With summer being in full swing I know it’s also the time of year many folks are taking vacations and traveling.

I’m actually heading out to Destin, FL tomorrow for a family vacation myself. And yep, I‘ll certainly be getting in some workouts while I’m there.

When you’re out of town you need a workout plan that’s quick, easy to follow, and effective that you can do pretty much anywhere with little or no equipment.

The most effective time-efficient approach is to do an alternating set full body density circuit. This means you’ll perform one exercise for a prescribed amount of time then immediately perform another non-competing exercise. Do this for up to 5 exercises to hit virtually every muscle in your body.

This results in improved training economy and density: more work accomplished in less time!

And although your muscles get a built-in recovery between rounds your heart rate stays elevated. This taxes your muscles and your cardiovascular system at the same time creating a metabolic effect so your body is still burning calories from the workout long after you’re finished!

If you missed my morning fitness segment Fox 23, here is the link to the video clip where I explain and demonstrate a great quick and easy travel workout you can use.
 

Tulsa Fitness Trainer – Suggested Exercise Routine

Here is the full body 5-exercise density circuit I demonstrated during my fitness segment:

Exercise #1- Bodyweight Squats
Exercise #2- Plank w/ Alternating Rows
Exercise #3- Stationary Reverse Lunges
Exercise #4- Push Ups
Exercise #5- Jumping Jacks

Perform each exercise for 20 seconds moving immediately from one exercise to the next until completing all 5 exercises. Take a 20 second break after each round continuing for up to 4-5 total rounds for a quick full body 8-10 minute metabolic workout.

Don’t let traveling keep you away from your fitness routine. Give this quick full-body metabolic workout a try and let me know what you think.

Being Fit and Healthy Requires Commitment and Action!

Clint

Clint Howard, MS is the Founder/Director of Tulsa Fitness Systems located in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Clint has a bachelors degree in Health & Exercise Science and a masters degree in Exercise Physiology, both from the University of Oklahoma. Clint is a certified Tulsa fitness trainer through the National Strength & Conditioning Association and American College of Sports Medicine and is also a Certified Boot Camp Instructor through the National Exercise & Sports Trainers Association and a certified golf fitness expert through the Titleist Performance Institute.

The post Tulsa Fitness Trainer Shows You How to Stay Fit While Out of Town With A Quick and Easy Travel Workout appeared first on Tulsa Personal Training.

There is no doubt that we are a car-centric society. We drive everywhere, even distances that could be easily reached by walking. That’s just part of our lifestyle. What makes the problem even worse is that we often pick up a meal at a fast food drive-thru, and eat it while we drive. We’re eating a high-calorie meal while sitting in the car. Not only that, but we also bank and pick up our prescriptions at a drive-thru window, which means we hardly ever get out of the vehicle and walk anywhere, so we don’t burn all these calories we take in. This behavior ultimately leads to obesity.

Not surprisingly, the United States has the highest number of obese people in the world; currently, one in three Americans suffers from obesity, defined as 30 or more pounds over a healthy weight.

Obesity is dangerous because it can lead to type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and many other serious health conditions. Of course, car alone cannot be blamed for these alarming statistics. There are other contributing factors at play, such as poor eating habits and sedentary lifestyle. People who spend hours every day driving – or sitting anywhere without much movement – it is crucial to pack in a heart-pumping, calorie-burning workout into their schedule. To stay healthy and fit, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend at least 30 minutes of moderately intensive activity five days a week, as well as muscle-strengthening exercises at least twice a week. Unfortunately, studies show that as many as 60 percent of Americans don’t get the recommended amount of physical activity, and over 25 percent are not active at all.

Tulsa Fat Loss Tips: Integrating Exercise Into Your Busy Schedule

Use your feet: “Instead of driving, walk (or cycle) to your destination and back. The key is moving fasting enough to get your heart rate up. If you choose walking, remember such common-sense precautions as low-heel, flexible-sole, well-fitting shoes.

Compound exercises are time-efficient muscle builders that work several muscle groups at one time. One example is a squat, which works many muscles in the lower body and core. A fitness professional can show you some effective, yet time-saving moves.

The important thing is to change your sedentary habits into an active lifestyle, and that is one piece of advice you should not take sitting down!

