Breaking through the plateau

Have you been working out for some time and feel like your not making progress?

Plateaus are boring. They are flat, unchanging, predictable. Many people who have been exercising for a while reach a plateau, during which their fitness level doesn't change and they experience a period of stability: they can’t lose more weight, they can’t seem to create a leaner look and they can’t increase the number of reps they lift or the amount of weight they're lifting. What does it take for them to bust through the plateau to reach higher levels of fitness and achieve greater results? Try periodization.

Muscle confusion / periodization
Periodization is a method of maximizing fitness and performance by structuring training programs into periods or phases, using programmed variation of training loads and recovery in a cyclic fashion. It involves focusing the training stimulus on one or two variables at a time and manipulating and systematically changing those variables over the course of the training program. By varying the training, you change the stimulus so that clients continue to adapt.
A number of studies have shown that training using a programmed variation of volume and intensity produces better results (e.g., greater strength gains and a greater decrease in percent body fat) than training without variation, although the research is limited to strength training (Kraemer et al. 2000; O’Bryant, Byrd & Stone 1988; Stowers et al. 1983; Willoughby 1993). While variation is vital to preventing plateaus, you should make all changes to your clients’ programs with concrete training goals in mind. Never make changes on a random basis simply for the sake of variety. When you design periodized programs, the training emphasis and sequencing should be guided by your clients’ strengths and weaknesses, with more time spent on aspects of fitness that attend to their strengths.
There are a few different ways to schedule and organize the variation of training stimuli. The traditional way is called linear periodization, during which the training program initially builds in volume before decreasing in volume and increasing in intensity. The opposite structure, reverse linear periodization, begins with higher intensity and progresses to lower intensity and higher volume. Finally, with a nonlinear structure, or undulating periodization, the volume and intensity change from week to week or even from day to day throughout the program. Which method is best is hard to say. Studies have shown mixed results. It seems that undulating periodization and linear periodization are most effective for increasing muscular strength, while reverse linear periodization is most effective for increasing muscular endurance.

Time for Adequate Recovery
Recovery may be the most overlooked aspect of training. Improvements in fitness occur during the recovery period between workouts, not during the workout itself. When clients finish a workout, they are weaker, not stronger. How much weaker they are depends on the severity of the training stress. Positive physiological adaptations to exercise occur when the alternation between stress and recovery is correctly timed. Following a training stress, clients adapt and physiologically overcompensate, so that when they encounter the same stress again it does not cause the same degree of physiological disruption. If recovery between workouts is not adequate, your clients will become fatigued and their ability to adapt to subsequent workouts will decline. They’ll adapt most to their training when they have recovered from previous training and are fully prepared to tolerate a new training stimulus.
How quickly and completely clients recover from their workouts depends on a number of factors, including age, training intensity, nutrition, stress and level of cardiovascular fitness. The most significant of these factors is age: younger clients recover faster between workouts, enabling them to perform intense workouts more often. Workout intensity is the next biggest factor, with higher-intensity workouts requiring longer recovery times. Nutrition also influences recovery: a lack of nutrients or a delay in consuming nutrients postworkout slows recovery. High stress levels can likewise hinder recovery. On the other hand, since recovery is an aerobic process, a high level of cardiovascular fitness speeds recovery because the circulatory system is able to deliver nutrients and remove metabolites more quickly.

Whole hearted Sports Mentoring program

W.H.F Sport Mentoring

A mentor is defined as an experienced and trusted advisor. David lives up to that definition. He abides by biblical standards and achieves astounding results.
David has experience as a successful high school athlete as well as a youth coach. Using real life experience, David knows how essential it is for the student to have a positive mentor in their life and has decided to give back by pouring these essential values into the student’s life. This Mentor program builds the mental and physical skills necessary to become a success on and off the field.
Whole Hearted fitness mentor training is tailored to the specific needs of each individual and utilizes a combination of education, motivation and inspiration that instills core values.
Whole Hearted Fitness helps aspiring athletes looking for the edge that will help take their game to the next level. Our program assures that athletes will possess a clear understanding of what it takes both mentally and physically to perform at a consistently high level.
“I believe in the power of the mind and in the power of the human spirit. I believe there is a champion inside each of us. The purpose of our program is to Refine that champion.” David Simmons, Whole Hearted Fitness.
Call David at 704-303-1240 with your questions or to schedule an informal, no obligation evaluation. If you prefer, drop us a note via the email.

