Get rid of winter body fat.

Summer's just around the corner.
Want to blast winter belly fat?

Kick up the intensity!



Simply walking the dog or plodding along on the treadmill might be good for your heart but a recent study by the University of Virginia (UV) showed that women who regularly do high intensity workouts have far less belly fat than women who work out at an easy level.

This suggests that while just being "active" may be good for your overall health, if you want more significant changes to your body composition and body fat loss you need to work at a level that makes you breathe heavily. Additionally, one of the best parts of the UV study was that it was done with women who's mean age was 51 years old. This shows that despite the natural changes that occur with age, by increasing our workout intensity we can still change our bodies regardless of how old we are.

So, how can you effectively increase your intensity? Alternate short bursts of high intensity with active rest period or lower intensity exercises. This mode of training is typically called high intensity interval training, or "HIIT".

Below is a simple "Oh, boy!" workout I like to use when I'm short on time because it gives a big bang for the buck, conditioning the muscles, revving up the cardiovascular system and burning unwanted fat without taking a long time to finish.

Oh, Boy Workout:

50 Jumping Jacks
40 Alternating Rear lunges
30 Bicycle Ab Crunches
20 Pushups
10 Burpees (see pic above)

Be sure to warm up and stretch as needed.
Go down the list 2-3 times as fast as you are able.

No More UBC Sessions

Don't worry, we're not ending classes!
Starting this month, however, we're switching to a monthly system for URBAN Boot Camp.

That means: 1) no more trying to remember when sessions begin and end, 2) no more loss of momentum and hard-earned results, 3) new or returning participants can start at any time, 4) unlimited class participation at one budget-friendly price and 5) if you sign up for automatic billing, no more writing checks!

The monthly fee of $156.00 includes:
~ Fun, interesting workouts
~ Non-competitive, supportive team environment
~ Result-oriented programming
~ Seasonal goals and focused training
~ Nutritional guidance
~ Weekly assignments/emails

Contact us to get your Complimentary 1-Week Trial today!

Boot Camp burns almost 500 calories!

According to a recent USA Today article, boot camp-style workouts are among the hottest trends for 2011, dishing out a calorie burn of almost 500 calories per hour.

Good thing we've been offering these type of fun, fast-paced, fat-burning workout for years!





Come join us and see how many calories you can burn for FREE as our guest for the next two week!

Sign up here today!

Indoor season is here!

Arms a little too jiggly? Summer tops feeling a bit snug by the end of the season? Beginning to bust out of your summer bathing suit?

Not surprising! Summer vacations, long days, and having the kids home can wreak havoc on your schedule as well as your eating habits and fitness routine. So, unlike poor Italian swimmer Flavia Zoccari, some wardrobe malfunctions can actually be caused by gaining a bit too much junk in the trunk.

Fortunately, indoor UBC season starts in October!
Just in time for you to get back to your regular schedule and down to business.

We're excited to announce that we are now located within Portland Athletic Club, located at 5803 SW Beaverton-Hillsdale Hwy in Portland.

Check out the new details on our website.

Sign ups have already begun, so hurry and claim your spot!

We're also pleased to announce that we will begin using the facility for our personal training program (including partner and small group training) as well for those who'd prefer not to workout in home. Ask for details!


Look forward to helping you get more fit soon!

How much rest do you need between workout sessions?

After a fantastic track workout last night, one of our UBC participants asked about how often they should do resistance training (lift weights, use resistance bands, do body weight exercises, etc) during the week. The amount of rest needed between workouts depends on a number of factors including:

* The type of lifestyle you want to maintain - Are you simply working to improve your overall health, or are you training for a sport or to maintain an active lifestyle?
* The type and level of activity/sports you are training for - Do you want to go for weekend bike rides or hikes, or are you entering a marathon or a triathlon this year?
* Your fitness goals - Is your focus on feeling better and losing body fat, or are you entered in an event and want to improve your running speed and muscle endurance?
* The amount of time you are willing to devote consistently - Can you schedule a block of time, or do you need to break up your exercise throughout the day?
* The number of weeks/months you've been exercising - Have you been working out intensely for a few weeks, or are you just beginning?

If you are a beginning exerciser, these are some general guidelines to follow:

* Strength train for all major muscle groups on non-consecutive days, allowing roughly 48 hours per body part worked. If you are still sore from a previous workout, just work out less intensely or use lighter weight. Don't skip the workout! We recommend one additional workout on your off-UBC days, which is provided for you. You can, however, choose different exercises tailored to your specific needs. Discuss your situation with your instructor for guidance.

* Cardiovascular exercise can be done on consecutive days, 3-5 days per week for 20-40 minutes (with UBC that's 1-3 additional workouts). Varying the intensity/duration is acceptable, but again, don't skip workouts.

