Changing the Rules of Good Nutrition

Make Your Body Your Machine

Changing the Rules of Good Nutrition

Guest post by Dr John M Berardi, CSCS

What are the rules of good nutrition? What types of things must you absolutely do to succeed – and what types of things must you avoid?

Seriously, take a moment and think about it.

What rules do you think you’ll need to follow if you want to eat in a healthy way – a way that will improve the way your body looks and the way it feels.

Come up with that list in your mind right now.

Now that you’ve considered these rules, I want you to take a second and think about your list. Specifically, think about where you learned these rules.

Certainly your rules have been influenced by how you were raised, no? Certainly they’ve been influenced by your experiences dining with friends and relatives – comfort foods, right? Of course, no set of nutrition rules is immune to media influences – you can’t help but be bombarded by those Got Milk ads! Your rules have probably also been influenced by what you’ve heard others say – heck, every 3rd episode of Dr. Phil is about food and dieting. And, no doubt, your nutrition rules have probably been influenced by your own past attempts at changing your body – whether you’ve been successful or unsuccessful.

I could sit here all day and list potential nutritional influences. But I’ll stop here since there are probably hundreds of ‘em and to enumerate them all would bore your socks off.

At this junction, I’d just like to go ahead and make my point. And the point is this - very few of your “Good Nutrition Rules” have been influenced by those who know anything about good nutrition – let alone about long-term success and about what it really means to eat in a healthy way! And worse yet, most of those rules have been hammered home without you even knowing it!

It’s time to change the rules.

The Triple S Criterion

Now I’ll admit it. Changing the rules – just like changing your habits – is difficult. Not only does it take a desire to change – “want to” – but it takes a strategy for change – “how to”.

The “want to” is all your own. But the “how to” is what I do best. I’ve committed my career to helping people do just this – to change their rules and change their habits – and have gotten pretty good at it. In changing these rules and habits, everything changes – the way clients eat, the way they sleep, they way they look, the way they feel when they wake up in the morning, and they way they perform in day-to-day activities or during athletic events.

Today, I’m going to teach you a good part of that system – a system based on my Triple S Criterion.

What’s the Triple S Criterion? Well, it represents a three step way of evaluating a strategy for its usefulness.

Step 1 – Simplicity:
Are the rules easy to follow?
Step 2 – Science
Are the rules based on sound scientific principles?
Step 3 – Success
Have the rules produced success in past clients?

Using this criterion, the systems developed for my clients always produce a positive result.

Think again about your nutritional rules – rules that you might be quite attached to. Which criterion did you use when determining your rules? Are your rules based on Simplicity, Science, and Success? Have your rules produced the desired effect – a lean, healthy body that you’re able to maintain; a body that you’re happy with when looking in the mirror?

If not, perhaps they could use a re-evaluation.

Dr. Berardi’s Good Nutrition Rules

Below, I’d like to present my 10 Good Nutrition Rules, rules based on the Triple S Criterion above. In doing so, I hope to accomplish 2 goals.

• First, I want to help you rethink your whole nutrition approach – providing you with a new set of nutrition rules and habits – a set that swiftly moves you in the direction of your goals.

• Secondly, I want to show specifically how the recipes, cooking tips, and strategies can integrate together to represent a complete success system, fully integrated into the basic habits of good nutrition.

So here are the 10 rules:

1) Eat every 2-3 hours - no matter what.
Are you doing this – no matter what? Now, you don’t need to eat a full meal every 2-3 hours but you do need to eat 6-8 meals and snacks that conform to the other rules below.

2) Ingest complete, lean protein each time you eat.
Are you eating something this is an animal or comes from an animal – every time you feed yourself? If not, make the change. Note: If you’re a vegetarian, this rule still applies – you need complete protein and need to find non-animal sources.

3) Ingest vegetables every time you eat.
That’s right, every time you eat (every 2-3 hours, right), in addition to a complete, lean protein source, you need to eat some vegetables. You can toss in a piece of fruit here and there as well. But don’t skip the veggies.

4) If want to eat a carbohydrate that’s not a fruit or a vegetable (this includes things like things rice, pasta, potatoes, quinoa, etc), you can – but you’ll need to save it until after you’ve exercised.
Although these often heavily processed grains are dietary staples in North America, heart disease, diabetes and cancer are North American medical staples – there’s a relationship between the two! To stop heading down the heart disease highway, reward yourself for a good workout with a good carbohydrate meal right after (your body best tolerates these carbohydrates after exercise). For the rest of the day, eat your lean protein and a delicious selection of fruits and veggies.

5) A good percentage of your diet must come from fat. Just be sure it’s the right kind.
There are 3 types of fat – saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated. Eating all three kinds in a healthy balance can dramatically improve your health and even help you lose fat.

Your saturated fat should come from your animal products and you can even toss in some butter or coconut oil for cooking. Your monounsaturated fat should come from mixed nuts, olives, and olive oil. And your polyunsaturated fat should from flaxseed oil, fish oil, and mixed nuts.

6) Ditch the calorie containing drinks (including fruit juice).
In fact, all of your drinks should come from non-calorie containing beverages. Fruit juice, alcoholic drinks, and sodas – these are all to be removed from your daily fare. Your absolute best choices are water and green tea.

7) Focus on whole foods.
Most of your dietary intake should come from whole foods. There are a few times where supplement drinks and shakes are useful. But most of the time, you’ll do best with whole, largely unprocessed foods.

8) Have 10% foods.
I know you cringed at a few of the rules above – perhaps #6 in particular. But here’s a bit of a reprieve. 10% foods are foods that don’t necessarily follow the rules above – but food’s you’re still allowed to eat (or drink) 10% of the time.

100% nutritional discipline is never required for optimal progress. The difference, in results, between 90% adherence to your nutrition program and 100% adherence is negligible.

Just make sure you do the math and determine what 10% of the time really means. For example, if you’re eating 6 meals per day for 7 days of the week – that’s 42 meals. 10% of 42 is about 4. Therefore you’re allowed to “break the rules” 4 meals each week.

9) Develop food preparation strategies.
The hardest part about eating well is making sure you can follow the 8 rules above consistently. And this is where preparation comes in. You might know what to eat, but if isn’t available, you’ll blow it when it’s time for a meal.

10) Balance daily food choices with healthy variety.
Let’s face it; during the week –when you’re busy – you’re not going to be spending a ton of time whipping up gourmet meals. During these times you’re going to need a set of tasty, easy to make foods that you can eat day in and day out. However, once every day or a few times a week – you need to eat something different – something unique.

So, what about calories, or macronutrient ratios, or any number of other things that I’ve covered in many other articles on my own web site and elsewhere? The short answer is that if you aren’t already practicing the above-mentioned habits, and by practicing them I mean putting them to use over 90% of the time (i.e., no more than 4 meals out of an average 42 meals per week violate any of those rules), everything else is pretty pointless.
Moreover, many people can achieve the health and the body composition they desire using the habits alone. No kidding! In fact, with some of my paying clients I spend the first few months just supervising their adherence to these 7 rules—an effective but costly way to learn them.

If you’ve reached the 90% threshold, you may need a bit more individualization beyond the habits. If so, visit my web site. Many of these little tricks can be found in my many articles published there. But before looking for them, before assuming you’re ready for individualization; make sure you’ve truly mastered the habits. Then, while keeping the habits as the consistent foundation, tweak away.

Beach Body with Surf Stronger TRX Workout!

Make Your Body Your Machine

Beach Body with Surf Stronger TRX Workout!

