the same way. I love to mix things up. I use to (and still do sometimes) get serious tunnell vision. I'll turn around and find that I've been doing the same workout for the past 8 weeks. What helps me these days is a group people that I workout with on saturdays. I just come in a throw up a crazy routine and we go for it. I get cursed at, glared at, and laughed at. I'm telling you, I'm a little mental. Anyway , try one day a week to take a a few steps off the beaten path. Trust me. Try this routine that Jackie is doing. Try doing each exercise for 1 minute each(burning it out the last 10 seconds)

13 years ago when I started kickboxing, I walked in to the gym the day after a hard sparring session. I walked up to my coach Maurice Smith(UFC champion) and said "Mo, my head hurts today, what should I do?" He looked at me and rolled his eyes."try ducking" he said.

2009-05-20T20:11:00.000-07:00

I love circuit training if you haven't already guessed. I believe whole heartedly that circuit training is one of the most effective ways to design your workouts. Look at p90x....circuit training. Crossfit................circuit training. Bootcamps................circuit training. There are so many differnt versions of circuits that you can do. Jackie once again is my test subject for a miserable circuit. Here she has abreviated a circuit that would normally be done with 1 minute intervals. When performing intervals, have a high and a low. The high can be plyometrics and the low can be abdominal exercises. The high can also be resistance based exercises and the low can be aerobic exercises. More than anything just mix it up. Look at what Jackie is doing and give it a shot. She wanted to kill me after this.

2009-05-20T19:42:00.000-07:00

Ok so it's been a while since I've posted. Work,end of Tommys school year, old age.... you name it. Well to update, it has been nearly 5 weeks since I last had meat. And to be quite honest I feel better. I feel healthier. So about this NAGA tournament. There was only one other guy in my division and he deiced to fight up a weight class. In retrospect I realy should have been watching my weight. Dan on the other hand got 2nd place in his division. Dan has been my "frankenstein project" for the past 9 months. The first time I met Dan I thought he looked like a former football player. In reality he played basketball. He can actually dunk. Crazy. On top of that he's actually a gamer. Dan owns Redfly studio. He makes video games for a living. About 9 months ago Dan started training with me. In all of my years of training Dan is far and away the most gifted athlete I've ever trained. When he told me he wanted to grapple, I thought "here we go. Another guy who wants to say he's tough" What Dan became was an incredible student. He consistantly fed his mind the sport of jiu jitsu. He moves like a 135 pounder yet possesses the power of a superheavyweight. Wrap that into 245 pounds of pure agression. We have this saying when we roll. No Dan Smash!!!!!!!!!!!! that's a reminder to him not to kill us. Next up for Dan and I Grapplers Quest in Vegas July10th and 11th. I can't wait. Check big Dan out. I'm just glad he's not throwing me around.

2009-05-05T20:18:00.000-07:00

8 days and no meat. I feel good. Honestly the hardest day was the first one. Now it's just a matter of filling up on my greens. Right now I'm 4 days a way from my tournament. We'll see how it goes.

So this week on top of preparing myself and "big Dan" for NAGA, I've got my sparring partner Nick"The Ghost" Gonzales in town getting ready for Bellator fighting. I have this theory on"active rest" that I have always believed in. Rather than take a break in between your exercise sets, keep your body active and moving . There are varying degrees of this theory. Take something as simple as running. Let's say you go on a 3 mile run. At mile 2 you are completely fatigued. Would you stop running and just sit down? Or would you stop running and walk for a while? I know I would probably walk a little and then go back to running. So why not train your body in a similar way? During Austin Fitness Extreme, I tend to go from a circuit of high intensity exercises to a small circuit of abs to bring their heartrates down a little. This repeats several times over the course of an hour.

with my own personal training and with Nicks fight preparation, I take the concept of "active rest" to a different level. 3 minutes of grappling ,sparring, or bag work with a 1 minute break of plyometrics or abs. Performing my workouts like this has always amped up my caloric burn as well as my overall muscular endurance. When I train fighters, I prepare them for the intensity of combat and the reality of a small break. To do this I keep their bodies moving during their breaks. They find it easier to pace themselves when they compete.Nick is demonstraing 1 round of intense bag work followed by an active rest of box hops. During our sparring rounds, aside from treating my body like a human pinata, Nick performed jumping squats or "full body plyometric" pushups. Check this round out and think about the variations you can perform at home or at the gym.