* Do something every day, even if it's just 10 minutes of stretching or a brisk walk. This will help to keep you on track and focused even on scheduled off-days.

* Every four to eight weeks (depending on your exercise intensity) have an active rest week. Do activities outside of your normal exercise sessions. This can include hiking, kyaking, swimming, et cetera, but the goal is to do something different. This will help to keep you from feeling stagnate and lessen your chance of injury due to overuse and exhaustion. Keep in mind that if you typically work out at a very high intensity, you may need to take a complete rest for the week.

Ultimately, keep in mind that the creation of healthy, consistent exercise habits is the most important thing. Discovering what works for you and your lifestyle is also key. While there are certain biological and physiological similarities, your fitness journey is a unique one that has to be tailored to your needs. Rest is important, but you have to "do" before you rest. Find what you like and do it. Even if you start with only 5-10 minutes of general movement, staying focused and consistent will help you build up and achieve more.

For more information visit the U.S. Department of Human Services' website: Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans

High Five on "The Hill"

Between the playground obstacle course on Monday and The Hill on Wednesday, the gang is due a public high five this week!

WOOT!

This week's URBAN Boot Camp highlights include progressive plyometric work as well as "The Hill". Both are great for building strength and power, as well as the anaerobic component of the cardiovascular system. Squats, deadlifts, leg presses, and the like are great for making us stronger, but doing hill work can directly translate to your running and walking ability by quickening your stride, increasing your leg strength, and lengthening your stride, and increasing your aerobic capacity. Your muscles have no choice but to work synergistically as your entire body is supported while you perform. Participants may have joked that I "had it in for them" but they were greatly astonished at their performance so much so that by the end they were all still smiling...even Leesha!

Why? Accomplishment! The gang discovered that the so-called "impossible" was not impossible and everyone was able to go longer, farther, and perform stronger than they thought they could. The progressive nature of our program means that everything goes together and has a purpose (see guys... there IS a method to the madness. Muahahaha!)

Give your body controlled amounts of stressors and it will adapt.

Here's a great article on hill running: Everything You Need To Know About Hill Training

Now, your turn.

Here's a plyo workout:

Squat reaches
Pushups

Split squat
Plank reaches

Squat jumps
Side hover

Split jumps
Plank walks

Ice skaters
Reverse plank w/hip dips

Exercise 45 seconds on/15 seconds off, down the list 2-3 times. Remember quality over quantity. Stay focused and land properly EVERYtime. Of course, sandwich this between a proper warm up and cool down.

As for The Hill ...Portland has tons of hills. Find one and do shuttle runs (or fast walk): go up one block, then back down to the beginning, up two blocks, then down to the beginning. Shoot for 4-5 shuttle trips, then cool down.

Have fun!

Workout of the Week

Hot Tabatas!
Stay cool and drink lots of water!

Dynamic warmup/stretch, 5-10 minutes

pushups, 20secs/10secs rest x 3
dips, 20secs/10secs rest x 3
squat jumps, 20secs/10secs rest x 3 ea leg

cardio: jumprope and/or shuttle run, 2 minutes

bentover row, 20secs/10secs rest x 3
biceps curls, 20secs/10secs rest x 3
one-leg squat, 20secs/10secs rest x 3 ea leg

cardio: jumprope and/or shuttle run, 2 minutes

Go down the list 2-3 times. Then cool down 2-5 minutes, as necessary.

Core exercise:
Hover 1 min/crunches (various) 1 min, x 3

Finish with cool down/stretch.

UBC Workout of the Week

Jumprope, 2 minutes

Fwd/rear lunge, 12x ea side
Med ball pushups, 12x
Bent-over row, 12x

Jumprope, 2 minutes

Dumbbell plies, 12x
Chest flye or cable flye, 12x
Reverse flye, 12x

Jumprope, 2 minutes

Lateral raise, 12x
Biceps curl, 12x
Triceps rope pull, 12x

Ab crunches, 25x
Egg rolls, 10x
Deck squat, 10x
Hover, 30-90 seconds
Side plank w/hip dips, 10x ea side

After dynamic warm up, go down list of exercises 2-3 times. Finish with cool down/stretch.

Workout of the Week

We forget that every good that is worth possessing must be paid for in strokes of daily effort. "William James"

Warm up x 3: Jump rope x 100, 10 prisoner squats, 10 push-ups, 10 pull-ups, dynamic stretch

2-3 rounds for time:

10 Burpees

10 Fwd/bwd lunge

10 T-stand pushups

10 Combo: 2 situps/5 crunches

Post - Cool down/flexibility stretching