Archive for Spend A Minute With The Fit Dad

2 Quick and Simple Workouts For You (Videos!!)

Tuesday, July 19th, 2011

What’s goin’ on!

I have a couple quick and awesome fat bustin’ workout videos for you to try out today and I hope you dig ‘em as much as I do.

They’re from a recent program I designed called “The Puzzle.”

With that program, you are able to pick and choose different circuits that hit your “trouble spots”.

Want to work your Arms or Legs a bit more?  You can do that.

How about your Abs and Core?  You can do that too!

What if you want to mix and match and hit a few different trouble spots at once?  You can do that too by grabbing different circuits and putting them together to form one killer workout!

This program is pretty sweet…and I’m not just saying that because I designed it.

Here’s how the program works.

You decide which parts of your body you want to focus on for the month (the more specific you can be the better), and then take a look at the workouts available.

The circuits are dialed down into 7-minute circuits and you should pick a couple different Puzzle Pieces to form one workout.  For the math inclined, that would make the workout last around 15 minutes (2 7-minute Puzzle Pieces with 1 minute break between the two).  If you have extra time, you can throw in another Puzzle Piece for a total of approximately 25 minutes.

These workouts will have you feeling fine and dandy by the time you’re finished!

Let’s say you want to lose weight, while also focusing in on your abs and core.

You would then pick 2 or 3 7-minute circuits that are focused on those areas.

Here are a couple videos showing you examples of the Puzzle Pieces.

One is for the Abs and the other is a Metabolic, or Weight Loss, Workout.

Here’s the Abs Puzzle Piece…
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Here’s the Metabolic Puzzle Piece…

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To do those, you would warm-up for about 5 minutes, then do the Abs Puzzle Piece for 7 minutes, rest a minute or two, then move right into the Metabolic Puzzle Piece and you’re finished!

You could also flip-flop ‘em and do the Metabolic one first, then the Abs…or you could do the Metabolic one twice, or even do the Abs one twice, or even do the Metabolic, then Abs, then Metabolic again.

Pretty sweet, huh?

By the way, if you’re a member of Fit Parent Force Monthly, this month’s Workout Of The Month is a gigantic Puzzle Workout where you pick and choose between 8 different Puzzle Piece workouts.

These puppies are awesome.  When filming them, I couldn’t help but think to myself “Holy crap!  Everybody’s gonna love these workouts!!” and by love, I of course mean hate because they’re pretty dang tough…but in a good way.

If you are a FPF Monthly member, click here to access this month’s issue.

If you’re not an FPF Monthly member, click here to learn how to become one.  You won’t regret it!

That’s it for today!

Ed

P.S. – The Nutrition section of this month’s magazine dives into the truth about fruit.  I get the question of whether fruit makes you fat all the time, so I decided to write a big article uncovering the truth.  I grabbed a few of the most common reasons you shouldn’t eat fruit, and then gave my response.  It’s a pretty sweet little article…but you have to be a Fit Parent Force Monthly member to read it.

If you are a FPF Monthly member, click here to access this month’s issue.

If you’re not an FPF Monthly member, click here to learn how to become one.  You won’t regret it!

Bodyweight Cardio Workout In 10 Minutes

Monday, December 6th, 2010

bodyweight cardio workout video in this episode of Fit Dad TVWhat’s goin’ down!

I hope your week is off to an awesome start and I hope you had an awesome weekend!

Mine was pretty sweet.  My wife and daughter’s birthdays were last week and today is my birthday.  I turn 32 and feel pretty darn good about it.  I hear some people say how they wish they could go back to their 20’s and never age beyond that decade, but I don’t agree.  I liked my 20’s, but I wouldn’t want to go back to them, although my hairline was a bit lower (which is also why I’m keeping my hair long as long as I can!).

Anywho, on with the message!

Remember that quick little 10-minute bodyweight cardio workout I shared with you not too long ago?

