Start The New Year Off Right !!!

Dont fall back into bad habits! Commit to get fit in the new year and stick with it, There are 5 essential components to getting in shape

• Cardiovascular Fitness - This reccomends that you follow the F.I.T.T. Principal, Frequency - Intensity - Time - Type. You should do 20 - 30 minutes of cardio 3 - 6 times a week at your correct intensity level. This ensures the most important muscle you have, the heart, is as strong as all the the other muscles in your body.
• Progressive Resistance Training - Resistance training should be done 3 times per week and encompass all the major muscle groups. For best results employ the assistance of a certified fitness professional.   And when you do, demand that they have the appropriate education, such as a degree in a related field plus a nationally accedited certification, like  N.S.C.A., N.A.S.M., A.C.S.M., I.S.S.A. etc... and have at least 500 hours of training experience (http://www.fitnessexperienceclubs.com/)
• Proper Food Intake - Implement a balanced and intellectual approach to your nutrition, considering factors such as lifestyle, leisure habits and occupation.  Are youy active or sedentary? How often will you be working out and intensity levels at which you will be training? It is imperative to have goals such as fat loss (notice how I did not say weight loss) and muscle gain! Be specific with your goals.  The more vivid you can paint that picture, the more likely you are to take ownership of your goals and outcomes.
• Supplementation - It is impossible to get all the nutrients that we nood from food alone, unless one decides to in excess of 4500 calories per day.  And since the goal for most of us is to reduce body fat, 4500 calories is double to triple our needed caloric intake in a day. Since you will be training it is important to have the correct caloric intake, the right amount nutrienets, vitamins and minerals that your body will require.
• Accountability and Motivation - Develop a support system that will keep you on task for your goals! Find your signifigant other or family member to keep you motivated and vice versa.  Enroll in a health club or hire a  personal trainer.  Have clearly defined goals, set up an impending event such as a vacation or marathon etc...

Be proactive in your approach to your fitness goals and make a firm 3 month commitment, be sure to stay on track and check your results every 30 days. Avoid the scale  and just stay on point with your regiment and you will break bad habits and replace them with positive habits! After 90 days you will feel and look better and it will be easier to continue on your new fitness trend.

We at Fitness Experience would like to wish you and yours a Happy and Prosperous New Year! 

Let Fitness Experience be the Solution to your New Years Resolution!

And just an FYI... Coming soon is our Annual Fat Loss Competition!  Do you have what it takes to be a loser!?  Drop in for details. 



5 Tips That Will Help You Achieve Your Fitness Goals.

Success in any field of life is determined by the way you approach your goals. Similarly, achieving your ideal physique requires you to have a positive attitude towards it. Below are 5 useful tips that will condition your mind and body to achieve your fitness goals.

Be specific in setting goals.
One of the main reasons why people fail is that they don’t set specific or clear goals. If your goal is to lose weight, chances are that you might lose some but not as much as you would like to if you don’t set a specific target. In order to achieve your fitness goals, it is very important to decide how much weight you want to lose, what kind of physique you want and what is the time frame in which you need to achieve those results.At Fitness Experience in Scottsdale they provide an in depth analysis which will include Weight - Measurements - Body Fat - Structural Integrity. this will help to establish a proper goal for you to shoot for.
Be Realistic.
Setting optimistic and challenging goals is always useful but care must be taken that those goals are not impractical. For example if your goal is to lose 30 pounds in 1 week than you are bound to fall short of your target by a huge margin. Bear in mind that you did not gain all that weight in few days so there is no way that you are going to lose it overnight. Remember, patience is virtue and don’t let minor setbacks hinder your progress.
Make a detailed plan of action.
Once you have set a clear goal, the next step is to make a plan of action for the attainment of your fitness goals. You need to prepare a detailed road map of how you are going to reach your target. It is important to have a well thought out training and nutrition plan and it should be in compliance with your personal and professional life. For example if you are doing a regular office job than it will not be possible for you to work out in the afternoon or even in the evening due to work stress so plan your day is such a way that you get up an hour earlier in the morning for exercise.
Always keep a journal.
It is essential that you know how far you have come and how far you still need to go in order to reach your fitness goals. Keep a log of your daily diet intake and workout routine. Moreover, measure your body fat and weigh yourself on regular basis so that you can keep a track of your progress.
Stay focused.
For fast weight loss success you should never lose sight of your goal. Write down your goals on a diary or a piece of paper that you can carry around. It will be easier for you to avoid setbacks and cravings if you your goal is always in the back of your mind.
for more information on fitness or to set up a fitness analysis www.fitnessexperienceclubs.com

a positive statement by Og Mandino

I WILL PERSIST UNTIL I SUCCEED

I will persist until I succeed.

