Category Archives: Uncategorized

Daniel on AM Northwest: Commercial Break Workouts

By Daniel | Published: November 13, 2011

Every month I have the privilege of helping people tuned in to AM Northwest.

Recently we talked about working out on the Commercial Break!  We also got into a special technique borrowed from ol’ Charles Atlas.  If you aren’t currently in Portland Adventure Boot Camp, you can do these exercise in the comfort of your own home while watching television.

Here it is:

Also posted in Boot Camp Fundamentals, Exercise tips | Leave a comment

5 Portland Boot Camp Tricks To Accelerate Fat Loss

By Daniel | Published: August 13, 2010

5 Portland Boot Camp Tricks To Accelerate Fat Loss

1. Give Yourself A Break

Sometimes you just have to have those chips, or maybe drink a beer…  the truth is we all are a little naughty with food now and again.  Yes, even me.

But here’s the thing, the occasional foray into uncharted food territory is not going to blow your entire plan.  It’s just a little left turn.

So chin up, and get back on the wagon the next morning.  Remember it takes about 3500 calories to gain a pound… so if you think you gained a pound from that one meal, you haven’t.  Just don’t do it often, OK?

2. ZZZZZZZZZZ….

Get your sleep cycle under control.  If you find yourself staying up late and getting up early, especially for a 530 boot camp, your hormones are going to be WHACKED OUT.

The next thing you know, you are reaching for a Venti coffee just to keep your eyelids off the floor.

Sleep is so vital that without proper rest you will eventually come to a grinding halt and lose your happiness, energy, and overall well being.  Not only that, but a tired mind will not have the will power to navigate proper eating at all.

3. Cheat.

Yes.  I said it.  Cheat.  Plan to eat a fun, tasty, yum yum meal once a week.

By planning to have a naughty meal once a week you can stay focused on eating the good stuff all the rest of your meals for your week… and look forward to the debauchery.

Plus, if it is a higher carb meal you’ll have stored glycogen (energy) for light years after.  OK, at least for the next boot camp.

4. Out of Sight, Out of Mouth

I wish I could say out of sight out of mind.  But when it comes to food, I crave stuff I can’t access all the time. The key phrase here is: STUFF I CAN”T ACCESS.

So… boot camp friends….clean out your kitchen of all the foods you KNOW are your weakness and then you can’t get to them.

What are you waiting for?  Go get it out of the house now.  Oh wait… do it after trick number 5 OK?  Because I have just one more…

5. Read the Menu

No!  Not the one at the restaurant… the one you created for yourself.

You DID write out what you are going to eat for the week right?

Hey, this only applies if you want to lose body fat.

But that’s not you is it?

It is?  Well then, stick to your plan.  Plan your cheat meal.  Clean out your cabinets and fridge of junk.  Get your sleep, and hey, if you mess up, give yourself a break and start again.

Also posted in Boot Camp Diet Tips, Mindset, Weight Loss Tips | 17 Comments

Drop Your Boot Camp Excuses Like a Handful of Burning Coals

By Daniel | Published: November 6, 2009

I was on the phone with a very close friend a while back.

She NEEDS to lose about 100lbs.  She wants to.

Her blood pressure is so high it makes her doctor speak in slow, hushed tones.  She can’t walk 20 feet without hearing her feet beg for mercy.

Her BMI is impossible.

She has sleep apnea.

The first thing she thinks about in the morning is what she is going to eat for lunch, whether or not it will fill her up, and how much it will cost.

Here’s the thing:

While I was on the phone with her, she brought her weight up again.  Followed by a litany of reasons why proper eating and exercise are impossible for her.

But they aren’t impossible.

Difficult as heck fire, yes.

Possibly the biggest struggle of her life, yes.

Needs to be supervised and helped, more than likely.

But impossible… absolutely not.

I’ve seen, known, and coached hundreds of people who broke through and lost the body fat.

And, as remarkable as it seems, the key for many of them was to drop their excuses like a handful of burning coals.

Once they decided to drop them… the very moment they made an irrevocable commitment to themselves…and just surrendered to the process of eating less…once they reached out and accepted help… once they started moving… once they took the FIRST STEP…everything changed.

What they discovered is, you can change your destiny in as little as 10 seconds.