We are excited to announce a brand new TRX workout, just in time for summer:

The Surf Stronger TRX Workout! This full body, 30-minute, surf-specific workout, which features professional surfer and surfing icon, Holly Beck, is sure to be your favorite workout this summer. Whether you hit the beach everyday or live 5,000 miles from the nearest ocean, this workout will get you looking great in a swim suit.

The crew at Surf Stronger, led by surf fitness guru, Scott Adams, CSCS, has been using the TRX Suspension Trainer for the last year and a half, and after in-depth research and development (which included a few surf and training trips to Hawaii, Panama, Mexico, Nicaragua), and many sessions at our TRX Training Center in San Francisco, they’ve crafted a time-efficient, super effective workout to help anyone-- at any level – improve their athletic performance and strengthen their body. The video also features awe-inspiring surf footage and a rousing soundtrack.

Whether you’re an aspiring surfer, seasoned pro or want to look good in a swim suit this summer, you’ll want to check out this new workout.

Available exclusively as a download for $14.95 at fitnessanywhere.com July 1.

Lose Weight, Get Fit, Be More Active,...

FREE 14 - Day Trial.

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Nutritional Programs

By John M Berardi, Ph.D.

Take a look around the nutrition world. Confusing, isn't it?

Conflicting advice is everywhere, and you're stuck in the middle. You wonder whether anyone out there even knows what they're talking about, or whether the experts will ever reach a consensus on anything. You start to wonder whether you'll need a degree in nutritional biochemistry before you can lose that stubborn abdominal fat.

So what's the deal? Why so much confusion? Why does one expert suggest that high protein is best for everyone, while another expert suggests high carb and yet another expert suggests high fat? Besides, what exactly do high protein, high carb, and high fat really mean? And why are other experts telling us that food choices should be based on our "metabolic type," our "blood type," or our "ancestry"?

One expert says to eat like a Neanderthal and another says eat like a Visigoth, or perhaps a Viking. But while searching for nutritional Valhalla, most people just get lost and eat like a Modern American-and end up looking more Sumo than Samurai.

These days, we have a cacophony of expertise: lots of confusing noise from the experts drowning out the signal of truth.

On the surface, it appears as if today's nutrition technology is quite advanced. After all, we have at our disposal more nutrition information than ever before. More money is being spent on nutrition research than in any time in history. Every day, impressive strides are being made in the field. Dozens of nutrition experts are rising to prominence. Yet simultaneously we're witnessing a steadily increasing rate of obesity, an increase in nutrition-related illness (Diabetes, CVD, and Syndrome X), and an increase in nutrition-related mortality.

Part of the problem is that much of the information hasn't reached the people who need it. Part of the problem is that even when it does reach those people, they often don't use it. And certainly, the problem is multifactorial-there are probably many more reasons than I can list here.

How much more information do we need?

But the curious thing is that many people try to solve the problem by seeking out more information. They know it all and still want more. If there's one thing of which I am absolutely convinced, it's that a lack of good nutrition information isn't what prevents us from reaching our goals. We already know everything we need to know. Sometimes the real problem isn't too little information but too much.

All the fundamental principles you need to achieve good health and optimal body composition are out there already, and have been for years. Unfortunately, with 500 experts for every fundamental principle, and very little money to be made from repeating other people's ideas, experts must continually emphasize the small (and often relatively unimportant) differences between their diet/eating plans and the diet/eating plans of all the other experts out there.

In the world of advertising and marketing, this is called "differentiation." By highlighting the small distinctions and dimming out the large similarities between their program and all the others, they're jostling for your next nutritional dollar.

Now, and let me be clear on this, I'm not accusing nutrition experts of quackery.

Yes, some programs are utter crap. Those are generally quite easy to pick out and don't merit discussion here. But most experts do know what they are talking about, can get results, and wholeheartedly believe in what they're doing. Many of the differences between them are theoretical and not practical, and on the fundamentals they generally agree completely.

It's all good - sorta

In fact, many of the mainstream programs out there, if not most of them, will work. To what extent they work, and for how long, varies. As long as a program is internally consistent, follows a few basic nutritional tenets, and as long as you adhere to it consistently, without hesitation, and without mixing principles haphazardly taken from other programs, you'll get some results. It's that simple, and that hard (as you can see, results depend as much on psychology as on biochemistry).

But if you're like most people, you'll first survey all the most often discussed programs before deciding which to follow. And in this appraisal, you'll get confused, lost, and then do the inevitable. That's right, you'll revert back to your old, ineffectual nutrition habits.

Instead of parsing out the similarities between all the successful plans out there, the common principles that affect positive, long-term change, you get thrown off the trail by the stench of the steaming piles of detail.

The Atkins program works for all patients under the direct care of the Atkins team-as long as patients follow it. The Zone program works for all patients under the direct care of the Sears team -as long as they follow it. The Pritkin Diet works for all patients under the care of the Pritkin team- as long as they follow it.

Yet, not all three plans are identical. How, then, can they all get impressive improvements in health and body composition? Well, either each team somehow magically draws the specific patient subpopulations most in need of their plan (doubtful) or each system possesses some basic fundamental principles that are more important than the ratios of protein to carbs to fats.

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Nutritional Programs

Here's my take on it. I call these principles, "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Nutritional Programs," a shameless and possibly illegal play on Steven Covey's book, "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People." (Great book, by the way-you should read it sometime.)

These aren't the newest techniques from the latest cutting-edge plan. Rather, they are simple, time-tested, no nonsense habits that you need to get into when designing a good eating program.

1. Eat every 2-3 hours, no matter what. You should eat between 5-8 meals per day.

2. Eat complete (containing all the essential amino acids), lean protein with each meal.

3. Eat fruits and/or vegetables with each food meal.

4. Ensure that your carbohydrate intake comes from fruits and vegetables. Exception: workout and post-workout drinks and meals.

5. Ensure that 25-35% of your energy intake comes from fat, with your fat intake split equally between saturates (e.g. animal fat), monounsaturates (e.g., olive oil), and polyunsaturates (e.g. flax oil, salmon oil).

6. Drink only non-calorie containing beverages, the best choices being water and green tea.

7. Eat mostly whole foods (except workout and post-workout drinks).
So what about calories, or macronutrient ratios, or any number of other things that I've covered in other articles? The short answer is that if you aren't already practicing the above-mentioned habits, and by practicing them I mean putting them to use over 90% of the time (i.e., no more than 4 meals out of an average 42 meals per week violate any of those rules), everything else is pretty pointless.

Moreover, many people can achieve the health and the body composition they desire using the 7 habits alone. No kidding! In fact, with some of my clients I spend the first few months just supervising their adherence to these 7 rules-an effective but costly way to learn them.

If you've reached the 90% threshold, you may need a bit more individualization beyond the 7 habits. If so, search around on this site. Many of these little tricks can be found in my many articles published right here. But before looking for them, before assuming you're ready for individualization; make sure you've truly mastered the 7 habits. Then, while keeping the 7 habits as the consistent foundation, tweak away.

Dr. John Berardi is the founder of Science Link, Inc. and is the founder of Storm Training Systems. Through his Precision Nutrition Network (PNN), Dr. Berardi has pioneered a new way of delivering cutting edge nutrition advice to coaches, strength and conditioning specialists, personal trainers, nutritionists, therapists, chiropractors, and physicians across the world.