In the Orient young bulls are tested for the fight arena in a certain manner. Each is brought to the ring and allowed to attack a picador who pricks them with a lance. The bravery of each bull is then rated with care according to the number of times he demonstrates his willingness to charge in spite of the sting of the blade. Henceforth will I recognize that each day I am tested by life in like manner. If I persist, if I continue to try, if I continue to charge forward, I will succeed.

I will persist until I succeed.

I was not delivered unto this world in defeat, nor does failure course in my veins. I am not a sheep waiting to be prodded by my shepherd. I am a lion and I refuse to talk, to walk, to sleep with the sheep. I will hear not those who weep and complain, for their disease is contagious. Let them join the sheep. The slaughterhouse of failure is not my destiny.

I will persist until I succeed.

The prizes of life are at the end of each journey, not near the beginning; and it is not given to me to know how many steps are necessary in order to reach my goal. Failure I may still encounter at the thousandth step, yet success hides behind the next bend in the road. Never will I know how close it lies unless I turn the corner.

Always will I take another step. If that is of no avail I will take another, and yet another. In truth, one step at a time is not too difficult.

I will persist until I succeed.

Henceforth, I will consider each day's effort as but one blow of my blade against a mighty oak. The first blow may cause not a tremor in the wood, nor the second, nor the third. Each blow, of itself, may be trifling, and seem of no consequence. Yet from childish swipes the oak will eventually tumble. So it will be with my efforts of today.

I will be liken to the rain drop which washes away the mountain; the ant who devours a tiger; the star which brightens the earth; the slave who builds a pyramid. I will build my castle one brick at a time for I know that small attempts, repeated, will complete any undertaking.

I will persist until I succeed.

I will never consider defeat and I will remove from my vocabulary such words and phrases as quit, cannot, unable, impossible, out of the question, improbable, failure, unworkable, hopeless, and retreat; for they are the words of fools. I will avoid despair but if this disease of the mind should infect me then I will work on in despair. I will toil and I will endure. I will ignore the obstacles at my feet and keep mine eyes on the goals above my head, for I know that where dry desert ends, green grass grows.

I will persist until I succeed.

I will remember the ancient law of averages and I will bend it to my good. I will persist with knowledge that each failure to sell will increase my chance for success at the next attempt. Each nay I hear will bring me closer to the sound of yea. Each frown I meet only prepares me for the smile to come. Each misfortune I encounter will carry in it the seed of tomorrow's good luck. I must have the night to appreciate the day. I must fail often to succeed only once.

I will persist until I succeed.

I will try, and try, and try again. Each obstacle I will consider as a mere detour to my goal and a challenge to my profession. I will persist and develop my skills as the mariner develops his, by learning to ride out the wrath of each storm.

I will persist until I succeed.

Henceforth, I will learn and apply another secret of those who excel in my work. When each day is ended, not regarding whether it has been a success or a failure, I will attempt to achieve one more sale. When my thoughts beckon my tired body homeward I will resist the temptation to depart. I will try again. I will make one more attempt to close with victory, and if that fails I will make another. Never will I allow any day to end with a failure. Thus will I plant the seed of tomorrow's success and gain an insurmountable advantage over those who cease their labor at a prescribed time. When others cease their struggle, then mine will begin, and my harvest will be full.

I will persist until I succeed.

Nor will I allow yesterday's success to lull me into today's complacency, for this is the great foundation of failure. I will forget the happenings of the day that is gone, whether they were good or bad, and greet the new sun with confidence that this will be the best day of my life.

So long as there is breath in me, that long will I persist. For now I know one of the greatest principles of success; if I persist long enough I will win.