Advocare Scam? The Truth!

Posted on April 12, 2011 by davids

Advocare Scam? The TRUTH!

by David Simmons on April 12, 2011

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The truth needs to come from someone, and I guess I am the individual who is going to make sure you know nothing but the TRUTH!!! There will be no opinions on this page. Only the real facts will be exposed here. I honestly believe that this 3rd party review will change your mind about Advocare.
Now there are many Advocare scam claims circulating all over the internet, but I noticed that hardly any of them were providing you with the facts let’s dig into the REAL FACTS about Advocare.
Advocare a scam?
I know you want to know the REAL TRUTH, so I am going to give it to you. Advocare is NOT a scam! Yes, you read that correctly. However, I know you want me to prove my statement, so let’s look at what I uncovered.
Advocare Facts
Advocare was founded in 1993 by Charles Edward Ragus. It is said that Mr. Ragus chose the name Advocare because he wanted to communicate his commitment to be an advocate who cared. One thing that stood out to me the most was the 10 principles that Charlie developed to guide the direction of his company. I’m not going to go into all 10, but let’s look at two of them.

1. Honor God through our faith, family and friends
2. Believe that honor, integrity and principles are the foundation of a great life and company

Honestly, how could there be an Advocare scam with that type of attitude? Well let’s move on to more facts…
Advocare is a member of the DSA (direct selling association), and according to my search they are in good standing with the BBB (better business bureau). Another important piece of information that I found was the fact that there are hundreds of professional athletes, coaches, entertainers, and world champions who endorse the company and their products. There is so many other facts, but let’s move forward.
Advocare products
If you still believe that there is an Advocare scam this should let go of that thought. The company is marketing a real product in exchange for a fee. The one for sure things I can say is that they are not telling you to put cash in an envelope, send it off, and in 30 days you will be richer. If that was the case I would strongly tell you to run. But they are building their company in the growing health and wellness industry. Here is a brief list of some of their products…

• Trim – weight management
• Active – energy
• Well – nutrition
• Performance Elite – sports nutrition
• Definite Difference – skin care

You can visit the corporate site of Advocare for further information on their products.
How do you get paid?
This is where we need to have a real talk, because there is going to be some shocking information in this part of my post. Now, if you are wondering if there is money to be made in Advocare the answer is YES! However, there are some representatives who struggle to profit from the business. There are three main ways to make money in Advocare…