Athlete Support Systems

As a modern day athlete it is imperative to create a support system for yourself. What is a support system? A support system is a team of people that help and assist you in the execution of goal achievement. In the sporting arena, this support team is composed of coaches, teammates, parents, friends, family, and any other individual you can lean on that will help you to get to the next level.

The most successful athletes in the world have a positive support system that is their shoulder to lean on in times of greatness, and in times of stress. Without a support team in your corner, your ability to attain success in sport by yourself is very difficult. The lack of a support team allows athletes to get in their own heads in negative ways, taking focus away from performance enhancement, and actually leads to decreased performance.

Your support team needs to be positive, or else there will be a failure in the system and in turn a failure in performance. Work to develop a diverse team, but a team composed of people that believe in you, are trustworthy, and have your best interests in mind. And most importantly, don't treat the admission to this team lightly. Take this very seriously and work to create a team that you feel comfortable with and a team that will aid in your quest for greatness.

We here at StrongerWorkouts.com are here as a support system for you, please feel free to bounce ideas off of us or vent / brag about something you've accomplished or failed. Visit our facebook or blog sites and way in on the various topics, or start a topic on either of our sites.

Make yourself at home here at StrongerWorkouts, use our site as if it were your own. Ask for opinions, take a poll see what other athletes are doing.

Cheers,

SW

The NEW TRX Surf Stronger Workout is here!

The time is here. The NEW Surf Stronger TRX Workout (Download) will
be available in our stores Wednesday, July 1st.

Off-Season Hockey Workout

Now that the Stanley Cup Finals are over and the NHL season is finished, many hockey players are preparing for the off-season training. The workout below is one that we use in our General Preparation Phase to kick off our summer training. We really like this workout because it combines the elements of speed with the elements of skating with some early season strength training.

LET’S GET TO WORK – HAVE FUN!........

Jogging 5min + 10min stretching in motion (Dynamic Stretching)
3x30m skip C (Can search “track a,b,c on You Tube if don’t understand how to do Skip A,B.C )

3x30m skpC Front scissors (Straight legs kicking to the front)
Rest 3-4min
3x ( 20m skpA into run 20m 65%) rest 60sek

2 x Circuit Rest 15sek After set 60sek
2 Point Plank - on elbows body in straight position sucking belly button in towards spine (Search You Tube under weight training plank exercises) (tummy facing down and then facing up) x 20” Push up (good posture - no sagging or arching of body) x10 Side Bridge or Side Plank (nice straight lines – suck tummy in) L/R x 20” Full squats hands front no weights x 12
Run alternate knee lifts 10sek

6x30”/30” DC 1’s™ (start with good skating position feet close together 4inches apart – from there extend one leg out to the side –feet always facing forward - and hold position for about a sec then bring back to starting position then repeat with the opposite leg. Follow this protocol for 30 sec of work 30 sec of rest)

6x30”/30” Baby Steps™ (drill will be done on a straight line that is approximately 30 meters long - bend legs to 110 degree and balance all weight on one leg with hips and feet facing forward proceed down line repeating 1 leg at a time – trail leg is tucked in with the knee touching the weighted leg’s calf and the toe facing straight down)

3x30”/30” Repeat DC 1’s

DB 1 Arm Snatch 2x4x 65% 5x6x60% Rest 60sek

Full back squats 5x12x 60%; Rest 90-120sek
Pair with Calf raises 4x15x rest 60sec

Lying leg curls 4x12 rest 60 sec
Pair with Abdominals –sit ups holding ball 4x12 rest on own

Standing leg curls- single leg 3x8 rest 60 sec
Pair with Lat pulldowns 3x10 Rest 60sec

Back extension Horizontal position don’t move 2x20sek with 5lbs held to chest Rest 90sek
Pair with Back ext classic down-up 2x10

Plate rotation 10lbs 2x8 each side rest 60sek (squat while holding a light wt 10lbs? while in squat position rotate to one side then back to middle and stand up. Carry on going to opposite side on the next squat down – keep hips as forward as you can and keep feet flat on floor!)
Pair with Incline Bench Press 5x 8 x 60%

Speed Development: Stride length and stride frequency

Speed is the result of stride length and stride frequency. In order to increase speed, it is necessary to increase either stride length and/or frequency. Both can be developed and increased through training, however, one more than the other. Stride length can be developed and increased in an athlete much more than stride frequency. Stride frequency is determined by heredity, so the development capacity is limited.

Stride length can be increased through a strength program. The strength program should include a combination of weight training, multi-jumps, and flexibility. These varying methods contribute to the development of stride length in the athlete.

Biomechanically, athletes with good strength will be able to lift their legs higher than an athlete that lacks optimum strength. If that athlete also has adequate leg frequency, the stride will be longer than the athlete that lacks strength. The more force you apply to the ground with your stride the stronger the reaction will be; therefore, the length of your stride will be longer as a result of the impulse. This is stated in Newton’s law of every reaction there is an opposite ….

Exercises to improve stride length include but are not limited to the following: lunges, step ups, squats, leg press, and split squats. Using multi-jumps, hops over low hurdles, broad jumps, and jumps onto a box. The strength training program should be complimented with a flexibility program. The objective is to increase the range of motion of the muscle groups and to prevent injuries from a lack of flexibility.

The improvement in strength is essential in developing acceleration, explosive power, stride length improvement, and the maintenance of maximum sprinting speed.

Under Armour Compression

Q: What are the best foods to eat for burning body fat?

Q: What are the best foods to eat for burning body fat?

A: The term “fat burning food” is relative, but when I think of fat burning foods I instantly think of foods that create a thermogenic effect inside the body. Now when I say “thermogenic” automatically people think about some miracle pill, or green tea, guarana, or another exotic supplement that is supposed to boost your metabolism and burn body fat overnight. There may be some truth behind these claims, but without solid nutrition fundamentals, none of that stuff really matters. If you do not have proper meal timing, solid nutrition strategies, and a good workout plan, no magic supplement will come to the rescue.

This is where many people get caught up in the next new thing, and begin paying way too much attention on things that do not matter, and before they know it they are on the latest fad diet. My advice is to spend your time focusing on the things that matter, like nutrition and exercise and leave the rest of the stuff alone for the time being.

The Fat Burning Effect of Food

In reality, all foods have some fat burning/thermogenic effect because the body must use energy to process and digest them. Of course some foods will be better than others, and by eating natural, whole foods, you will progress much faster and burn much more fat.

My favorite fat burning food is solid lean protein from the following sources:

-Extra lean red meat such as lean sirloin and top round
-Most types of fish
-Shellfish
-Chicken Breast
-Turkey Breast
-Buffalo, Bison
-Egg Whites

Out of all the macronutrients (protein, carbs, and fat) lean protein has the highest thermogenic effect on the body. This is probably the main reason that professional athletes and competitive bodybuilders eat a diet that is high in lean protein and also have some of the best physiques on the planet. This goes for women also and not just men. As we are all humans with basically the same dna and tissues, we all need protein in order to survive and also burn fat! The 6 Pack Secret is based around these same fat loss principles that athletes and bodybuilders have perfected over the years (although my program is not just for athletes and bodybuilders).

By combining lean protein with the correct types and amounts of green leafy vegetables, good carbs, and fats you will begin to super charge your metabolism and turn your body into a 24-7 fat burning machine. The best part about that is, you will be able to do it without a miracle supplement, weird drugs, or expensive surgeries.