SIX STEPS FOR SUSTAINING YOUR HEALTH AND STAYING FOCUSED ON YOUR FITNESS GOAL

There are plenty of diets, fads, work out and weight loss programs out there. Many of them are questionable, while others are reputable. However, ultimately it comes down to some pretty simple concepts to sustain your health. Eat healthy vitamin-rich foods and get regular exercise, while avoiding high fat and processed foods. With hectic and expensive lives, it is not easy to stick to your plan. Below are some ways to motivate yourself to sustain your health goal and stay in a healthy routine for life.

Tip #1 – Just Push Play

Steven Tyler may not know, but when Aerosmith released their Just Push Play album in 2001, they were providing advice for one of life’s biggest challenges – staying healthy. It really is about taking that first step! How many of us quit a diet or workout plan within a week (or few hours)?
Think about it: the first time on your bicycle with no training wheels, your first day of school or your first driving lesson all felt like daunting tasks! But once you surpass that initial step, the rest comes easier. So, Just Push Play, whether it’s literally starting your hardcore ab workout, ordering a healthful lunch or putting on your gym clothes – take that first step and don’t think twice about it!
Tip #2 – Make a Schedule (for Both Work and Play)
Humans are creatures of habit and the first few weeks while your body adjusts to changes can be tough, but you will find your body craving the healthier foods and the daily workouts. Life is all about balance and that’s why it’s important to also schedule your days off. Take a day to do something fun or relax guilt-free, since you’ve earned it!
Tip #3 – Stay Focused on the Goal
It’s easy to forget how great you feel after a tough workout. Everyday can be a struggle to remind yourself of this, especially when you’re tired or stressed. If you have trouble remembering, start a log of how you feel after a workout or a good meal. You can also take photos of yourself as you progress towards your goal to see the transformation.
No one ever regrets a good workout and yet how many of us regret sitting on the couch all night or eating that greasy pizza? It can take time to see results, so the best thing you can do is ignore the excuses and discouraging thoughts, andstay focused on your goal.
Tip #4 – Get Organized
Find ways to create a healthy environment in your home and office. Discard anything that promotes unhealthy habits, like salty snacks in your office. Also set up an area of your house for indoor workouts. Create a relaxing environment somewhere in your house to de-stress, since stress causes your body to crave sugar. Keep a protein snack in your car like unsalted nuts to curb cravings before you hit up your kitchen the second you walk in the door!
Tip #5 – Accept Your New Lifestyle
Many people don’t understand or don’t want to believe that being healthy is not something you GET TO – it’s something you live by. Once you recognize it’s not just a few months of workouts or dieting, you learn to take it one day at a time. You’ll learn what things you can do without and how to slowly change bad habits. For instance, the P90x workout works wonders for many and the show the Biggest Loser helps thousands of people. The one message that each organization continues to impress on its audience is that you don’t stop after the 90 days or one season. This is just the first step in taking control of and truly enjoying your life!
Tip #6 – Reward Yourself
After you whip yourself into shape, keep in mind that it’s vital to reward yourself in small ways to remain motivated, so that you don’t give up, say, six weeks after New Year’s! It’s a tradeoff – if you know you really want ice cream after dinner, skip the cookies at work. Or as you start to feel and see changes, purchase a small gift like perfume or piece of jewelry for yourself. You are the one controlling your destiny and no food can make you feel this accomplished.
Staying healthy or sustaining your weight loss routine can be very challenging, especially when you first embark on changing your everyday routine. But you will never regret taking control of your future and living a much healthier life. It requires consistent work, but once you create a routine, it will feel like small steps to avoid major health problems. The accomplished feeling and positive results will be like nothing you’ve ever experienced – including ice cream!

Fitness and Productivity in the Workplace

Help your staff become physically fit

Physical fitness has numerous benefits. The physical benefits of working out regularly include helping you achieve and maintain a healthy weight, warding off disease and illness, and making you more energetic. Physical fitness offers several mental-health benefits as well, such as relieving stress and improving your mood. These advantages and more make physical fitness a safe, healthy way to increase workplace productivity. Employees engaging in exercises will be out sick less often, be better equipped to handle workplace tension and feel happier and more focused.