Close your eyes, take a deep breath, and drop those coals.

Yes you can.

Cheers,

D

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Top 6 Boot Camp Exercise Excuses

By Daniel | Published: August 26, 2009

no excusesLet me share something interesting with you.

Before I started running Portland Boot Camp, when I was a personal trainer, I heard every excuse in the book for not working out. Frankly, none of them were very convincing.

We all trick ourselves into putting off what we really need to do now. It’s symptom of a little mental disease I like to call “hidden laziness”.

Now to be fair, sometimes very important things DO come up and get in the way. You know: we get really hungry, we get stuck in a mineshaft, or our legs and arms fall off spontaneously. Funny, I even remember telling my gym coach in 8th grade I couldn’t run laps that day because I had a bone in my leg.

So. let’s set the record straight.

With the exception of natural disasters, or unforeseen trauma or serious life interruptions… there is NO excuse for not working out.

Here are 6 of the most often used excuses and what I have to say about them:

#1 “I don’t have time!”

Right. Allow me to translate into plain English: “ I am not willing to create space in my busy schedule to get in shape because I am unwilling to make it a priority.”

Let’s get real. The president (regardless of how you feel about him) exercises, Bill Gates exercises, all my current busy boot campers exercise,

Do you have less time in the day then they do?  Well you might.

But riddle me this…

How much TV do you watch?  Well, exercise during commercials.

- Take a walk at lunch.
- Run while you do errands.
- Get out of bed and exercise before you shower and eat.
- Join a fitness class or Boot Camp and get to it!

The minimum for basic results is 3 times a week for 15 minutes. . You could even split that 15 minutes into two 7.5 minute spurts.

Heck, start with short distance walking if you are really out of shape.

Do SOMETHING. Decide today to take control over your mind, body and health. You’ll thank yourself for it.

#2 “I’m too tired to work out.”

Translation: I am unwilling to make myself get up off the couch and make my health a priority.

Now, it could be real:

- Lack of sleep
- Lack of food
- Too much alcohol
- Too much caffeine
- Too much time in front of TV

But, what do all the above have in common?  They are all choices we make. It’s in our control.

And the biggest reason for not being tired all the time?  Lack of exercise.

That’s right.  It’s a proven fact and Law of Universal Energy… We get out we put in.  Once you start moving you’ll soon see it feels good. And you’ll keep going and will have much more energy throughout the day.

#3 “ I’ll start tomorrow”

Translation: I am a dreamer not a doer.

These are the people who live by the motto: Why do today what you can put of till tomorrow.

Why? Because there’s a never ending stream of tomorrows… tomorrow is when you are still out of shape, overweight, or not getting healthier. There’s only one today… and today’s the day to do SOMETHING for yourself so tomorrow you will be on the path to wellness!

#4 “I’m too old”

Translation… I am giving up…I BELIEVE I am too old..

If this is you, it’s all in your mind. It has been proven false over and over and over.

One name here: Jack Lalanne. This guy STILL works out everyday and he is, like, 93.

You build up 10 times faster than you break down… check out the website and book called “Fit Over 40″ – by Jon Benson… there is a 63 old woman with the body of a 25 year old. Her picture at the top of the page will blow you away.

It’s never too late.

#5 “I don’t know what I should eat”

Translation: I am unwilling to change my poor eating habits and feed my body healthy food.

Ladies, there is no shortage of info on how to eat a healthy diet. But I think you already know the basics.

Ice cream, beer, sugar, cake, candy, pie, cookies, bread, starch, flour, crackers, corn, excess fruit, pasta, excess grain (and for some ANY grain), items in bags, boxes, or wrappers, instant foods, processed foods, soda…

These all impact your health, insulin system and waistline negatively.

Lean meats, green and multicolored veggies, clean water, seeds, nuts, berries, occasional fruits, legumes, vitamins…

These all impact your health, insulin system and waistline positively.

#6  “I have bad genetics”

Translation: I am unwilling to even try to get fit. I am a master excuse maker.

It is unbelievably rare to have genetics that won’t allow you to get fit. I have never seen it in all my years as a trainer and fitness consultant.

You can beat any “family” links to obesity by eating right and exercising regularly.

And that is what boot camp is all about. No excuses. Just results.