Fat Burning Meal Strategy to Ignite Thermogenesis

1. Select one of the lean proteins we discussed earlier

2. Select a natural grain or starchy carb such as: sweet potatoes, brown rice, oatmeal. (Usually a handful of the raw amount is a good portion size)

3. Select a fibrous or green vegetable such as: broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, asparagus, etc

4. Combine all previously mentioned foods into one fat burning meal

Note: Protein powders such as whey protein are very convenient and also very good to use in your nutrition rotation, however I do not consider whey protein as a “real food”. You should use whey protein to supplement your diet, but your nutrition plan must be focused around using highly thermogenic whole foods because these will spark your metabolism due to their very thermic effects.

I could go on and on with dozens more strategies for losing your body fat faster, the natural way, but I've discussed enough for one article. You can find all of my best fat-loss strategies to help you uncover those hidden abdominals of yours, laid out into actual programs for you to follow in The 6 Pack Secret Program for Losing Belly Fat. You will also learn the fundamentals of fat loss, which are responsible for 90% of your results.

Visit the home page by clicking here for more details: www.the6packsecret.com and pick up your own copy of the The 6 Pack Secret today.

As always, best wishes for a healthy body, and good luck with your fat burning!

Be Healthy and Go Green

Okay... Why is everyone walking around the gym with a stainless steel bottle? Is it just another save the planet / tree-hugging fad, or is there some health benefit to using a stainless steel bottle over plastic.

We've checked it out and studies are coming out at a rapid rate showing the dangers of ingesting toxins leached from plastic bottles. If you're working out, chances are you take your health pretty seriously. Why place your health at risk? Get one of the Top Ten Green Products of the century and get an insulated tote on us.

To your health!

SW

Put your personal trainer in your pocket and see results!

Always wanted a personal trainer but just couldn’t shell out the extra $50 per workout? What if getting a personal trainer was as easy as making a new playlist in iTunes?

A new addition to the iPod craze has spawned - the iTrain, it allows users to download personalized workout information straight to their MP3 player. Workout choices include: iTrain, iClimb, iTread, iCycle, and iStrength, for other options visit their website. A yearly workout package runs for $49.99, a monthly for $9.99, or if you’d like, get a sampler for under $1.00 per workout.

Now while this won’t get you to the gym, it may help you stay there longer and for much cheaper than a personal trainer.

iTRAIN™ is a breakthrough fitness product that takes personalized conditioning to a whole new level. This cutting edge fitness program allows users to download personalized trainer workouts onto any MP3 player.

iTRAIN™ is customized workouts that combine Hollywood personal trainers and music entertainment in one package.

How to use FRS:

How to use FRS:

FRS Healthy Energy works best when taken regularly, twice a day, and 30 minutes before exercise. Ten minutes after taking FRS some people find that 5 minutes of activity helps activate the nutrients in FRS and jump starts the energy boosting and focus increasing properties of FRS. The health benefits of FRS Healthy Energy don't require any activation.

It is recommended you use FRS once in the morning and again in the afternoon. The morning serving should ideally be coupled with some form of exercise activity – a quick jog or walk is all it takes to activate your body’s natural adrenaline, from there, let FRS do the work and extend your body’s natural energy for hours. In the afternoon, many find it helpful to take another serving of FRS to keep the sustained energy through the rest of the day.

FRS comes in ready-to-drink cans, concentrates, powders and chews so you can choose whichever is best for you:

FRS Cans
If you like your drinks in a grab-and-go form then FRS cans are for you. The ready to drink cans are premixed with fruit juices and purees for a light, fresh taste and each can is packed with 325 mg of quercetin – the most quercetin per serving of all FRS products. Three low calorie flavors offer all the sustained energy with just 25 calories per can.

FRS Concentrate
FRS drink concentrate is the easy and economical solution if you drink FRS on a regular basis. Mix with water or add to juice, seltzer or your favorite smoothie.

FRS Powder
FRS powdered drink mix comes in a box of single-serve stick packs. It’s the perfect beverage solution if you’re hitting the gym, going on a ride or going on a business trip. The packs are small, lightweight and easy to add to your water bottle. With just 10 calories each they’re also the lowest calorie way to get your FRS sustained energy if you’re watching your waistline.

FRS Chews
FRS soft chews are individually wrapped and ideal for travel. Simply unwrap two chews and eat, no water required. You can keep them in your gym bag or purse so they are there wherever you need a boost.

NEW Heart Rate Monitors

Polar Heart Monitors

Polar Heart Monitors, founded in 1977, is the leading brand and the true partner in improving health and well-being through the understanding of human physiology, performance and environment and providing measuring devices for this combination. Moreover, Polar Heart Monitors is the world's leading manufacturer of sports instruments and heart rate monitoring, registering and evaluation equipment.

Polar Heart Monitoring products can be used in all athletic training, Outdoor Sports, Fitness, Running, Cycling, Weight Management and Rehabilitation. Wireless heart rate monitoring method, a Polar Heart Monitors innovation, was at first used for optimizing the quality and efficiency of athletic training. Combining physiological data with information about environment and performance lead Polar Heart Monitors to achieve ability to provide a wide range of products which give specialized information about different kind of activities.

By monitoring heart rate, the simple observation that the harder we exercise, the faster our heart beats is put to good use. Professional athletes and amateurs alike have for decades been relying on the information provided by their heart rate monitor for the following reasons:

1. A Polar Heart Monitor is like a rev counter, giving a precise measurement of exercise intensity.
2. Training at your own ideal pace is made possible with a Polar Heart Monitor.
3. Direct measurement of heart rate during exercise is the most accurate way to gauge performance.
4. Progress can be monitored and measured, increasing motivation.
5. It maximizes the benefits of exercise in a limited amount of time.
6. It introduces objective observation. Are you on the right track? Are you improving?
7. It is a tool for regulating frequency and intensity of workouts.
8. Because of the immediate feedback it provides, heart rate monitoring is an ideal training partner.

WHY POLAR HEART RATE MONITORS?

Exercise equipment has advanced tremendously over the last decade. Today you can run on your treadmill at home, and then slide it under your bed. At the gym, you can choose a program that will all but exercise for you. But, while there are smarter machines, there are still more people not reaching their exercise goals. Why? Because they were never taught how to exercise correctly.

The 'no pain, no gain" theory is alive and well in most gyms and households today. People believe that they have to go all out to get the best workout possible. What happens then is the majority of people quit because exercise is too hard. Does that sound like you?

Maybe you have stuck it out, but just can't seem to get those last few pounds off. And it's not from lack of effort. You put your time in at the gym or on your home exercise equipment. But are you sure that you're exercising according to what your goals are? If not, a heart rate monitor may be just the key to get you the results you're looking for.

To understand how an Heart Rate Monitor can help you, we established the

Polar Heart Monitors 3 Point Message:

1. In order to reach your fitness goals, you need to exercise at the right intensity.
2. Heart rate is the only accurate measurement of your intensity or your exertion level.
3. A Polar Heart Rate Monitor is the easiest and most accurate way to continuously measure your heart rate.

A Polar heart rate monitor is a tool that will help pace you. If you exercise too hard, you will most likely quit before you get the real benefit. We have all seen the person who gets on the treadmill, cranks it up to 8% grade and 8 mph, runs full out for 2 minutes, and gets off. ALL THEY DID WAS WASTE TWO MINUTES OF THEIR TIME!

On the other hand, there are people who exercise very leisurely and wonder why they can't lose any weight. If you workout too slowly, you won't get the exercise benefit either.