1. Sell the products
2. Sign up new representatives
3. Expanding your team by teaching your new reps to do the first two

According to my research most Advocare scam claims are being made by former representatives, but most aren’t doing what it takes to even see any results. Advocare is a real business that requires you to work. It’s not a hobby! There is work involved if you want to reach the top of the company, but there may be a few of you who know the industry statistics. You know the one that states 97% fail in the industry. Well, I feel I should really touch on this, because this is a serious topic and I believe once you know the true secret those numbers will change. (for more information on Advocare, “Google Advocare“, visit the Wiki page for Advocare, check the BBB, or go to the Advocare home page)
So why are 97% of Advocare Distributors still BROKE and STRUGGLING?
Training! Yes, as you can see, Advocare is a solid company with a solid product line and compensation plan. You would think everyone that joins will be successful, but it doesn’t work that way. There are 5 major road blocks that are KILLING their businesses. These 5 road blocks are the reason Advocare reps struggle, lose money, and eventually quit. What are the road blocks?
1) They are NOT Branding Themselves! (Attraction Marketing)
Success in Advocare has nothing to do with the company or their products. Don’t get me wrong, you want to be involve with a great company, but just because you join doesn’t guarantee you’ll be successful. This is where many people get it wrong, and then they want to go around telling the world that Advocare is a scam. If you want to know the real secret to succeeding in Advocare here it is…YOU! You are the secret! I want you to really get this!
People do business with people they KNOW, LIKE, and TRUST! PERIOD!
If a random stranger came up to you and said, “If I can show you a way to make $30k per month, would you be interested?” You’d most likely say no if you never met this person, and they themselves didn’t look successful. This is what 97% of the network marketing industry are being taught, and if you plan to join the top 3% you have to be DIFFERENT! You have to know how to get you and your business in front of the right prospects. Now, you are probably wondering who are the right prospects? The right prospects are people who are already actively searching for what you have. For example, I did a quick search and found that there are over 90,500+ potential new reps searching for the keyword “Advocare” every month. Now how would your business change if you knew how to position yourself in front of those numbers? This leads me to road block number 2,
2) No real marketing training
I said it before and I will gladly say it again. You are not in Advocare to market the company or their products. You are in the business to market yourself! What do you have to offer that other Advocare reps don’t. Why should someone work with you? You have to become a person of VALUE! People have to sense some type of benefit in working with you.
Going out telling everyone your company facts will only get you so far. People don’t care until they know you care. You have to lead with building a relationship, and showing your prospects that you want them to succeed more than they want it for themselves. But there is another problem, and it’s the 3rd road block that causes 97% to give up.
3) Not enough people to talk to
You need people to talk to if you are going to move forward. Earlier I told you that there are over 90,500 people searching for Advocare, but you have to figure out a way to get in front of those people. When you first join Advocare you are told to make a list of friends and family, and I am not knocking this. In fact, if you haven’t talk to them yet, you need to. What I am saying is that sooner or later you will run out of your warm market. You will end up in the club that most if not all leaders are in, and that is the NFL (no friends left). When you run out of your warm market you need a Plan B, and your Plan B shouldn’t be buying over priced/dead beat leads.
Now you are probably wondering how you are going to be able to get in front of those who are searching for Advocare. Don’t worry I have a solution that I will give you at the end. Before we get to that let’s discuss the forth road block.
4) Not enough money to stay in the game
You need money to stay around for the long-term. This is another major problem that I see consistently, and that is that people are running out of money before they start making any. When you lead with Advocare you can only get paid to recruit or sale the products, but you’d be surprised that leaders are doing something completely different. Leaders know that 95% of the people you talk to won’t join, and since this is the case they have to find a way to keep cash flow coming in while they are searching for the ones who will. If you are planning to stick around for the long-term residuals you need to find a way to have a continuous cash flow. Again, don’t worry, there is a solution to this problem as well. Now here is the last and most important road block.
5) Lack of commitment
I don’t care if you are in Advocare or any other business, if you lack the will to commit you will FAIL. There is no question about it. This is the number one reason 97% fail. They come in the business with short-term thinking. They think they see easy money, but when they find out that there is work involved they quit. Now I’m not going to go deep into explaining this road block, because I believe it is pretty self-explanatory. You have to commit for the long-term. Period!
So I will end by saying, if you are struggling in a 9-5 job or just want to be your own boss. Join a winning team today by going to https://www.advocare.com/11027635/MemberHome.aspx or call me direct 704-303-1240

Burst Training for results

Burst Training for Results

Posted on April 4, 2011 by davids

Burst Training

Being a trainer one of the most asked questions I get Is “what is the best way to train?” Although there are many opinions to this answer Here at Whole Hearted Fitness My response is Burst training.

What is Burst training?

Burst training involves exercising at 80%-100% of your maximum effort for 20-60 seconds in order to burn your body’s stored sugar (glycogen), followed by 20-60 seconds of low impact for recovery. This causes your body to burn fat up to 72 hours to replace your body’s vital energy (glycogen) stores. You only need to do 6-9 sets of 30-60 second bursts 3 times a week to see marked changes and improvements. More is not always better–make sure you have days of rest.

Why is this method beneficial?

The primary hormone response invoked by Burst training is elevated levels of Human Growth Hormone. This hormone is essential for fat mobilization. It also signals fat burning enzymes and aids in muscle mass development. Human growth hormone levels are raised most during sleep, in direct proportion to exercise intensity during your workout. Unlike a regular cardio routine where you get results only during the exercise the burst will have you burning calories and increasing Human growth hormone up to 72 hours.