If not, click here to check that butt-kickin workout video out.

I have another one of those little devils…err… I mean sweet bodyweight workouts, for you!

Same concept – quick, intense bodyweight workout that you can do anywhere and virtually any time.

I’m going to touch on this after the video, but whenever you do a 10-minute workout such as the bodyweight cardio I’m going to show you, you must focus and pay attention to what you’re doing.  It sounds overly simplistic, and maybe even stupid, but trust me when I say it’s not.  It’s a common problem and can make or break your results.

To check it out, watch the Bodyweight Cardio Workout below…

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Also, don’t forget to focus on your muscles while doing these workouts.  I know that may sound weird, but it’s important.  I work with people every day here in my studio and one of the most common problems I see is people not “focusing.”  They go through the motions and hope to be done – don’t be that person.  This bodyweight workout is quick and is meant to work your entire body, burn lots of calories and crank your metabolism…but you have to do the work – you can’t just go through the motions.

Focus on what you’re doing.

Focus on the muscles worked.

Work hard.

Make sense?

If you’re not “present” and thinking, concentrating and actively flexing the muscles you’re working, you won’t achieve the results you’re after…or any results you do achieve will be horrible.

You might be able to get away with going through the motions in longer workouts (although you’re still wasting your time), but with these quick workouts (that are meant to be intense), you need to focus!

So if you’re doing a push-up in your bodyweight workout, really focus on flexing your chest (pecs) as you press your body up off the floor.  Focus on keeping your abs and butt muscles tight and make sure you use a proper tempo.

If you’re doing something like Mountain Climbers in your bodyweight cardio workout, focus on keeping your body in a straight line (just like push-ups), keep your abs tight and make the reps count.

See what I’m saying?

You can do quick workouts, you can use your own bodyweight, and you can still see phenomenal results, but you must FOCUS and be present.  Don’t go trhough the motions hoping to be done as soon as possible.

Crank it.

Work and your body will thank you.  It’ll thank you by dropping body fat like crazy!

Have an awesome day and I’ll talk to you soon!

Ed

bodyweight cardio workout 10 minute weight loss workouts

Fast Cardio Workout Using Bodyweight

Tuesday, November 16th, 2010

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Hey!

Running isn’t fun.  Maybe it is to you, but I really, immensely, greatly, hugely dislike it.

I think it’s boring and if I need to get from point A to point B, I’ll drive.

I know many people enjoy running and that’s cool.  I also know many people who should not be running because their form is out of whack and it puts too much pressure on their knee and hip joints, not to mention their back.

So if you like running, cool.  If you’re training for a half-marathon or full marathon because it’s a huge goal for you, that’s cool too.

If you just want to lose weight and get in better shape, running is overrated.

I much prefer bodyweight workouts for my cardio and they work fine and dandy.

Actually, they work better than fine and dandy, they work fantastically!

I made a little video for you showing you just that type of cardio workout and if you’d like to give it a gander, click below:

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Okay, that is all!

Talk to you soon and have an awesome day!

Ed, aka “The Fit Dad”

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Hey!

I don’t think it’s a secret that I love push-ups.  I love doing push-ups and I love making other people do push-ups.

They are one of the perfect exercises – whether you want to lose weight, build muscle or just get strong and healthy – they must be done!

But what happens if regular push-ups are too easy?

What should you do if the workout calls for 2 sets of 12 push-ups and that doesn’t faze you.  Sure it might work you a bit, but it’s nowhere near as difficult as it used to be and you want to keep progressing…

…You want to keep getting better, keep losing weight, keep getting stronger, etc.

Should you just do more of the same?

Nah.

That’s boringPlus it’s not really going to help that much. Just doing a couple extra push-ups won’t make that much of a difference.

What will make a difference is doing different TYPES of push-ups.

Whether that be something more “Moderate” in intensity or stepping up to something a little more “Advanced.”

There are loads of different push-up variations and I made a couple videos for you showing you 3 different Moderate-level push-ups and 3 different Advanced-level push-ups.

Actually, I gave you a couple tweaks on some of them, so it’s more like 4 or 5 different types of push-ups in each video.

What can I say?  I’m a giver

Okay, enough of the jibber-jabber, let’s get down to the nitty-gritty.

To check the video out for the Moderate Push-ups, watch below…

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To check the video out for the Advanced Push-ups, watch below…

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Okay, that’s all I have for you today!

Be back soon with more awesomeness!

Ed

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Hey!

What’s happenin’?  I trust your weekend was amazing.  Mine was pretty sweet and actually my last couple weeks have been pretty awesome.  We took a little vacation to the mountains and pretty much did nothing.  I read a couple books, napped, went for long walks and enjoyed the scenery, good company and good food!

I also mixed in a little business when I headed up to Vail and did a presentation on nutrition and the power of the mind in front of a group of awesome ladies.  They actually made me do some push-ups and in that thin mountain air I was dead!  Not to mention I was in my “pretty clothes” – it’s kinda nice to get out of my shorts and t-shirt and dress like a normal person every once in a while!

Anyway, the REAL reason I’m chattin’ you up today is to share another killer 10-minute workout with you.

It’s a 4-exercise fat blasting circuit that’s a mean little devil.  I put a client through it the end of last week and he was doggin’, but it’s adaptable to nearly any fitness level which is pretty cool.

To give it a watch and blast some fat, check it out below…

10-Minute Fat Loss Workout Video

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What do you think?  Actually I’d love to get your thoughts AFTER you give this sweet (and nasty) 10-minute fat loss workout a try!

Remember that all I ask when you do these quick workouts is that you work HARD for the entire 10-minutes.  Work to your fitness level, and a couple notches beyond, and keep progressing every workout and every week.

If all you have time for is 10 minutes, that’s cool!

If you have another 5-minutes, then do the workout a bit longer or grab an add-on Abs Workout (click here).

If you don’t have more time right now, but will later in the day, then do this 10-minute fat loss workout AGAIN later in the day.  That’s actually one of my favorite ways to train.  I love doing a quick workout in the morning either before my first client or between clients, and then later on before I head home.  It’s like the old two-a-days we used to do in high school, only there’s less yelling, puking and all that other nonsense :)

One of the benefits of doing them twice a day is that you can change it up a bit and work a little differently in the second workout.  For instance, if the first workout focused primarily on the upper body, maybe the second one can be a bodyweight workout that’s more in the style of “cardio,” or focus more on the legs or abs.

Catch my drift?

Actually to be totally honest my extra special favorite way to do these 10-minute fat loss workouts is to capitalize on the metabolic furnace being cranked with the first 10-minutes and then expand on it with a really up-tempo bodyweight cardio workout immediately after.

That second one typically includes lots of jump rope, burpees, swings or just Turkish Get-ups for 10-minutes.

That’s what I love about these things!  They can expand and contract depending upon your fitness level and amount of free time you have available.

Give that 10-minute fat loss workout a try, and then expand as you progress!

Talk to ya later!

Ed

10-minute fat loss workout

Workouts, Videos and Weight Loss Tips…Oh My!

Monday, June 28th, 2010

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Hey!  How’s your week going?  Mine’s been crazy busy (finishing up a couple of projects and starting a HUGE new one…), but I still wanted to send you a quick note and I thought I’d do something a bit different with this post.

There's no reason for posting this picture...but I still like it!

I thought I’d share a few links to some new and older articles, workouts and videos that you might have missed.

First up is a newbie.  It’s another quick 4-Minute Workout video.  The link takes you to my YouTube page and if you haven’t subscribed yet, you really should.  Sometimes I don’t let everyone know when I add new workout videos and the only way to see them is to subscribe.