That's where the Polar Heart Rate Monitor comes in. It paces you during your workout. It's like having a personal trainer that tells you to slow down or speed up. It also helps you diversify your workout and integrate different activities so you don't get bored. Right now, how would you know that you're getting a similar workout from a treadmill, a weight circuit or jumping rope? You probably really can't tell. It's not how you feel, or how much you are perspiring. Your heart rate can tell you. With a heart rate monitor you can ensure that you're working out at the right intensity, no matter what activity you choose. Run on a treadmill, jump rope, in-line skate, go for a hike...these can all be parts of an effective exercise program because now you can tell what kind of workout you're getting. The Polar Heart Rate Monitor makes that possible.

If you are new to exercise, it can be daunting to walk into the gym and figure out what to do. You get on a piece of equipment and it?s asking you for level, speed, incline. How do you know what?s right? All you have to do is figure out your 60-70% Target Zone, program it into your heart rate monitor, start the equipment and go. You can elevate the level, speed, whatever?..just make sure whatever you are doing, your heart rate stays in that zone. It takes the guesswork out of exercise and gives you the confidence to know that you?re doing it right.

If you're very new to the concept of heart rate training, you might be wondering WHAT'S AN HRM. It consists of a watch worn on your wrist, and a transmitter that you comfortably wear against your skin and around your chest. The transmitter picks up the signals of your heart, and sends them wirelessly to the watch you wear on your wrist. It's that simple. No wires, no stopping to take your pulse and doing a multiplication equation. Just look at your wrist and it's there. AND THE KEY, IT'S DISPLAYED CONTINUOUSLY. The continuous display is what makes it effective. It's there guiding you during your whole workout.

Your home equipment, or the cardio machine that you use at the gym, may already have Polar technology built into it. That means that all you have to do is wear a Polar transmitter and the machine can track your heart rate during your exercise. There are even machines that are heart rate controlled and will adjust the speed based on your own heart rate. Look for the Polar logo on these machines and start getting a more effective workout.

Here's how you can integrate an Polar Heart Rate Monitor into your exercise program

There are specific Target Zones (TZ) that help guide you to the right intensity. A TZ is a high and low heart rate range that is based on a percentage of your maximum heart rate. You can use a formula based on your age, you can figure out your maximum heart rate. You then take percentages of that to get your Target Zones.

Another option is the OwnZone? feature that is built into our M-Series products. During a brief warm-up, these models will automatically establish your 65-85% target zone for that day based on your body?s fitness. If you are doing a longer workout, stay in the lower end of that range. If you are looking for a shorter, more intense workout, just stay in the upper half of that zone. It?s that simple! There is also an OwnCal? feature that will allow you to accurately track the calories that you burn.

Key Target Zones

60-70% of max HR	Good for weight loss, building endurance or recovery
70-80% " " "	Good for improving cardiovascular fitness
80%+ " " "	Interval workouts

Example:

Gerry is 45 years old, wants to lose weight, and exercises three days a week, sometimes for 10 minutes, sometimes for 20 minutes and is just not sure how hard to go.

*Her estimated max heart rate is 220-(age) 45=175

The recommended target zone is 60-70 %
60% of 175=105
70% of 175=123

Gerry?s target zone is 105-123

Gerry should exercise three days a week for at least 30 minutes and keep her heart rate between 105 and 123 for effective weight loss. IT'S THAT SIMPLE!

If you are trying to improve your overall fitness, you need to vary your workouts. Your body is smart and adapts to routine. If you follow the same program, and have so for a while, you may have hit a plateau. Variety is the key here. Approach your workouts like an athlete does. They focus on different workouts on different days. Have an endurance day when you go longer at an easier pace than you usually do (60-70% TZ). Do a tempo workout another day staying below 80%. Do an interval workout like hill repeats, or speed intervals where you pick up the speed for 1 minute, rest for three minutes and repeat it again. These are the kinds of workouts that will help get you over the hump. Approach your workouts like an athlete, preparing yourself the most effective way that you can.

You can even track improvements beyond getting on a scale. Look for lowered resting heart rate as a key indicator. For a more effective measure, the Polar F6 and F11 will perform a fitness test while you are sitting in a chair - OwnIndex? feature. You can establish your baseline fitness, then take monthly tests with the F11 and easily track your improvements.

Resisted Speed Training

Posted By: Craig Fitzgerald

When we talk about speed training for sports, most of the conversation revolves around acceleration. Athletes playing football, basketball, lacrosse, tennis, and other short-burst change of direction sports need to accelerate. Top end speed is useful in some aspects of sports but involves hours of technique training. With all the components of off-season preparation athletes must endure such as strength, increasing lean muscle mass, change of direction, and sport specific practice, athletes need to organize their time efficiently. Acceleration training gives you the most bang for your buck. Since most sports are acceleration based, this key component needs to be worked on in the summer. A good way to improve acceleration is resistance sprinting. Here are four modalities, which cost nothing:

• Hill Sprinting: Sprint up and incline using various grades and distances. This can be done on grass with cleats, pavement, or even stadium/arena stairs.

• Pulling an Object: This is best done on an even surface (grass, track, or pavement); use either a sled, tire, or log. The weight being pulled shouldn’t be too heavy where it interferes with your sprinting technique.

• Pushing: Push an object on any surface; you can use a trainer’s golf cart, sled, truck (if you have more than one person), or an old station wagon.

• Sand: If you live near the beach, this is ideal; if not, visit a volleyball court or playground (or construct your own sand pit). The drills in the sand are limitless; you can do jumps, sprints, shuttle runs, etc. It will give your legs and lungs a heck of a workout while also improving your acceleration.

Here is a great quote from my college strength coach, “if it is not hard, it is not helping.” I believe this to be very true. When performed correctly, these drills will ask a lot of you but you will also get a lot in return; improved speed and overall conditioning will be yours.

StrongerWorkouts.com

Men's Recharge Compression Suit

YOU BROKE YOUR BODY DOWN...NOW BUILD IT BACK UP.Post-Game/Post-Workout Compression That Recharges You.

• Wear after games or workouts to re-energize your body.
• Strategic Compression promotes muscle repair by targeting & stabilizing muscles.
• Designed to reduce swelling, soreness time & fatigue.
• Armour®Stretch improves mobility and accelerates dry time with lightweight fabrics built in a 4-way stretch.
• Built with Flatlock Seams that feel smooth against the skin and prevent chafing.
• Raglan sleeve construction allows for total mobility and a full range of motion, while eliminating shoulder seam abrasion points.
• 30+ UPF protects your skin from the sun's harmful rays and inhibits premature aging.
• 81% Polyester / 19% Elastane 5 oz.
• Imported.

StrongerWorkouts.com

The Creatine-Insulin Dilemma

by Alfredo Franco-Obregón, PhD

Creatine is, by no means, new to this world. Creatine is, and always has been, a natural constituent of skeletal muscle. Humankind simply needed to be made aware of its existence. Amazingly, creatine was first identified nearly two centuries ago! In the early 1800s, the French scientist and philosopher, Michel-Eugène Chevreul, isolated a novel agent from skeletal muscle that he later named creatine for kreas, the Greek word for flesh (1).

A few years later (1847), a German scientist named Justus von Liebig observed that maintaining foxes in captivity decreased their muscular creatine content (2). Postulating that physical activity increases creatine uptake by skeletal muscle, Liebig advanced the hypothesis that muscles utilize certain nitrogen containing molecules for energy. These nitrogenous molecules, otherwise known as amino acids, include creatine. Intriguingly, as an extension of his findings, Liebig later lent his name to a commercial extract of meat, which he asserted would help the body perform extra “work”. In fact, “Liebig’s Fleisch Extrakt” could quite reasonably be considered the original creatine supplement (complete with marketing plan). Near the turn of the last century the first studies examining the effects of creatine feeding were conducted where it was noticed that not all the creatine fed to animals could be recovered in the urine. Soon afterwards, Otto Folin and W. Dennis (1912-1914) of Harvard University (Boston) unequivocally corroborated by that the body’s musculature retains the greater part of any ingested creatine.

Therefore, nearly one century ago scientists had already come full circle, from discovering that skeletal muscle is the richest natural source of creatine to the largest sink for dietary creatine in the body. Nevertheless, up to quite recently, the manner in which to best promote creatine absorption by skeletal muscle remained largely elusive. In this respect, a huge leap forward was made with the finding that insulin assists in the absorption of creatine into skeletal muscle. And, although this effect was previously hinted at in animal studies, the studies that first clearly showed this effect in humans were conducted only a few years ago (3,4). These human studies used glucose to stimulate the production of insulin, the same agent used by the body for this same purpose.

Following a meal our blood glucose levels rise, which then serves as the signal for the release of insulin from the pancreas. Insulin, in turn, enables the cells of our body to take up nutrients, principally glucose, but also amino acids, from the blood stream. Creatine, due to its structural likeness to amino acids, is also transported into the cell with the assistance of insulin, although via a different transport pathway. In this respect, insulin sets the stage for muscle growth (aka, anabolism) by making available to the cell the basic substrates for the production of new muscle tissues.

The problem with the original studies examining insulin-mediated creatine uptake in humans, however, was that the amounts of glucose required to evoke a strong enough release of insulin were exorbitant; nearly 20 grams of glucose for each gram of creatine consumed and close to the limit of palatability for most individuals. Furthermore, this amount of glucose, if consumed on a regular basis, could lead to a state of insulin-resistance, which is the path to the development of type II diabetes. In other words, cells become immune to the presence of insulin if constantly bombarded by it, which, in turn, diminishes the uptake of essential nutrients into muscle cells and increases the need for insulin to stimulate muscle growth. Furthermore, since fats cells are the last to become resistant to the effects of insulin, the initial stages of insulin-resistance causes our fat reserves to swell and our muscle mass to shrivel up. Therefore, although these results were promising, they were far from being a complete solution.

Since then, there has been a search for agents that might effectively release insulin into the blood stream (for the purpose of creatine adsorption) without adversely influencing insulin-sensitivity. Many creatine manufacturers have consequently taken to adding a variety of insulin-agonists to their products in hopes of getting around the insulin-dilemma. These “insulinotropic” strategies are aimed at either enhancing the release of insulin from the pancreas or augmenting the effects of upon the cell in order to increase transport rates of creatine into skeletal muscle. The agents often used for this purpose include chromium picolinate, alpha-lipoic acid, 4-hydroxyisoleucine, and the amino acids, taurine, L-arginine, NO-releasers, and L-carnitine. These days it is quite common to find one, or more, of these agents in many creatine products. Unfortunately, with the exception of alpha-lipoic acid (5), none of these agents have been specifically shown in scientific studies to potentiate the uptake of creatine into the cell. This in time may come, but for the moment, it’s still too early to say whether these other agents actually promote creatine absorption by muscle cells.

There’s a safer, and much more reliable, method of promoting insulin release that has been overlooked by many creatine manufacturers. Ignored, in fact, simply because it isn’t sexy enough to appear innovative and, consequently, will not serve to jack up the price of the product; the agenda of most creatine manufacturers. By now, the ability of glucose to release insulin is without dispute. Ten years ago, however, a study showed that protein greatly potentiates the ability of glucose to release insulin into the blood stream from the pancreas (6). The effect of protein was so powerful that half the amount of carbohydrates could be used to elicit the same amount of insulin release.

What remained to be shown was whether the combination of carbohydrates and protein is equally as effective at promoting creatine absorption by skeletal muscle. This awaited study finally appeared in 2000 and showed that protein in combination with simple carbohydrates augments creatine absorption by skeletal muscle to a similar extent as high doses of carbohydrates (7). In this study experimental subjects were given one of four different supplement combinations 30 minutes after ingesting creatine, 5 grams of glucose (placebo), 50 grams of protein and 47 grams of glucose (PRO-CHO), 96 grams of glucose (Hi-CHO), or 50 grams of glucose (Lo-CHO). The results were clear, PRO-CHO and Hi-CHO were equally effective at promoting creatine absorption, which were both greater (~10-25%) than either Lo-CHO and placebo. Again, adding protein reduced the glucose requirement by half!

Another advantage of adding glucose to your creatine is that it aids in the replenishment of your glycogen reserves following exercise. This effect arises from the ability of insulin to increase the number of glucose transporters (GLUT 4) expressed on the cell surface. GLUT 4 is the principal protein complex responsible for transporting glucose into the cell once stimulated by insulin. And, since exercise makes the cells of our body more sensitive to the effects of insulin, exercise likewise increases the expression of GLUT 4. On the other hand, inactivity, either by choice or because of injury, reduces GLUT 4 expression.

Along these lines, a recent study has shown that creatine protects against the loss of GLUT 4 during limb immobilization and, furthermore, accentuates the increased expression of GLUT 4 during subsequent rehabilitation (8). Not surprisingly, the creatine and glucose treated subjects exhibited larger muscle glycogen (and creatine) reserves during rehabilitation. Finally, a new study just appeared indicating that protein exerts a similar effect on GLUT 4 expression, but without adversely affecting insulin-sensitivity (9). Specifically, this study compared the effects of creatine supplementation with glucose or glucose plus protein during the rehabilitation of a previously immobilized limb. The authors of this study found that retraining (6 weeks) a previously immobilized limb (2 weeks placed in a cast) in conjunction with a post-exercise creatine, protein and glucose meal increased GLUT 4 expression and muscle glycogen content to the same extent as a creatine and glucose meal. Most importantly, since the protein meal contained less than one third the amount of glucose (20 grams versus 70 grams!), insulin sensitivity was improved as a result. Furthermore, the effect on glycogen storage was specific for the exercised limb. That is, the un-exercised limb exhibited no change in GLUT 4 expression or muscle glycogen content. This result clearly indicates that simply upplementing with creatine, irrespective of the manner in which it is done, in the absence of exercise is a fruitless endeavor.

The solution seems clear. Adding protein to your creatine and carbohydrate mix will promote muscle creatine uptake (and glycogen synthesis) WITHOUT adversely affecting the sensitivity of your cells to insulin.

Author’s Note: Due to space constraints, other very important anabolic benefits of combining protein and creatine were not covered in this article. These other anabolic attributes, and how to best make use of them, are discussed in my creatine guide. Click here for more information about the guide.

Scientific References

1. Chevreul, X. (1835) Sur la composition chimique du bouillon de viandes. J. Pharm. Sci. Accessoires Volume 21: pages 231-242.

2. Balsom, P. D., Soderlund, K. and Ekblom, B. (1994) Creatine in humans with special reference to creatine supplementation. Sports Medicine Volume 18: pages 268-280.

3. Green, A. L., Simpson, E. J., Littlewood, J. J., MacDonald, I. A., and Greenhaff, P. L. (1996). Carbohydrate ingestion augments creatine retention during creatine feedings in humans. Acta Physiol Scand Volume 158: pages 195-202.