2009-05-04T03:00:00.000-07:00

CORRECTION!!!

Rips websites are www.engine2academy.com this will offer recipes and videos that you can follow along with for free. and www.theengine2diet.com is a great sight that you can actually purchase the book from.

2009-05-03T16:33:00.000-07:00

Call me a skeptic by nature. I've always thought if it existed, then we would have seen it or found it by now. I hate to "I'm going on a diet". That very phrase implies a short term venture, and if you truly want to change your life you need to change your lifestyle. That includes your diet. I've read a million diet books. I always get asked about them. A little over a month ago I heard that local Austin athlete, Rip Esselstyn had written a book called "The Engine 2 Diet" . I had met Rip several years ago when my ex-wife was pregnant with my son. Having not grown up in Austin, I had no idea who he was. What was very apparent, was that he was highly respected. I later found out he was 3 time All American swimmer and an Olympic trial qualifier, and a professional triathlete. The book he wrote, proposed a diet consisting of nothing but fruits,vegetables,whole grains,legumes,nuts, and seeds. Now before I go on, let me say I am a meat eater. I love steak. I love pepperoni pizza, bacon, eggs, cheeseburgers. I could go on. But, I have a great deal of respect for Rip. So I contacted him, and asked him if I could interview him regarding his book. He agreed and we set a time. As preparation, I purchased and read his book. I was impressed. Very impressed. One thing that impressed me the most was that Rip kept it very simple and wasn't quick to bash any other diet. What he offered was facts and case studies and recipes. He started off with a very inspirational story that captivated you and then turned it into a book of health and awareness. But I still had to talk with him.

First, I must say I got lost. Got there about 10 min late for a 30 min interview. Rip , as always was very understanding. We caught up real quick and I proceeded to the interview. Our 30 min interview turned into nearly and hour and a half talk about the book. Rip could tell I was concerned about the concept of not eating meat. "if it has a face or a mother, it has muscle, which always contains fat and cholesterol" Rip pointed out that plants contain antioxidants and phytochemicals. Meat contains 0. Of course plants contain fiber which will keep you regular and take toxins and carcinogens out of your body through your intestines. To be honest Rips book points out so many benifits of plants that I would literally have to write several pages for this blog to accurate. I did ask Rip to give me his top 3 fruits and vegetables and sources of omega-3 fatty acids

Fruit

Banana

blueberries

mango

Vegetables

Kale

Sweet potato

Broccoli

Omega 3 fatty acids

ground flax seed

walnuts

soy beans

leafy vegetables

One thing, I do want to point out was that I crossed referenced everything I could in Rips book as well as everything he told me in our talk. Rip is dead on accurate. Our talk went on to compare how a plant based diet could be applicable to the performance based athlete. Again, not only did Rip give me several examples, he also "practices what he preaches". A crazy thing happened at the end of our talk. Rip, having had a long day himself, prepared a plate of food for me. I was hesitant but..............boy I could have had three plates it was so good. beans,corn,peppers,squash,onion,and sweet potato. No meat! None! And you know what? I didn't want any afterwards. So I did a little experiment of my own. For the past 5 days I have eaten 0 meat. None. How do I feel? BETTER! I've lost 6 pounds. How's my energy? As high if not a great deal higher. My stomach feels better. No headaches. On the 9th I am competing in a jui jitsu tournament. I will keep everyone posted how this affects my performance.

I hope you all consider the benifits of this lifestyle. Check out 2 websites www.theengine2academy.com and www.theengine2.com I am a big believer in Rip and his book. Sometimes you miss the forest for the trees. I always wanted to say that!

Rip, you have made me a convert. Now I'm working on my son. I'll tell him that Spiderman eats plants. It could work. Thankyou so much for taking time to talk with me.

2009-04-28T14:49:00.000-07:00

Everyday I see the same group of people come walking through the gym in the morning and evening. They are usually in flipflops, and carrying rolled up mats. It's our yoga crowd. For years I have heard of all the different types of yoga. Hot yoga,cold yoga, hatha yoga, ashtanga yoga. And that's just the ones I remember. I think the impression has always been that I don't appreciate yoga. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Not only do I like yoga, but I encorporate yoga into my own personal workouts as well as those of my clients. I think I have 10 books about yoga. I love yogas fluidity and harmony. I know what I've said..."I don't take yoga classes because I can stretch at home for free". Well that mindest would put me out of business in a heartbeat. I want people to find an inner connection with their own bodies. Don't laugh, I'm serious. When your body and mind gel into fluid motion there is no greater feeling. Remember resistance training is essentially completely stretching your muscles out and then adding varying resistance to that muscles contraction. The more you stretch, the more you contract. How can I get more flexible? I used to be able to do the splits. My back is always sore. My hamstrings are tight. What do I do?STRETCH! Take a yoga class. Every morning most of us have a daily routine. Wake up. Pot of coffee. Breakfast. Brush teeth. Shave. Comb hair. As part of everyones daily routine , we should all do an assortment of stretches. Nothing to fancy. No headstands. Just some daily stretches to keep our bodies flexible. Every morning I stretch for about 10 minutes. If I didn't, I'd never be able to stand up straight. To help with this video I called up my favorite yoga instructor Gioconda. Gio is performing some basic yoga stretches and transitions. I will hopefully add some more sport specific routines as the months progress. Please feel free to contact her at http://www.giocondayoga.com/ she is amazing.

2009-04-27T20:49:00.000-07:00

When I decided to pursue personal training as a career all I really wanted to do was spend most of my days in shorts, tennis shoes, and a t-shirt. I loved working out and I hoped people would want to workout with me . To this day, I love walking in any gym. I get a little excited still. I knew I'd meet all kinds of people. What I never counted on was the relationships I would develop. I had been personal training for about 3 months when an older man named "John" came in to the gym. As we talked he revealed to me that he had AIDS. I immediately did as much research as I could about his condition. I talked to his doctor and he informed me that John needed to stay as active as possible. Within a few months John was hospitalized for the flu. He died 4 days later. I went to see him the day before he died and what affected me the most was that he was alone. No family. No friends. I bought him some flowers and a balloon and told him I would check in on him. When he passed away I was devastated.

As the years passed I would meet clients, who would become friends. I watched people go through the loss of loved ones, births of their children, marriages, divorces you name it. I developed very strong connections and attachments. When my clients were upset or hurt, it affected me. 4 years ago when I went through my own divorce, the same people that had confided in me over the years were now there for me. One family in particular gave me so much guidance, love and support. Patti and Maurene(sisters) always believed in me. They told me to fight for my son and never give up. As grueling as my divorce was , I pushed forward. It was the support of my close friends that got me through those times. The day before Halloween last year, I got a phone call from Patti. She wanted to tell me that she had cancer and she wasn't going to make her thursday appt. My heart sank. I drove home, canceled the rest of my day, sat on my bed and cried. My Aunt had died of cancer. She was the one person in my family who told me to believe in myself and do what I love. Patti and her family had always meant so much to me. I was heart broken. It was hard to look at her. Why do bad things happen to good people? Patti has two beautiful children and the most amazing husband. I often told her that I strove to be like her and her husband Michael. They always seemed to "do it right". I would have fallen apart. For all my talk, I'm just not that tough. As the months passed, Patti endured 5 chemotherapy treatments. She struggled at times, but made it to every workout. She always smiled. Always made me laugh. She doesn't know this, but after each appointment I had to break down a little. What moved me was her determination. This thing wasn't going to define who she was. She walked in that door with so much love, strength, courage and honor. She left me inspired everyday. Tomorrow Patti endures her final chemo appointment. True champions push themselves. True Champions fight. And true champions get up when they have been knocked down. Tonight I'm sending much love to Patti, Michael, Ethan, and Zoe.

Patti, you are a true champion, and I am honored to call you my friend.

2009-04-27T16:10:00.000-07:00

When I first started personal training I always regarded classes as the easier way of working out. Step aerobics? I made fun of it. circuit classes? They were silly. If you realy wanted to workout you needed to man up and lift some weights. Right? Wrong!!! The concept behind the circuit class is pretty simple. Take several exercises, different body parts, varying weights, and string them together in a "circuit" to optomize the overall burn. These circuits can be done so many different ways. Bodyweight workouts:

20 pushups

20 squats

20 crunches

20 jumping jax

20 supermans

with dumbells:

20 dumbell shoulder press

20 dumbell squats

20 dumbells curls

20 dumbell stiff legged dead lifts

20 dumbell chest flies

or even machines:

20 chest press

20 lat pull down

20 leg press

20 tricep extension

20 cable bicep curls

Of course you can mix and match all of these and even throw in some 5 minute spint intervals on the bike and/or treadmill to realy spice it up. For many of my clients I start with a simple circuit of 3 exercises (1minute each exercise) and then add an exercise at the start of each new set. By the end I have strung together 7 to 10 exercises performed back to back with varying intensity. These exercises can be anything from the above to heavy bench press, dead lifts, and /or kettlebells. Crossfit has become the flavor of the month lately, and for all points and purposes all Crossfit is, is circuit training. No more, no less. Just because you lift sandbags, kettlebells, medicne balls, and heavy ropes doesn't mean you are doing anything other than circuit training. I do suggest that you get some guidance on kettlebells before you start throwing them around. Jackie is shown demonstrating a very basic circuit.

2009-04-22T02:54:00.000-07:00

coordination. Not my strong suit. I've been working out for years and coordination just doesn't always work for me. Take something as simple as jumping rope. I've had kickboxing instructors pull their hair out trying to figure how I can be so ungracefull. I was training a 12 year old boy about a year ago for soccer and his parents biggest concern was his footwork. They knew he wasn't going to be a phenominal athlete, they just didn't want him to seem like he was falling all over himself. Most kids go through an awkward phase. We all know what it was like. Some of us, like myself, will always have a problem with certain things. For this particular young man I brought out an agility ladder. I had him do some basic footwork drills over and over again. Twice a week we worked on footwork and it gradually improved. When I first started using the agility ladder, I thought it looked very similar to hopscotch. I have used the agility ladder in my personal training to help "mix it up" as well as help improve clients footwork and speed skills. There are a ton of things you can do with these ladders. I've let Kristen demo a few simple maneuvers. To make this miserable put a resistance band around your ankles. Or even try doing these movements with your hands. Pure misery. Good luck.

2009-04-16T20:32:00.000-07:00

One of the first things i did when I decided to start Austin Fitness Extreme was look at the growing trends out there in the fitness world. Many years ago, when I was stationed in Everett, Washington while in the Navy I had the good fortune to spend a weekend with three Russian MMA fighters. They had just opened up a new fitness facility that had these horrible things called Kettlebells. Up until then the only pictures I had ever seen of kettlebells were in old bodybuilding books and magazines. The circus strongmen were using them. I was more sore than I had ever been after an hour with these "bowling balls with handles" . 7 years later here I was trying to look for something new and the only thing I could think of was kettlebells. The ironic thing is that kettlebells have been around since way before the first americanized fitness facility. When I bought them I had to order them from Pro Performance and have them shipped here. Now they are everywhere. Target sells them. At Academy I saw a rubber kettlebell for women just yesterday. Who knew. The gym I work at, gave me crazy looks when I started bringing in kettlebells 3 years ago. Just 2 weeks ago they bought a set for the gym. Again, who knew? Much like any resistance based exercise, I have a number of women that ask me if doing kettlebells will make them get bigger. Like I've always said, you have to eat a certain way, and lift a certain way to get "big" Kettlebells done in a circuit can give you an amazing cardio workout. One of my favorite beginning circuits is:

2 handed kettlebells swings 45 seconds

right arm kettlebell swings 45 seconds

left arm kettlebell swings 45 seconds

alternating arm kettlebell swings 45 seconds

jump with and jump without the kettlebell 45 seconds

try that on for size.

If Kristin can do it, you can do it.

2009-04-15T20:35:00.000-07:00

What do you do when you've hit a plateau? It happens to all of us. We've reached the a sticking point. We don't feel we're improving anymore. It's happened to me. What do I do? I mix it up. I change tactics. For myself I try to train 4 days a week. I keep my workouts pretty intense. I tend to take 3 circuits and perform them three times through during any given workout session. As I've gotten older I've realized it's more about the quality of your workout than the quantity of your workout. You need to be efficient. I like to do cicuits that encorporate my upper and lower body. I realized I can keep my overall heartrate elevated while I move from one body part to another. For instance I'll perform 10 reps of side to side pushups on a medicine ball and than go straight into plyometric box hops. If I'm feeling real sadistic I'll throw in a set of pullups, kettlebell swings, bicep curls, and dips. All done back to back no break. What I've found is that my overall conditioning goes up and my 1 rep max turns into a 3 rep max. I do put several of my clients through similar workouts. I tend to subscribe to a "time" based way of training. Rather than count reps, I watch the clock. 1 minute last exactly 60 seconds no matter how you cut it. You can't rush the clock. My circuits tend to run 3 to 5 minutes from start to finish. At the end I've been running at a 12 incline for 5 minutes on the treadmill. When I'm done, I am completely spent.

If you feel like you've hit a sticking point try mixing it up as much as possible. Do all body weight exercises for an hour. Mix up the order of your sets. Take one day to do nothing but plyometrics. And thank God that you're aren't Dan is this video. I'm telling you, I'm sick. Dans a little bit of a freak anyway. And can you believe, he's actually a gamer. Dan owns Red Fly Studio and makes video games for a living. Go figure.

2009-04-09T15:05:00.000-07:00

I get so many groans when I tell my clients "TOYS R US hill tomorrrow" It is by far one of our more miserable days. Behind Toys R Us is a (1/4 mile) hill that even cars have a tough time getting up. On the days that I feel twisted, I bring Austin Fitness Extreme to this hill. We start off with 10-20 minutes of full body conditioning and then go straight to the hill. Sprint,jog,run backwards,lunge,suicides you name it we do it all. By the end, we're completely wiped. Like I said before, I hate running, but I love the misery.

With this misery comes the ever present muscle soreness. I have always been a big proponent of stretching. When asked if I do yoga I always say that I stretch for free. My body takes a hell of a beating on a daily basis. Between grappling, getting hit, and working out I usually look like a 80 year old when I get up in the morning. I usually take about 30 min in the morning and 30 min in the evening to stretch out. I use a foam roller to help push out my back muscles and roll out my IT band.

So, is stretching good or bad? I believe stretching is very good for your body in general. I don't believe you should ever bounce when you stretch. Post workout is a big concern. In theory, your muscles will be pumped full of blood. Your body has been fatigued. Stretching could push your muscles too far and your joints could be stretched to far. There has been recent studies that have raised this very arguement. I can't say that I disagree with this. I am a big believer in stretching at the end of the day. Before you go to bed get a good long stretch. Massages are great. Yoga, while I don't do it myself, is very good for the fluidity. I love the transitions in yoga and incorporate those same movements into my morning and evening stretches.

2009-04-07T18:18:00.000-07:00

So I always get asked these two questions: "what is the best way to lose weight?" and "is running good for losing weight?" Well lets start with the first one.

In My opinion the very best way to burn fat (with regards to exercise) is to do high intensity intervals. Let me give you an example. Say you are on a 1/4 mile track. Jog half a lap, sprint half a lap. Repeat for 4-8 laps. "Sprint intervals", as I like to call them can kick you butt. The thing I always tell my clients is that you can take that jog/sprint principle and apply it to any exercise. I repeat ANY EXERCISE! Take bench press. You do a bench press with 1oo lbs for 20 reps. You then do abdominal crunches for 20 reps. Repeat 4 times. As your chest,shoulders and triceps fatigue, you give them a break with crunches. You are still keeping your overall heart rate up and your exercising another body part. Just as you chest has started to recover you hit it again for another 20 reps. By the end of 4 rotations your entire body feels fatigued. Again you can take this "sprint interval" system and apply it to any exercise. Spin Class, a very popular form of group exercise, is essentially one big sprint interval class. Austin Fitness Extreme incorporates the "sprint interval" system.

Running! BLLAAAAAAAAAAAAGHHHH. I hate running. With a passion! I would rather have my nose hairs pulled out with flaming tweezers than run.................but, I still make myself run. I love to run in the heat. If I'm going to be miserable , I may as well just be full on miserable. I'm a little sadistic. I have run 3 half marathons and 2 full marathons(one of which was Pikes Peak marathon) and I still dread the trail. I must admit running is a wonderful form of exercise. With that said , I am a firm believer that you can over do it and injure yourself. While our legs are designed for travel, our joints need a break from time to time. The pounding that your body takes from running can cause a multitude of problems as time goes on. Knees,back,hips,feet can all suffer from constant running. Not to mention those nasty blisters. My suggestion for you runners is to periodically take some time off. Try swimming to keep your cardio conditioning up. Swimming will increase your cardio and never give your body the pounding that running some times can.

What if I want to do both? Try this. Grab a pair of 15lb dumbells. Now bring those to a treadmill and set them down next to the treadmill.