And remember, while nutrition is vitally important for weight loss, true results are achieved through a combination of both nutrition and challenging, progressive exercise. To learn more about Tulsa fat loss, click here.

The post Tulsa Fat Loss: Being A Car Potato Piles On Pounds appeared first on Tulsa Personal Training.

No matter if you’re male or female, young or old, everyone dreams of having a tight, lean waistline and rock-solid set of abs!

With that in mind, let’s look at how to properly train the abs and entire core area because most folks are going about it the wrong way.

Hopefully you’re not trying to get six-pack abs by using some ab gizmo apparatus seen on late night infomercials… or doing nothing but endless crunches and sit-ups.

Spot reduction doesn’t work and doing sits and crunches promote excessive flexion of the lumbar spine which can result in serious spinal injuries like bulging or herniated discs.

If you look at the anatomy of the “core,” you’ll see it represents more of a cross-hatched web, which indicates that its main role is to act as a stabilizer.

The 21st century approach to core training emphasizes stabilization in all 3 planes of movement: sagittal, frontal, and transverse.

The goal of proper core training is to teach anti-flexion, anti-extension, and anti-rotation through various static and dynamic core stability exercises.

A true abs program should be designed to improve mobility and strengthen the abs, butt, and shoulders to help eliminate aches and pains, reduce the risk of injury, improve performance… and yes, give you a flat washboard stomach!

Below is a picture from the circuit portion of the A.B.S. (abs, butt, shoulders) class I just recently did for my boot camp and training clients.

Tulsa Personal Trainer’s Recommended Exercises

Here are the “core/ab emphasis” exercises we performed in this specific circuit:

Exercise 1: Kettlebell Goblet Squat with horizontal vector band resistance

Exercise 2: TRX ab roll-outs

Exercise 3: Medicine Ball Diagonal Wood Chops

Exercise 4: X-Band Lateral Hip Walks

Exercise 5: Battle Ropes Side-to-Side Waves

My clients absolutely loved the entire A.B.S. workout! I’m getting so much positive feedback that I’m planning to make the A.B.S. class a mainstay in our ongoing group training schedule.

If you want to experience firsthand what true core/ab training is all about then let me know and I can reserve your spot in our next A.B.S. class. The last class filled up as soon as I mentioned it and had a wait list. So if you are interested, don’t delay!

If you’re ready to take your core/ab training to the next level while also bulletproofing your back and reducing your risk of injury and eliminating pain then you need to try out my program and see what you think! Just give me a call at (918)296-7418 or email clint@tulsafitnesssystems.com

And with summer almost here it’s a great time to be working on your 6-pack abs!

Clint

Clint Howard, MS is the Founder/Director of Tulsa Fitness Systems located in Tulsa, Oklahoma.  Clint has a bachelors degree in Health & Exercise Science and a masters degree in Exercise Physiology, both from the University of Oklahoma. Clint is a certified Tulsa personal trainer through the National Strength & Conditioning Association and American College of Sports Medicine, Certified Boot Camp Instructor through the National Exercise & Sports Trainers Association, and is also a Titleist Performance Institute Certified Golf Fitness Trainer. Clint can be reached at (918) 296-7418 or by email at clint@tulsafitnesssystems.com

The post Tulsa Personal Trainer Reveals How to Train the Core and Shred Your Abs appeared first on Tulsa Personal Training.

Each day people make well over 200 decisions about food, according to Brian Wansink, PH.D. in his book, Mindless Eating- Your weight is the sum total of your past food decisions.

Tips for Weight Loss in Tulsa

According to Wansink, overeating can be greatly reduced simply by removing the cues in your environment that cause you to overeat. He goes on to explain the top 5 Diet Danger Zones and the solutions for each:

1. The Meal Stuffer: At mealtime you really stuff yourself. You clean everything off your plate, eat quickly and often go back for seconds. You consider yourself to have a “healthy appetite” and often feel uncomfortably full after eating.
• Use the Half-Plate Rule: fill half of your plate with vegetables and the other half with protein.
• Use smaller plates and wait 20 minutes before deciding if you want seconds.
• Eat slower so your appetite can catch up with what you’ve already eaten.
• Drink a full glass of water before your meal and while you’re eating to help give fullness in your stomach.

2. The Snack Grazer: You eat whatever food is within reach, and snack at least three times throughout the day. You can’t walk past a candy dish without dipping in. Your snacking is rarely done out of hunger.
• Chew gum throughout your day to avoid mindless munching.
• Keep tempting snack foods out of sight and out of mind.
• Never eat directly from a package. Portion out your snacks into a dish.
• Don’t purchase tempting snack foods for future snacking. Keep a wide variety of fruits and vegetables on hand instead.

3. The Party Binger: Whenever you attend a social event where the main attraction is food, you eat without stopping. With all the distraction you quickly lose track of how much you’ve consumed.
• Stay more than an arm’s length away from the buffet or snack bowls.
• Put only two food items on your plate during each trip to the table.
• Make yourself feel full by eating the big healthy stuff first, like veggies.
• Remind yourself why you are at the party: first to socialize or to conduct business and secondarily to eat.

4. The Restaurant Indulger: You eat out at least three times a week and enjoy every minute of it. You love appetizers, large entrees and rich desserts. When you leave the table you are always stuffed.
• Ask your waiter to remove the bread basket from the table.
• Before you eat, ask your waiter to box half of your entrée to take home.
• Share the appetizer and dessert with someone or better yet, skip them altogether and start your meal with a side salad.

5. The Desktop (or Dashboard) Diner: You like to multi-task by eating at your desk or on the go. Your lightning-quick meals are grabbed on-the-go from fast food joints, vending machines and convenience stores. You don’t plan your meals ahead of time and end up eating whatever you can quickly find.
• Pack a healthy lunch and bring it with you.
• Stock your work area with healthy protein-filled snacks.
• Drink plenty of water throughout the day.
• Turn off the computer or pull your car over while you eat so you can eat slower.

By making some of these simple healthy changes when it comes to food decisions you can put yourself back on course and moving in the direction of healthy weight loss in Tulsa.

And remember, while nutrition is vitally important for weight loss, true results are achieved through a combination of both nutrition and challenging, progressive exercise. To learn more about weight loss in Tulsa, click here.

To your health & fitness success,

Clint
MS, Exercise Physiologist/Certified Personal Trainer
Weight Loss in Tulsa Expert!

The post Weight Loss in Tulsa: The Top 5 Ways You May Be Eating Too Much appeared first on Tulsa Personal Training.

Take a quick second and let these words from Jim Rohn sink in…”Success is neither magical or mysterious. Success is the natural consequence of consistently applying basic fundamentals.”

Do you know the most fundamental aspect of successful weight loss and body transformation?

It’s the creation and implementation of a proper plan and staying consistent with it.

But I’m willing to bet dollars to donuts most everyone doesn’t have this. And therefore you’re doomed for failure before ever starting a fitness program.

Or if you do have a plan, it’s probably generic at best, a mere hint of what it should be, and not being implemented properly. I’ve seen it many times with someone first starting our Tulsa Fitness Systems Program.

It’s been said thousands of times, but bears repeating…

Would you ever attempt to drive to a new destination in Tulsa without a map or any directions?

Would a home builder ever tell his general contractor to “just start building a home somewhere out in Jenks.”

Do you think any athlete preparing to compete in the Olympics just goes out and runs or swims… just picks up a shot put and starts throwing it…just starts trying to jump as far as they can into a sand pit, etc.?

To Get Fitness Results, You Must Have A Plan

Nobody can reach a pre-determined destination or goal without a PLAN, a ROADMAP, a BLUEPRINT.

It just doesn’t happen. It’s the most basic of fundamentals. And it’s how you become successful.

“Success is neither magical or mysterious. Success is the natural consequence of consistently applying basic fundamentals.” – Jim Rohn

A successful fitness program ALWAYS includes a sound, well-conceived plan and sticking to it. I have hundreds of Tulsa Fitness Systems success case studies to prove it.

If you’re tired of spinning your wheels and not getting anywhere and you’re finally ready for the right fitness and weight loss information and strategies, the roadmap, the BLUEPRINT… then you’re in the right place.

Stay tuned as I start revealing the “insider tips and secrets” the billion dollar weight loss industry doesn’t want you to know about.

Clint
Your “Body Transformation” Coach
Tulsa Fitness Systems

P.S. The first thing I want you to do is to really think about what specific fitness goals you want to accomplish and write them down on paper. Leave a comment below letting me know your specific goals and I’ll be sure to give the strategies and the blueprint for conquering these goals one after another. While you’re at it, check out some of the features that our program offers. It is better than boot camp!

The post Tulsa Boot Camp Insider Reveals the Key to a Successful Weight Loss Fitness Program… appeared first on Tulsa Personal Training.

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Olympic-hopefuls do extensive training programs to ensure they are in top shape to compete. While Olympic competitors are the best in the world, there are several “secrets” of Olympic training that can boost any fitness program, no matter the level.

5 Tips for training like a world-class athlete

1. Balanced diet and hydration- For Olympic-level performance and off-the-chart energy, you must eat properly including eating a balanced breakfast of complex carbohydrates and lean protein, then eat again every 3-4 hours and within 90 minutes of working out. Consume half your bodyweight in fluid ounces of water and if exercising intensely or for long duration more than an hour, consume a sports-drink with electrolytes such as Gatorade.

2. Proper sleep is essential- High-level athletes that are training hard need 7-10 hours sleep. Focus on quality of sleep for optimal hormonal release.

3. Hire a coach- Great athletes have coaches. People that want significant changes need help with game-planning, motivation, technique, and accountability and a certified professional can dramatically help increase results.

4. Use dynamic exercises and strength train- Instead of only using fixed-pieces of equipment, use medicine balls, stability balls, resistance bands, and free weights and integrate diagonal and rotational actions as well as unilateral exercises working the body in all 3 planes of motion. Run. Jump. Throw. In addition to getting stronger and leaner, quicker, and more powerful, lifting will maximize hormonal response. Strong muscles burn more calories, help prevent injuries, and build stronger bones.

5. Train with a partner or in a group- Olympic athletes are known to train together for years before they turn to competing against each other at the big event. Accountability is a big part of success and when you train with a friend, spouse, or in a group (such as how we do at Tulsa Fitness Systems), your adherence to exercise goes up. And helps pick up the intensity and brings out friendly competition.

When Dana Torres began training for the 2008 Olympics, she had a head coach, a sprint coach, a strength coach, two stretchers, two masseuses, a chiropractor,  and a nanny.

This was the team she set up to help her succeed. Having support and accountability is one of the well-known secrets to success.

Andrew Carnegie once said, “Take away my railroads, take away my factories, take away all my money, but leave me my people and I’ll have it all
back and more in six months.”

Surround yourself with people who will support you and assist and help you when it comes to achieving your goals.

Your fitness coach,

Clint

P.S. I was just on FOX 23 News sharing the “5 Secrets of Olympic Athletes”. Check out the video clip at the link below-

http://www.clipsyndicate.com/video/play/3680576

P.P.S. Be sure and join our 90-Day RVLution Challenge which starts next week!

If you’re ready to get in the best shape of your life and need the accountability and coaching to help you, then our 90-Day Challenge is for you.
Grand Prizes Include $500 in cash and a brand new Ipad up for grabs! Other prizes- Polar HR watches, massages, nutrition products, tanning packages,
and more!

To get more information and reserve your spot just email me at clint@tulsafitnesssystems.com or call me directly at 918-296-7418.

Clint Howard, MS is the Founder/Director of Tulsa Fitness Systems. Clint has a Bachelors degree in Health & Exercise Science and a Masters degree in Exercise Physiology, both from the University of Oklahoma. Clint is a certified personal trainer through the National Strength & Conditioning Association and American College of Sports Medicine and is also a Certified Boot Camp Instructor through the National Exercise & Sports Trainers Association, Certified Metabolic Training Expert, Certified Resistance Band Training Expert, and a certified golf fitness trainer through the Titleist Performance Institute.

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Reserve Your Spot for the 90-Day Challenge TODAY!

Where we will Reveal the “Insider Secrets” that Will Make Sure You’re
Getting the Absolute Most Out of Your Fitness and Nutrition Program!

If you’ve been looking for a great reason to get in the best shape of your life,
but need some accountability and coaching to get there we have the
PERFECT Program for you!

The contest will run from August 1st -November 1st.

Grand Prizes Include $500 in cash and a brand new Ipad up for grabs!
Other prizes- Polar HR watches, massages, nutrition products, tanning packages,
and more!

90-Day CHALLENGE Entry Fees

• FREE- Current Clients
• New Clients- $297

$297 Challenge Package Details

*3 months of our group metabolic training workouts at 3x/week
*Eligible for Grand Prize and other prizes
*Nutrition Seminar, ongoing nutrition coaching
*Weight Management Plan and Nutrition booklet

Winners will be determined based upon overall results (most inches and body fat lost)
as well as your personal success story of how the 90-day challenge has helped your
overall health and fitness.

Anyone can win!

Register Today to Reserve Your Spot! Space is Limited!

For more information, call 918.296.7418

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Summertime events and activities are often when you’re tempted the most and may
stray away from your good nutrition plan.

This is where a strategic Cheat Day or Cheat Meals can help you reach
your goal.

Cheat meals are being incorporated into more weight loss programs
because of some of the success that’s being achieved with it in the program.

The idea at first was to give you a mental break from your strict diet. Some
programs are very strict and, mentally, individuals would become tired and
start to stray from the program. Ultimately they “fell off the wagon” so to
speak because, mentally, it is too challenging for them to continue.

So incorporating strategic cheat meals is a way to give you a break or a
reprieve, mentally. It allows you to eat some of those foods you have been
probably avoiding while on your nutrition program.

Research has now shown that something physically takes place when you
incorporate strategically planned cheat meals.

When you diet or restrict calories and nutrients, your body will start to
deplete a hormone called leptin. Leptin is a powerful hormone that can influence
your weight loss, or even cause you to gain weight if it is manipulated in the
wrong way.

When you diet and start depleting your leptin levels, your brain gets sent a signal
from leptin that you are starving yourself because leptin is dropping. This is what
we sometimes call the “starvation mode,” and when this happens it triggers a series
of other actions. Your brain now sends signals to other hormones to slow down your
metabolism, losing lean muscle, and causing your body to start holding onto more
calories you eat as stored body fat. (This ain’t what we want happening!)

Cheat meals are important in this situation because by allowing you to eat more
calories, more fat, etc and it allows the hormone leptin to increase and calm down.
By raising your leptin level back to normal, it starts to think “I’m not starving,” and tells
the brain to stop conserving and trying to protect the body.

This allows you to continue to burn calories and prevent extra storage of calories.
Generally it takes a few days for the body to recognize the calorie restriction and the
leptin level to start to fall, which is why a cheat meal is good to insert every few days
of a restricted-calorie weight-loss program.

One thing to be careful of with this method is to make sure 1 cheat meal doesn’t turn
into 2 or 3 etc, too often! If this happens it can sometimes be hard getting back on track
so be careful not to fall into this trap.

Try implementing strategic cheat meals into your weekly nutrition plan and if you’re
wanting more help and information on healthy eating strategies stay tuned as I have a
big announcement coming soon that you’ll want to know all about!

Your fitness coach,
Clint

P.S. It’s travel and busy season so check out this clip where I was recently on FOX 23
News sharing my “Ultimate 5-Minute Workout” you can do practically anywhere/anytime
and burn some serious calories! Check it out at the link below and give it a try next
time you’re short on time and need to get in a quick workout-

http://www.fox23.com/content/links/redirect/Ultimate-5-minute-workout/vZ3iUQ-cyUOclbG_92hsCg.cspx

The post Cheat Days, Ultimate 5-Minute Workout appeared first on Tulsa Personal Training.

It seems that most people associate weight gain with wintertime and
the holiday season and summertime as the season of bikini bodies
and being more active.

But recent studies have now found that summertime weight gain is very
common and many people gain more weight in the summer than they
do during the winter holiday season!

3 common reasons for summer weight gain are-
1. Vacations
2. Less regimented workout routines
3. Increased alcohol and bad food consumption

I was just recently a guest on FOX 23 News sharing 3 ways to help avoid summer weight gain. Check out the video clip and tips at the link below-
http://www.fox23.com/mediacenter/local.aspx?videoId=3528526&navCatId=19874

One good way to definitely help avoid any summertime weight gain is doing our fat-blasting metabolic workouts at Tulsa Fitness Systems!
http://www.tulsafitnesssystems.com

But be sure and check out the clip for the other tips as well!
http://www.fox23.com/mediacenter/local.aspx?videoId=3528526&navCatId=19874

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