4. Steenge, G. R., Lambourne, J., Casey, A., MacDonald, I. A., and Greenhaff, P. L. (1998). Stimulatory effect of insulin on creatine accumulation in human skeletal muscle. American Journal of Physiology Volume 275: pages E-974-E979.

5. Burke, D. G. Chilibeck P. D., Parise G., Tarnopolsky M. A., and Candow D. G., (2003). Effect of alpha-lipoic acid combined with creatine monohydrate on human skeletal muscle creatine and phosphagen concentration. International Journal of Sports Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism Volume 13(3): pages 294-302.

6. Chandler, R. M., Byrne, H. K., Patterson, J. G., and Ivy, J. L. (1994). Dietary supplements affect the anabolic hormones after weight-training exercise. Journal of Applied Physiology Volume 76(2): pages 839-845.

7. Steenge, G. R., Simpson, J., and Greenhaff, P. L. (2000). Protein- and carbohydrate-induced augmentation of whole body creatine retention in humans. Journal of Applied Physiology Volume 89: pages 1165-1171.

8. Op’t Eijnde, B., Urso, B., Richter, E. A., Greenhaff, P. L., and Hespel, P. (2001). Effect of oral creatine supplementation on human muscle GLUT4 protein content after immobilization. Diabetes Volume 50: pages 18-23.

9. Derave, W. Op’t Eijnde, B., Verbessem, P., Ramaekers, M., Van Leemputte, M. Richter, E. A., and Hespel, P. (2003). Combined creatine and protein supplementation in conjunction with resistance training promotes muscle GLUT-4 content and glucose tolerance in humans. Journal of Applied Physiology Volume 94: pages 1910–1916.

This article was written by Dr. Alfredo Franco-Obregón, research scientist, author, and owner of the Creatine Information Center and NSN Publishing.

Dr. Alfredo Franco-Obregón has had over 20 years of in depth research experience in major laboratories world-wide. His principal scientific interest is the understanding of the cellular mechanisms leading to muscle cell death.

Dr. Franco-Obregón is also the author of Creatine: A practical guide.

Click Here!

NEWS ALERT - Increase Endurance by 13.2% with FRS Energy

NEW STUDY SHOWS ANTIOXIDANT QUERCETIN - A KEY INGREDIENT IN FRS® HEALTHY ENERGY® - CAN EXTEND ENDURANCE WITHOUT REGULAR FITNESS TRAINING Quercetin, a key ingredient in FRS® Healthy Energy® products, has been shown in a new clinical study to increase endurance by 13.2 percent and VO2max - a typical measure of fitness - by 3.9% in active, healthy people without regular exercise training*. This study was conducted by researchers at the University of South Carolina and published online yesterday in the International Journal of Sports Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism. The daily amount of quercetin supplemented in the study would be similar to eating about 100 red apples a day or drinking approximately 3 cans of FRS Healthy Energy. FRS is one of the only readily available sources of the QU995™, 99.5% pure, quercetin used in the trial. The study was partially funded by the Department of Defense (DOD) and is part of an ongoing research program focused on the benefits of quercetin on performance and the immune system at the University of South Carolina. The study offers further scientific evidence that quercetin is a breakthrough in its ability to provide a unique and healthy way to naturally boost energy. While short-term stimulants like caffeine can produce a feeling of alertness, they do not supply actual energy to muscles and the brain the way that quercetin does. Pre-clinical research indicates that quercetin works by increasing the production of the energy-producing parts of the cell which mirrors an effect of exercise. Previously, exercise training has been considered the only practical way to achieve this effect and, in turn, build endurance. Click here to View Study Abstract.

FRS Healthy Energy Research

FRS was originally formulated, tested, and refined by leading scientists as a fatigue fighting and general health drink. It was later discovered by endurance athletes who found that it boosted and sustained their peak athletic performance while supporting their overall health. Now FRS is used by anyone who wants a healthy and sustained boost of energy.

The key active ingredient in FRS is Quercetin. (pronounced: KWAIR-suh-ten)

Quercetin is a natural antioxidant found in the skins of apples, blueberries, and onions. It protects the adrenaline that your body naturally creates to give you energy for small daily tasks like staying awake at work and big events like running a marathon. Quercetin allows your body to create the same amount of energy that it normally creates, but to use it more efficiently so you feel more energy for a longer amount of time.

All Quercetin isn't the same though. FRS uses only the highest purity Quercetin available and combines it with a patented mix of vitamins, metabolic enhancers, and antioxidants to allow your body to fully absorb it. The Quercetin in FRS is the only Quercetin with official FDA GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) status.

In addition to boosting energy, Quercetin has been studied by the US government for its immune system boosting properties. You can read about the US DARPA funded study as well as other independent studies below.

• FRS Sponsored Research
• Immune System Maintenance
• Fatigue
• Work Performance
• Antioxidant Strength Comparison
• Sports Performance Clinical Trial

In order to create the best products and stay on top of all the most recent research FRS employs some of the best scientists in the country.

Scientific Advisory Board

Marcus C.C.W. Elliot, M.D. - Chairman

Dr. Elliott is a world leader in the field of conditioning sciences. He is a graduate of the Harvard Medical School where he specialized in nutrition and exercise physiology. As Director of P3: Peak Performance Project, Dr. Elliot specializes in the performance and care of elite athletes for peak performance and injury prevention, helping them to understand specific physiologic, nutritional and biomechanical characteristics of success in sports.

He has worked with the NFL, and with hundreds of top athletes and coaches in the fields of cycling, tennis, triathlon, running and swimming to improve performance through strength training, bio-mechanical training, plyometrics and nutrition.

Dr. Elliot is a member of the American Medical Association, the American College of Sports Medicine, the National Strength and Conditioning Association, and the Governors Council on Physical Fitness.

Bill Harrison, M.D., O.D.

Dr. Harrison is a world-renowned expert on vision and sports performance, and the founder of Performance Fundamentals (PFI), a consulting company that has trained world-class coaches and athletes in numerous sports for over thirty years.

Dr. Harrison is also CEO of Sports Club International, LLC, a start-up company in the process of building an 800-acre site in Gilbert, Arizona for national and international competition and advanced sports training. He is a Doctor of Optometry educated at the University of California at Berkeley where he was a college baseball star.

Julie Taguchi, M.D.

Dr. Taguchi is a physician specializing in hematology and medical oncology at Sansum Medical Clinic, located in Santa Barbara, CA, since 1993. Prior to this, she worked as a physician in the Department of Hematology and Bone Marrow Transplantation at City of Hope, a top hospital dedicated to the prevention and cure of cancer, HIV/AIDS, diabetes, and other life-threatening diseases. A graduate of USC Medical School, Dr. Taguchi is also a published author and has served on the Board of Directors for the Tri-County Blood Bank since 1994.

Holden MacRae, Ph. D.

Dr. MacRae, a Professor of Sports Medicine at Pepperdine University, is a research physiologist specializing in human physiology, exercise and sports medicine. Holding a Ph.D. in Physiology from the University of Cape Town, South Africa, Dr. MacRae is focused on the determination of optimal training thresholds in sub-elite and elite cyclists and runners. He studies the metabolic, cardiovascular, and muscular variables that contribute to optimal exercise performance during high-intensity exercise.

Dr. MacRae is affiliated with the American Physiology Society, the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and the V.A. Greater Los Angeles Health Care System. Having served as principal and co-investigator on numerous exercise studies including one for FRS, Dr. MacRae has been published in the European Journal of Physiology and Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise and serves on the Editorial Board for ACSM's Health and Fitness Journal.

