Archive for June, 2009

Newsletter June 15, 2009 (Now it’’s your turn)

Posted by Jana on June 27th, 2009

Greetings, Friends!

CURVY WOMAN WORKOUT PROGRAM

We just completed our first week, and are very impressed by the hard work and dedication that the Beta Test Participants are showing. Many are already seeing results! We look forward to bringing you the updates and some inspiring “before and after” pictures soon!

SWAT Fitness Newsletter / Magazine

We’ve finished the draft of our hard-copy newsletter, and it goes to print in the next day or two! Look for it in participating locations near you (or at least at our front desk, haha.)

KITCHEN INTERVENTION

The Kitchen Intervention program was a great success. Thank you to the participants, and to Dina, our SWAT Private Chef, for a great event. We will be doing another one soon - and Ron is already excited about getting out the grill and giving you some good BBQ tips!

SWAT BOOT CAMP

The SWAT Boot Camp is in Week 3 of the June boot camp, and we hope everyone is enjoying being out in the nice fresh air.

We do want to take a minute to congratulate Mike LaCoss, Instructor of the East Boot Camp location, who is being promoted! Because of his outstanding skills as a trainer, and his superior organization and presentation skills, we’ve asked Mike to be the SWAT Boot Camp Coordinator - so he will be overseeing and supervising all boot camp locations and programs, to ensure that the program continues to be top-notch, and continues to meet our strict standards. 

SWAT FITNESS @ GOLD’S GYM

We are pleased to announce that Kayla is being promoted as a Personal Training Manager at our SWAT@Gold’s North location at Ina and Oracle. Her clients at the eastside will be sad to see her go, but know that this is a great opportunity for her, and for SWAT, too.

THANK YOU for your continued support, interest, and friendship.

Sincerely,

Jana and Ron
SWAT Fitness

 

 

It’s Anyone’s Game

When was the last time that you accomplished something huge?

That’s an easy question for Helen Phillips.

Last month Helen wowed the world with her dramatic transformation on the NBC show The Biggest Loser. At 48 years of age she is the oldest contestant to win the weight loss competition, shedding 140 pounds and 54.7% of her body weight.

I’d call losing more than half of your body weight a huge accomplishment - wouldn’t you?

The crazy part is that Helen was clearly the underdog. She was simply too old and too fat to win. At least that was what the other contestants thought.

And that’s what Helen thought too.

“I never believed in myself in the beginning,” she admits. However when a doctor told her that she was living in the body of a 60 year old woman, Helen got serious. 

“I’m tired of doubting myself,” she decided and something inside of her head clicked into place. “The minute I started doing that, things changed for me.”

And, oh, how she changed.

Helen buckled down and made losing weight her only focus. Her hard work paid off, giving her the prized title of the Biggest Loser.

She accomplished something huge and now her life is vastly improved. “I feel so good! I feel like I can do anything,” she told reporters with a huge smile. 

Helen also had a message for you. “If I can do it, you can do it.”

I have to agree with her.

If a 48 year old, 257 pound woman can transform her body from a size 22 to a size 2, then anyone really can do it. Think for a moment of that huge accomplishment that you haven’t made. Maybe it’s a weight loss goal that you’ve had for years. Maybe it’s something completely unrelated to your weight. 

What’s holding you back? 

Are you afraid you’ll fail? 

The fear of failure is a powerful thing. No one likes to fail, and repeat failure is even worse. So what can you do to conquer it?

  • Realize that failure isn’t the worst outcome. Not trying is.
  • You only fail when you decide to give up. Get up and try again!

Are you afraid you’ll succeed?

You may not realize it, but most people fear success. Success means change and change can be scary. It is important that you embrace the idea of success and ditch any negative self talk.

  • Close your eyes and picture yourself accomplishing your goal. What will that accomplishment do for your life? List the benefits you’ll enjoy.
  • Spend a few minutes each day visualizing yourself accomplishing your goal. How great does it feel? Savor those victorious emotions and use them to drive your motivation.

Helen didn’t believe in herself, until one day she decided that she was done doubting. 

Are you done doubting?

When you’re ready to transform your body, like Helen did, we are here to help. Is NOW a good time? Call or email, and let’s get started on a program that will really improve your life. 

It’s your turn to accomplish something huge.

Who Knew?

While being interviewed after her victory, Helen revealed the secret behind her staggering weight loss. “Who knew diet and exercise really were the answer?” It always comes back to diet and exercise. When it comes to losing weight forget about the fad diets, the pills and the potions. Focus on your diet and focus on your exercise plan then you too will see amazing results.

Mango Marinated Tofu

It’s mango season! If you’ve been hesitant to try tofu then this is the perfect recipe for you. The mango and ginger marinade gives the dish a sweet and tangy flavor that is hard to beat. Choose mangoes that are ripe, but not overripe. The fruit should give only slightly when squeezed. Serve with brown rice and fresh steamed broccoli.
Yield: 6 serving 

Here’s what you need…

Marinade:

  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 3 tablespoons chopped ginger
  • 1/4 cup chopped yellow onion
  • 2 large mangoes, chopped
  • 1/4 pure maple syrup
  • 1 cup vegetable broth
  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 1/4 cup lime juice
  • cup orange juice
  • 1/4 teaspoon allspice
  • Dash of pepper
  • Dash of salt

Tofu:

  • 2 pounds extra-firm tofu, drained and sliced
  • 1 mango sliced
  • red bell pepper, cut into long slices
  1. In a medium saucepan combine the oil, garlic, ginger and onion, saute over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Add the chopped mango and sauté for another 5 minutes.
  2. Add the maple syrup and vegetable broth, cover and simmer for 35 minutes. Uncover and simmer for another 5 minutes.
  3. Add the vinegar, lime juice, orange juice, allspice, pepper and salt. Allow the mixture to cool and then puree in blender until smooth.
  4. Place the sliced tofu and mango marinade in a sealable plastic bag or a plastic container with lid. Marinate in the fridge for one hour or overnight.
  5. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place the marinated tofu in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet, reserving half of the marinade. Bake for 20 minutes.
  6. Flip over the tofu. Coat the remaining mango slices and pepper slices in marinade and add to pan. Bake for an additional 15 minutes.
  7. Serve with brown rice and steamed broccoli.

Nutritional Analysis: One serving equals: 219 calories, 1g fat, 7g carbohydrate, 4 g fiber, and 9g protein.

Week 1 of Curvy Women program is in the books!

Posted by Bryan on June 13th, 2009

SWAT Northwest and SWAT East have just completed the first week of our new and exciting workout program for Tucson’s “Curvy Women.”  

Twenty ladies at each location split into two groups with 10 working out in the morning, and 10 in the evening.  Monday, Wednesday, and Friday the ladies pressed through tough workouts using KETTLEBELLS and complimented their efforts with cardiovascular training on Tuesday and Thursday. 

After receiving vital nutrition information two weeks ago, many of the ladies are already seeing a difference in their bodies.  Not only are these women FEELING better, RESTING better, and SUSTAINING HIGHER ENERGY LEVELS throuhgout the day, a majority have reported significant weight loss just in the two week period.  I could not be more impressed with a group of gals, their committment and drive to better themselves has made my job a lot easier :)

Lets keep this ball rolling ladies and week 2 is just around the corner, LET’S GO!

Why Kettlebells?

Posted by Danny on June 12th, 2009

Kettlebells are tools that are low tech and high functionality. The basic motion of the swing allows the body to flow and allow the hip flexors  to stretch because the glutes (butt) are contracting. Why is this important?Well because most people sit all day long which forces the hip flexors to become very shortened which leads to bent over posture and forward head position that most of us want to avoid as we age.

Training with the kettlebells will strengthen the posterior chain(backside) of the body which will allow for healthy posture as well as relief of back pain.

In all my years of training, education, and certifications obtained, I have never been more fascinated with a method of training. The ability to train strength, endurance, flexibility, and cardiovascular all in one sitting is Awesome.

The only thing to take note with is to make sure you learn from a certified kettlebell trainer that actually uses kettlebells themselves. Not someone that just dabbles in kettlebells on the side.

Lance Armstrong Does Kettlebells, And So Should You!

Posted by Tyler on June 7th, 2009

Lately I have run into several people that are hesitant to start weight training or kettlebell training because they have a fear of “putting on too much bulk.”  This is a common misconception and certain fitness enthusiasts or sporting purists feel that training outside of their sport will adversely affect their level of performance in said sport.  I am here to tell you that your fear is unfounded.  Many elite triathletes and cyclists are turning to resistance training to increase their metabolic capacity and endurance under stress.  Lance Armstrong is known for a strong work ethic, not wasting time and doing what works.  If he is using kettlebells, why aren’t you?  SWAT offers many different Kettlebell classes at many different times, all taught by certified Kettlebell instructors (RKC, IKFF) at all of our locations.  If you want to learn more, sign up for a kettlebell intro and see for yourself why tons of athletes are raving about their benefits!  I am sure there is at least one class time that you can squeeze into your busy schedule.

The Myths of Cardiovascular Training

Posted by Danny on June 2nd, 2009

Many people believe that in order to lose fat and weight they must do extensive amounts of cardiovascular training for long periods of time. This is seen in most gym settings by people who hog a machine to themselves and play an entire movie sound track. If this type of training was all that was needed for weight loss most everyone at the gym would be fit. The real key to cardiovascular training is Interval training. What is interval training? To keep it short, short bursts of high intesnsity cardio followed by a rest period. A good starting point would be 30 seconds of high intensity cardio followed by 90 seconds of