Aerobic Vs. Anaerobic Exercise

The next question I get is How can I get more results in such a short time? ( usually from the joggers in the group) There are many benefits associated with cardio and aerobic training, but also many negatives. Cardio training will lower your resting heart rate, lower blood pressure, keep your brain young by increasing circulation to the brain and aids in detoxification by stimulating the lymphatic system.
But long distance cardio training decreases testosterone levels, decreases the immune system post exercise, and raises stress hormone levels (cortisol). Increased levels of cortisol stimulate the appetite, will increase fat storing and slow down or inhibit exercise recovery.
So how do we get the benefits without the negatives? Burst train to burn fat.

Foods that help promote fat loss.

Have you woken up one morning realizing you are overweight and as hard as you try, you can’t recall how you came to this state? You can’t seem to track it back to any particular event or series of events, because its something that over years from eating poorly and leading sedentary lives. Because this is something that has built up over many years, its also something that won’t go away over night.
Fortunately the reverse is true if you were to start eating healthy and getting some regular exercise. The situation is not out of your hands yet.
Anyone who wants to lose weight needs to watch their intake of food. It’s important to eat healthy, because you are what you eat.
If you are going to watch what you eat, you need to focus on the key foods that will not only promote fat loss but are also helpful for your good health.
When you make the decision to start eating healthier, its better not to quit cold turkey as this can be a very stressful change, and stress isn’t good for us. So start by making a few changes at a time, replacing some of the junk foods with the foods below slowly.

 Protein

As omnivores, we eat both plant and animal, and from these food sources we get protein. Protein is vital in building and repairing our bodily tissues (Muscles and Organs). Because many of the animal based proteins carry some unnecessary fats (some fats are good, and some are bad), and through the growing, feeding and slaughtering process may come in contact with chemicals or biologicals that we do not want, there is a growing push for the tiny but powerful soy bean. The soy bean is a complete protein which is not that common for plants or vegetables, and its protein is not as high quality as the whey or animal proteins, it comes about as close to a magic weight loss pill as we can get.
Proteins require a great deal of calories just to digest so by eating a clean light source of protein such as soy we are gaining a double benefit.

Whole Grains

You have a whole grain when you have bran, germ and endosperm present. Whole grains are a great source of key nutrients. They are one of the top sources of vitamin B, E, iron, magnesium and fibre.
Here is a list of some good whole grain foods…
Whole Wheat
Wild Rice
Oatmeal
Brown Rice
Whole Oats
Whole Rye
Barley

Not only do whole grains provide the benefit of decreasing the chance for heart disease, and the potential for blood clots, they are also good for fat loss.

The Grapefruit
You may remember the grapefruit diet, its remarkable fat loss properties being attributed to crazy and mythological qualities of the grapefruit, well crazy as all that sounds…the grapefruit is a great fat loss food, but for more realistic reasons.
The grapefruit has been shown to reduce insulin levels in the body by a very small amount, and this means that you will store less sugar as fat, not to mention lower insulin levels lower your appetite.
The grapefruit is also a highly fibrous food and low in calories and it actually takes more calories to digest it than there exist in the fruit itself. As a result the grapefruit is a great food to add to your morning breakfast or any meal.

Apples

Water rich fruits like apples contain pectin and this can limit how much fat your cells will absorb. There are other benefits to apples and small berries as they contain considerable antioxidants and are just plain good for you. The age old saying. “An apple a day…”
Be careful not to go overboard with fruits, however as they contain a high amount of high-glycemic index sugars or simple sugars, and this can cause some undesirable spikes in insulin levels.

Green Tea

Green tea has been shown to increase your metabolism on a daily basis as high as 4%, and having this as part of your regular diet can only help with your fat loss goals. If you do not have the decaffeinated version of the tea you have the added benefit of caffeine in your tea (though its levels are less than coffee).

Fish

There is a hormone in our body known as leptin that has the function of choosing whether or not your body will store the calories you consumed as fat or whether is uses them for fuel, and studies show that lowering the level of this hormone in your body aid in fat loss, or at least in the prevention of fat gain.
Eating fish lowers your leptin levels.
Research has shown that groups that frequently eat fish in their daily diet have leptin levels nearly 5 times lower than those that mostly live off of veggies.
Conclusion
Remember you are what you eat, so eat healthy!