FREE 14-DAY TRIAL

Beach Body with Surf Stronger TRX Workout!

We are excited to announce a brand new TRX workout, just in time for summer:

TheSurf Stronger TRX Workout! This full body, 30-minute, surf-specificworkout, which features professional surfer and surfing icon, HollyBeck, is sure to be your favorite workout this summer. Whether you hit the beach everyday or live 5,000 miles from the nearest ocean, this workout will get you looking great in a swim suit.

The crew at Surf Stronger, led by surf fitness guru, ScottAdams, CSCS, has been using the TRX Suspension Trainer for the lastyear and a half, and after in-depth research and development (which included a few surfand training trips to Hawaii, Panama, Mexico, Nicaragua), and manysessions at our TRX Training Center in San Francisco, they’vecrafted a time-efficient, super effective workout to help anyone--at any level – improve their athletic performance and strengthen their body. The video alsofeatures awe-inspiring surf footage and a rousing soundtrack.

Whether you’re an aspiring surfer, seasoned pro or want to look good in a swim suit this summer, you’ll want to check out this new workout.

Available exclusively as a download for $14.95 at StrongerWorkouts.com July 1.

Army MWR Provides ‘Fitness Anywhere’ Kits for Deployed Soldiers

A Soldier uses a tank as an anchor to exercise with a TRX Suspension Trainer Force Training Kit.

FORT BRAGG, N.C. (Army News Service) - The Army has purchased 3,205 TRX Suspension Trainer “Fitness Anywhere,” kits to help deployed Soldiers get complete-body workouts wherever they can find a beam, doorway or tree limb to anchor the resistance-training device.

Soldiers already have mounted several of the systems to Humvees, tanks and cargo crates. The Force Trainer kits were bought by the Army Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation Command.

MWR employees at Fort Belvoir, Va., will send 205 of the combat-boot-sized systems to Iraq and Afghanistan as part of the recreation kits for deployed troops. Three thousand more were issued to Army units for a pilot program at Fort Bragg, where about 100 Soldiers volunteered for train-the-trainer clinics with instructors from Fitness Anywhere, Inc.

Those Soldiers, in turn, will train other Soldiers in their respective units, which will be issued more of the systems before deploying to the Middle East.

"I'm never going to walk away from free weights, but for somebody that wants to maintain, especially during deployment, it's great," Sgt. Wes Bard said after completing a three-hour, train-the-trainer session at Fort Bragg. "I was doing the chest press, and compared to a bench press, it's working all those little stability muscles. It's a lot harder."

Bard, a 6-foot tall, 260-pound former football player, wrestler, and track and field competitor who tossed high school girls high into the air as a competition cheerleader, said he would use this system - even if free weights were available.

"There's no doubt at all," Bard said. "Don't be fooled by its appearance. I walked out here and looked at it and thought: 'Yeah, I think pretty much anybody could figure out how to rig it up and use it."

"But don't think it's going to be a cakewalk. It works the core great. And because we run every day, I really liked using it for the legs because you want to keep your legs in shape but you don't want to add mass. Weight training for your legs isn't really going to help you with the distances we run," he said.

Army commanders already have requested more of the kits, which include a quick-start guide, basic training DVD, 12-week strength and cardio training manual, and a mesh carry bag.

"Our missions take our Soldiers worldwide in some of the most austere environments," a mission commander wrote in an e-mail to Janet Mackinnon, the acting sports, fitness and aquatics director at FMWRC in Alexandria, Va.

"In the past we have been taking bulky equipment with the unit, or in some cases, actually building equipment from existing materials. We think the TRX will fit the bill for our command's fitness needs," she said.

Mackinnon has been down this road before. In 2004, she began issuing troops a much simpler workout tool called Army Fitness Deployed, a resistance-training kit that consisted of a strand of elastic tubing in a pocket-sized package. She sent more than 680,000 of those kits to Army units and Soldiers around the world.

"I wanted to do something that is the next evolution, if you will, that's a more intense workout for the people that really need it and just don't have access to the other things," she said.

Mackinnon is excited about this pilot program, and hopes to expand its scope.

"I can only do as much as the funding allows me to do," she said. "Basically, I want to make sure this is worth it. Do the Soldiers like it? Are they getting a good workout? Are they also getting some recreation in?"

The Fitness Anywhere folks believe their system is the answer.

"This could be an unprecedented launch of awareness into the Army on suspension training and the TRX," said Ken Taylor, a former Navy SEAL who helped instruct the train-the-trainer clinics at Fort Bragg. He knows firsthand how difficult it is to train in the field and can't wait to see the reactions of the Soldiers using total-resistance training.

"There are hundreds and hundreds of service members that on their own have recognized the value of the suspension training and have been purchasing these via our Web site," he said.

The Soldiers at Fort Bragg were delighted to receive the training and experience the full-body effects of a TRX workout.

"It was a big surprise to just see how much stuff we could do," Sgt. Tavares Wilson said. "Not just the different exercises, but the different exercises for every body part. I'm going to go home and show it to my wife and we're going to work out at home. This will save us some trips to the gym."

Wilson, 23, who deployed to Baghdad in 2004-05 and Balad in 2006-07, said the TRX system could not replace working with free weights, but it could supplement his regimen. He said the gyms on developed bases in Iraq were "top-of-the-line."

"I personally love the gym, so I'm not going to stay out of it. But this definitely will give it some competition. Say I want to do a two-a-day workout: in the morning, I would go to the gym; and my second workout would be this," said Wilson, "This is definitely a gym right here."

That's music to the ears of TRX inventor Randy Hetrick, a former Navy SEAL.

"The success of the TRX is way beyond anything I've ever envisioned that it could become, and that's pretty cool," Hetrick said.

TRX instructors have conducted orientations at Fort Jackson, S.C.; Fort Leonard Wood, Mo.; Fort Riley, Kan.; Fort Benning, Ga.; Schofield Barracks, Hawaii; and Fort Richardson, Alaska.

"This is a paradigm shift because Soldiers usually only have the ground to work out off of when they're doing something out in the field or in a remote or outdoor location and there's not a whole lot of variety available to them when they're going to do an exercise," Taylor said.

"With this one piece of equipment, the idea that you can vary the amount of resistance you have for any exercise, do hundreds of exercises, and all do it from a single anchor point is actually kind of overwhelming and can be daunting just trying to remember everything," he said.

"If they grasped the main principles and the main concepts of what we were trying to put out today, I have a great feeling that they're going to be really successful using the TRXs and remain injury-free at the same time. They can get some crazy strength in terms of core and functional strength," Taylor said.

Taylor says wounded Soldiers are prime candidates for using resistance training because it can help them throughout the progression of an exercise.

New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees used a TRX to rehabilitate his injured shoulder.

"It's just your body weight working against gravity, so you won't get injured. Now my wife uses one at home, and I'm addicted," Brees said.

"That would be a big reason for a wounded warrior to be able to do this injury-free," Taylor said. "And maybe one of the Soldiers' idols or sports heroes is using suspension training and it's something they can relate to."

The NHL's Carolina Hurricanes and San Jose Sharks are both using the TRX, as are the NCAA's Ohio State Buckeyes.

Mackinnon likes adding the U.S. Army to that lineup.

"I'm very proud that MWR took the initiative to do this," she said. "It's really reaching Soldiers directly, and I know it will have a positive impact."

Order TRX at: StrongerWORKOUTS.com