Heck, I even GIVE you an eating guide.

If you catch yourself making excuses… you know it’s just your inner gremlin trying to trick you into staying the same. Don’t. You can do whatever you believe you can!

To really overcome your excuses you have to develop absolute certainty that you CAN achieve your goals.  ( I assure you, it HAS been done by many before you… so it IS certain you can do it too.)

Now the key to developing that certainty is seeing it in your mind clearly first…

But that’s another post for another time.

Cheers,

D

Also posted in Failure, Mindset | Leave a comment

Boot Camp Workout Soreness Prevention

By Daniel | Published: August 20, 2009
A sight for sore legs

A sight for sore legs

What if I told you you could move around again, easily and gracefully, like you did when you were a child?

Even if you are getting really sore in boot camp.

The secret is called: “foam rolling”. Also known as Self Myofascial Release or SMFR for short.

Let me tell you. Just one session of foam rolling can do so much for you – it’s almost unreal.
It’s like experiencing a brand new color for the very first time.  We get so used to chronic tension we learn to ignore it.  But eventually you won’t be able to ignore it because it basically cripples you.

You know, the hunched back, stiff walk, back pain…

That’s why, once you’ve foam rolled for a month — you’ll never want to be without it.

Just imagine being free of muscle tension and soreness.  Picture moving easily without stiffness.

It’s GREAT!  And here are at least 14 more things it does for you…

Doubles  your flexibility instantly (perfect before a workout)
-  Dramatically reduces soreness after workouts
-  Speeds up recovery time from intense muscle work (like Portland Boot Camp)
-  Massages your muscles
-  Reduces or even eliminates chronic unbalanced tension in the  back, legs, hips and neck
-  Improves posture
-  Targets hard to release areas like your hip flexors and inner thighs
-  Helps eliminate toxins and waste products
-  Improves muscle tone
-  Frees your body to be more graceful and agile
-  Relieves or eliminates chronic muscle stiffness or pain
-  Maintains your muscles
-  Prevents injury (it facilitates proper length and tension relationship of the muscle prior to working out so
tight muscles won’t pull on joints.  It helps prevent dysfunctional movement patterns that lead to injury!)
-    Wake up without stiffness!

This is not hype.  It really makes a difference in the quality of your life if done regularly.  Especially if you work out often.   And, I can honestly say, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that the humble foam roller is, hands down, the most important tool in your arsenal of fitness and health equipment.

OK.  Here’s how it works: When you press against a muscle knot, it causes the muscle to automatically relax.  You can’t help it… iIt’s a muscular reflex everyone has.  This is a very good thing.

Rolling stimulates tiny sensors in the muscles and near tendons.  And if you stimulate the sensors the right way, your muscles automatically relax and loosen.  If you follow the foam rolling with an appropriate warm-up and then stretch, well… then you will feel incredible. So much looser and relaxed.

Once you get the hang of using it, you will never go back.  It just is that good.

In fact, the difference in muscle tension is usually noticeable after the very first time.

They’re cheap and easy to use.  You can roll just about anywhere.  And best of all, the new ones last at least 3 times as long as the old ones did.  The old ones would flatten out in about 4-6 months.  The new ones are specially engineered to hold their shape indeifintely!

So, let me finish by saying, if you are serious about fitness and
do not have one yet, you are doing yourself a grave disservice.

So, here’s how to get your own: You can buy them in Portland for boot camp at FitRightNorthwest There may even be physical therapy or massage stores that carry them.  Or, if you like, you can order below and get the NEW “never flatten” kind at the link below and have it shipped to your door with detailed printed instructions included.

I bought 2 small ones from Perform Better for traveling. One for me and one for my wife. Since they’re only a foot long and half as wide, they fit easily into a suitcase.  Trust me… they are RELIEF after a long day of walking or hiking.

The sooner you get your own, the sooner you feel better, and more relaxed than you can imagine — so go get yours ASAP!

Daniel Iversen

PS Here is the link to a PDF explaining how and why to use a foam roller in detail: How to Foam Roll  And here is where to buy one online:  Perform Better (make sure to get a ROUND one. not a half one. Any size will do)

Also posted in Exercise tips, Flexibility, Injury prevention! | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment