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How Setting Goals allows you to Exceed Fitness Expectations

This is how we get fitter, healthier, and happier.

Set goals and work to achieve them.

Three years ago, I could have said that all I wanted was six pack abs. Unfortunately, those abdominal crunches I was doing didn’t seem to do the trick.

If you can quantify a goal, you can make it happen.

For example, the aspiring professional wants to earn $65,000 next year. What steps must be taken to make that happen?

Just like careers, fitness goals can be quantified and then become more realistic and attainable.

To get abs, don’t worry about abs.

Eat, sleep, recover. Then hit THAT personal record.

For me, I place a high priority on a particular full body exercise that really targets the core muscles.

My favorite exercise…the Turkish Get Up.

Think about the numbers, and do what it takes.

If you want more toned arms, you can’t stick with the same weight. You HAVE to get stronger. Move up from the lighter dumbbells, use a pencil to write down your efforts, and then blast away plateau’s.

It’s easier to make several small goals interconnected to each other than it is to make one large vague goal.

For example,

Goal 1: Turkish Get Up 60 pounds for three reps.

Goal 2: Dumbbell Bicep Curl 20 pounds for ten reps.

Goal 3: Eat breakfast every day on THIS particular week.

All of these goals can support the over arching goal for physical fitness.

Quantify your goal, now today.

So that tomorrow, you are one step closer.

Physical Fitness by Dre
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Glute-Ham Raise: Unmatched Lower Body Exercise… injury-prevention, power, and aesthetics.

The Glute-Ham Raise is a superior exercise for the posterior!

If you are in search of awe-inspiring hamstrings, then this article speaks to you.

The average person neglects the importance of strong hamstrings and tendons...don't be average.

Have you ever…

  • wanted to prevent an ACL knee injury?
  • plateau’d in your fitness program?
  • gotten bored of the obsolete hamstring-curl machine?
  • had tight hamstrings?

Don't be this guy.

Are you…

  • An athlete?
  • A professional who relies upon a strong physique?
  • A normal person who desires AMAZING hamstrings and glutes?

If you answered yes to any one of the questions above, then perhaps you are up to the challenge of one of the BEST lower body exercises known to man.

Benefits of the Glute-Ham Raise

  1. Simultaneously lengthen and strengthen hamstrings.
  2. Strengthen hamstrings at both the knee joint and the hip joint.
  3. The strength will carry over to other primary exercises (like squats or deadlifts)
  4. INJURY PREVENTION: Glute-Ham Raise can prevent ACL tears, especially in female soccer players.
  5. INJURY PREVENTION: Glute-Ham Raise strengthens the lower back and fixes imbalances in the lower body.
  6. You will have the best looking hamstrings out of all your friends, isn’t it almost beach time?

I appreciate the hamstring.

How to Perform the Glute-Ham Raise

If you go to a commercial gym, you will probably have to improvise. While athletic training facilities often have a specialty Glute-Ham Machine, most commercial gyms lack the proper equipment.

The good news is that you can utilize a Lat-Pulldown Machine to perform the Glute-Ham Raise exercise.

Cues:

  • Lock your ankles in tight as possible to the pads of the Lat-Pulldown Machine
  • Keep your body tight by contracting your abdominals
  • Lower your body as straight as possible and focus on keeping tension in your hamstrings
  • At the bottom of the movement, use a platform to push yourself back up
  • At the top of the exercise, squeeze your glutes tight and then repeat

THIS IS AN ADVANCED EXERCISE, prior training experience is suggested.

If you can’t do a single full repetition, then just do the downward (or negative) part of the exercise. Warning, you may gain significant strength and muscle tone in the area in the back of your knee. It looks and feels great.

Demonstration Video: Glute-Ham Raise on a Lat-Pulldown Machine

and… slightly more advanced here.

Are you ready to take it to the next level?

The Glute-Ham Raise is an almost unbeatable exercise for the hamstrings and posterior chain. Some of the strongest Olympic athletes in the world have performed several dozen repetitions…and it paid off!

For football, soccer, and rugby, this is an exercise you should be doing for both raw power and knee injury-prevention.

And for the rest of us Fitness Enthusiasts, you will gain strength, injury-prevention, and a beautiful pair of legs. Just sayin’…

Physical Fitness by Dre
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Fat-Loss requirements, an exercise prescription for Core strength

Why is the core so important?

The main function of various abdominal muscles is to support the back.

Notice how our backs can bend significantly — for the price of mobility, we lose stability. And thats why so many overweight people have messed up discs in their backs.

Focus on the core, it makes weight loss easier

As you strengthen the core, you’ll feel stronger and more able to do other exercises. You won’t fatigue as quickly during cardio, weights, and everyday activities.

And even if you can’t visibly see your six pack abs, at the very least you will have a noticeable improvement in quality of life.

Abdominal Plank: Beginner

*Rest elbows on soft padding or mat

*Hold for 30-60 seconds

*Squeeze abs as hard as possible the entire time

*Keep your back flat

***ALL Trainees should work up to 60 seconds

Reverse Crunch: Moderate

*Squeeze your abs towards your head

*This is an ab exercise, not a hip exercise…contract your abs!

*Hold at the top for a 2 second count, then slowly lower body

Turkish Get Up: Advanced

Strengthen the core, and the rest of the body will follow.

Physical Fitness by Dre
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How the Turkish Get Up changed my Life!

This old time Strongman exercise can take your body to a whole new level of performance.

tilepictureTGUbeach

Unconventional, but the results are real. (DreFitness @ Rio de Janeiro)

In my younger days, I used to think that the Bench Press was the only way to get the body I wanted.

So I benched.

And then I benched some more.

But something funky started happening with my body.

The bench press destroyed my shoulders.

My shoulders ached, my strength flat-lined, and my posture sucked.

I finally realized that the Bench Press was doing more harm than good for me.

The Turkish Get Up is 100% pure functional strength, for an empowered lifestyle.

There are SO MANY benefits from doing the Turkish Get Up — it’s no surprise that this is a highly popular exercise among combat athletes. This is functional strength at its finest.

Here’s the benefits for a regular person like you and me:

  1. Fat loss, metabolism booster
  2. Increased shoulder stability at the joint
  3. FULL-Body Strength: Legs, glutes, core, shoulder, back, triceps, forearm grip strength
  4. One of the best Abdominal/Core exercises in existence
  5. Improved flexibility — especially relieving for tight hips that many Americans chronically suffer from.
  6. Whole body coordination
  7. Lean muscle!!!

The Turkish Get Up changed my life!

My joints, tendons, and ligaments are healthier! Performance has improved, and my physique is getting tighter for summer time.

Finally, the Turkish Get Up is a FUN exercise and gets a lot of priceless looks from other gym-goers.

This simple, full body exercise is Pure Bang-For-the-Buck!

Additional reading:

Mastering the Turkish Get Up for Total Body Power (DragonDoor.com, The world’s premier site for Kettlebells, Strength, Conditioning, Flexibility, and Advanced Fitness Resources)

Short Topic: The Turkish Get Up (Tmuscle.com, Unapologetic Muscle Building Elitists)

Rehabbing Old Injuries:

Mastering the TGU is well worth the investment of your time and effort. I’ve had a long history of shoulder subluxations/dislocations. I had two surgeries on my right shoulder (1985 & 1987) and one on my left (1989). Unfortunately, even after two surgeries, my right shoulder would continue to dislocate on a regular basis; sometimes while training, many times while sleeping. Talk about a rude awakening!

I was facing the grim option of a third surgery on my right shoulder, contemplating the ‘Law of Diminishing Returns’. Over a 15 year period, I diligently practiced every rubber band exercise and rotator cuff program known in the realm of physical therapy, but to no avail. In December 2001, Pavel taught me the TGU with a dumbbell. Kettlebells weren’t manufactured yet. I practiced this exercise with dumbbells, than later with kettlebells. Kettlebells are without a doubt superior and well worth the investment. Ultimately, I fabricated two 110 pound kettlebells. By Spring of 2002, I was performing singles with either hand, reaching my goal.

By God’s Grace and perfect timing, He placed the right person (Pavel) with the right exercise (TGU), when I needed it the most. Knowing what I know now, I’m thoroughly convinced that I could have avoided all three surgeries had I only known this valuable exercise.

My shoulders are more stable and stronger now than ever before. The range of motion completely restored. Best of all, I have not suffered a shoulder subluxation in years.

This success story has been repeated many times with the clients I train. Boxers, grapplers, NHB fighters, police officers, military personnel, and the average “Joe” or “Jane” have all reaped the benefits of the TGU.

Testimonial By Jeff, from http://tacticalathlete.com/articles/?p=21 

Here’s my progress on the TGU:

Physical Fitness by Dre
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The Insider’s Guide to the Top FAT LOSS Supplements for Healthy Weight Loss

The Fat Loss client comes in many forms, but something so primary connects all of us together.

It is to have felt the urge.

The desire from within making us aware of our imperfections, to be understood in each unique way.

Now there’s something that can help, so empower yourself with knowledge.

Top Supplement List for Fat Loss

Research + Fieldwork  =  The Top Supplements for Fat Loss.

Starting off our list with an ocean treasure…

1. Omega-3 Fish Oil

Fish oil, almost entirely comprised of healthy polyunsaturated fats is a real boost for our biology.

Omega-3's: Must Have for all Weight Loss Programs

Break it down to the body at a cellular level. Now chunk back up and take some Omega-3 Fish Oil. As the fish oil gets absorbed into your body, individual cells can now thrive. Multiply that cell by 100 trillion, and you now have 100 trillion individual cells supporting your every thought, move, and function.

Fish Oil Prevents Heart Disease.

This statement is backed up by pure Fact, as true in scientific research. Healthy heart power is key to fitness!

But the benefits don’t end here…

Fish oil promotes healthy joints and efficient use of carbohydrates for energy.

“But I already take fish oil…”

Take more, see what happens.

Body composition typically improves noticeably for people taking up to 5 grams of fish oil per day.

For guys, body composition changes will give you that wide shoulder look and a more tapered waist — adding to that V-Shape appearance.

Even if no pounds reduce, women with better body composition can improve their hourglass curves in just the right areas.

"Booté" ...a Fish Oil story

Eat fish twice a week, or get yourself an Omega-3 Fish Oil supplement from a well-reputable brand.

This is your life we’re talking about.

2. Whey Protein: The King of the Protein

Out of all protein sources available, no source is as nutrient-dense and versatile as Whey Protein.

Support your Body!

Whether you’re a seriously active person or a gastric-bypass patient, Whey Protein is a natural way to elevate quality of life.

This is why Whey is King:

  • Whey is easy to digest, while red meat is taxing on the body
  • Animal protein and Whey protein both supply essential building blocks for the body, but Whey has less of a digestive price tag than meat.
  • Good digestion promotes good weight loss.
  • Weight loss is supported by the naturally occurring health antibodies found in Whey Protein.
  • Whey Protein Strengthens the Body.

So now you know what whey protein is, you just need to know where Whey Protein is.

  1. Mixed with oatmeal for breakfast
  2. To recover muscles after your workout, the protein shake.
  3. To be fit, you need premium snacks.
  4. A luscious Spring fruit smoothie.

You can do anything you want with Whey Protein, whenever you want.

Whey Protein promotes good ol’ fashion lean muscle.

Thats how You Burn Fat and keep Muscle Tone.

All of this evidence supports Whey Protein as the King of Protein.

3. Green Tea

What happens when naturally occurring caffeine meets super power antioxidant?

The healthiest natural thermogenic fat burner on the market!

  • Antioxidants protect skin, hair, eyes, muscles, and heart from damage.
  • Moderate amount of caffeine gives your metabolism some extra juice.

The taste and aroma of Green Tee is full of memories from my childhood, so I do enjoy a cup. Even so, the capsules are very convenient.

Fat Loss products have in common…

These three supplements are some of the most powerful health boosting products available. All of these supplements have proven qualified health claims, in addition to dozens of credible testimonials.

If you want to improve your health and lose fat simultaneously, make these three supplements a regular part of your daily routine.

You won’t regret it.

Especially with the sunny season right on the horizon.


Physical Fitness by Dre Weightloss Now