To check it out, click here =>   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQRS6reJcDg

Next up is an article I sent out last week about how weight loss and financial planning are related.  The spam filters HATED it, but it’s a nice little article.

To check it out, click here =>  http://thefitdadsays.com/how-are-weight-loss-and-financial-planning-related/

Another recent article was about 3 very specific questions you need to ask yourself in order to kick-start your fat loss.  Ask them and you’ll be on your way!

To check it out, click here =>  http://thefitdadsays.com/3-questions-to-kick-start-your-fat-loss/

The last one I’ll share with you is a bunch of workouts I did in the month of May.  I know it’s almost July, but the workouts still work and it’s still summer-time and you can still blast a bunch of fat before the end of swimsuit season with these puppies!

To check it out, click here =>  http://thefitdadsays.com/fat-blasting-and-beach-body-ready-workouts-for-may/

That’s all I have for today!

I hope you have an awesome week and if there’s ever anything you’d like me to cover in these articles or videos, shoot me an email to let me know.

Have an awesome day!

Ed

P.S. – I couldn’t help myself…here’s another link to an article showing you how to Bust out of your Weight Loss Plateaus.  To check it out, click here =>  http://thefitdadsays.com/stuck-in-a-rut-need-to-bust-through-your-weight-loss-plateau/

Are You Busting Your Ass?

Wednesday, March 10th, 2010

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Given that I actually train people on a daily basis, I can control (to a certain degree) how hard they work.

Granted there are situations when I don’t push someone very hard – goals, their mood, how they’re feeling, age, etc. are all factors in how hard I push someone.

But what’s for certain is how hard I push MYSELF in my own workouts – I always bust my butt and keep the intensity cranked up.  If I’m feeling tired or run-down, I’ll still keep the intensity up but I’ll cut the time down.  If I’m feeling good, I’ll crank the intensity up even more and lengthen the workout a bit (but never longer than 25 minutes).

Far too few people actually follow through with the “kick your butt” mentality when it comes to workouts and that’s a shame because it’s vital if you want to see results plus the higher the intensity the better you feel when you’re done.  There’s just something magical about a killer workout that sends your endorphins through the roof.

I made a quick video about the importance of busting your own ass in your workouts.

Like to see it, here it go…

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So what do you think?  Am I off base or does what I’m saying make sense?

Have an awesome day!

And remember…

…Be A Superhero Today!

later,

The Fit Dad

fitdadTV

It’s rare that I pimp books – especially if I haven’t written them myself and don’t know the person who wrote it, but I’ve got to tell you about a couple books that hit the shelves a couple weeks ago.

Both are called “The Big Book Of Exercises” and are put out by Men’s Health Magazine and Women’s Health Magazine.  They are 2 awesome books that cover 619 exercises – including pictures, detailed descrptions, etc. and the exercises are split up into what areas of the body they predominantly work, etc.

But if you want to know the COOLEST part…the MOST AWESOMEST (my word) part…the HOTTEST DAMN-DIGGITY part…the WICKED COOL part (with thick Boston accent)…the ASS-KICKINEST (my word) part – okay now I’ve run out of phrases for cool so I’ll just get to the point…

Watch the video to see why these books are so bloody awesome and why I wholeheartedly recommend them!

watch

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I think these books should be a part of everyone’s fitness library.  To get your hands on them, click the images below and you’ll be taken to Amazon.com or you can head to your nearest bookseller or I imagine you could get them from the Men’s Health and Women’s Health websites.

I'm featured in the Women's Health Big Book of Exercises

I'm featured in the Women's Health Big Book of Exercises

I'm featured in the Men's Health Big Book of Exercises

I'm featured in the Men's Health Big Book of Exercises

Have an awesome day!

And remember…

…Be A Superhero Today!

later,

The Fit Dad

P.S. – I get ZERO money by telling you to go buy those books…nada…zilch…not a damn thing so don’t think I’m pimping something just because I get paid.