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Gym membership discount
• Trainer
• Motivation
• Accountability

1. • 1
     Contact a gym or fitness center near your workplace about a group discount for your staff members. If your business can afford it, consider paying a portion of the membership as a benefit for your staff to make it even more affordable.Fitness Experience in Scottsdale Arizona is one such place www.fitnessexperienceclubs.com or (480)451-7650
   • 2
     Hire a group trainer that will motivate your staff and make a before work, lunch or after work time spot for you . Improve productivity by offering elective fitness classes before the start of the workday or after lunch.
   • 3
     Get your employees involved in an afternoon group fitness or spin class with your local gym which will boost employee's productivity.
   • 4
     Improve workplace productivity, enhance camaraderie and raise money for a good cause by organizing a voluntary team for a fundraising walk or run held in your area. Employees who are unable to participate in the physical aspect of the event can still be part of the team by helping to raise funds, creating team T-shirts or simply cheering on their coworkers.
   • 5
     Hang posters with safe, simple stretches and poses that staff members can perform in the workplace. Taking breaks to get up, stretch and move improves physical fitness and will help employees be more alert and productive.

The Top Ten Fun Fitness Summer Activities for Kids

Summer is here and children need to stay active, healthy and busy during their break from school.
Parents need to encourage their children to warm up properly and stretch before each activity and teach them never to play through any type of pain or make winning the reason for playing any sport. Let them choose the activity and keep the focus on having fun.
To keep kids moving, the American Council on Exercise suggests ten, fun fitness summer activities.

1. Soccer This highly active game involving both agility and teamwork has grown increasingly popular in the U.S. in recent years. To keep kids injury free, be sure they are geared up in appropriate protective equipment, such as shin guards. Soccer players should also wear shoes with cleats or ribbed soles to prevent slipping.
2. Martial arts With a variety of forms to choose from, martial arts are a great way to get kids involved in a sport that involves strength, coordination and mental discipline. Proper training and equipment to prevent injury are a must. Fitness Experience houses John Greer's Black Belt Academy. a great place for kids to learn self defense
3. Bike riding Bicycle riding is a fun activity for the whole family. Experts suggest children ride on sidewalks and paths until they are at least 10 years old, show good riding skills and are able to follow the rules of the road. Helmets, of course, are a necessity for both children and adults.
4. Swimming Nothing beats splashing around a pool with friends, and swimming offers the benefits of a full-body workout for both young and old. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends swimming lessons for children ages 4 and up, although classes are available for babies and toddlers as well.
5. Basketball Whether it's a round of HORSE, a game of one on one, or a full-court competition, basketball is ideal for developing hand/eye coordination and teamwork. Encourage children under the age of seven to use a smaller foam or rubber ball, and lower the height of the basket if possible.
6. Obstacle courses Challenge kids to use a variety of different skills by setting up an obstacle course at the park using playground equipment or other items, such as jump ropes, balls and cones.
7. Dancing Whether your kids like ballet or hip-hop, dancing encourages them to be creative and move their bodies freely. For video arcade fans, an innovative new game challenges opponents to follow a dance routine while watching the video. Kids can spend time learning new moves while also getting a great workout.
8. Board sports Whether snowboarding in the winter, surfing in the summer, or skateboarding year-round, kids love to be on the board. Injury risk, however, is higher for these sports. For both snowboarding and skateboarding, kids should wear helmets to prevent head injuries, and surfers or boogie-boarders should always be accompanied by an adult.
9. Jumping rope Jumping rope is still a favorite on most playgrounds. Whether alone or in a group, jumping rope challenges both coordination and stamina.
10. Ice-skating/inline-skating Ice-skating, inline-skating and hockey can be both fun and safe as long as appropriate protective gear such as a helmet, wrist guards and kneepads are worn. Hockey players should wear a helmet with foam lining and a full-face mask, a mouth guard, pads for shoulders, knees, elbows and shins, as well as gloves. 

To make sure that your children are safe get them involved in a regular exercise routine This will prevent injuries and make summer much more enjoyable all the way around. for more information visit www.fitnessexperienceclubs.com or call (480) 451-7650 to find out about a summer pass for your children.

SUmmer Workout Tips

7 Most Effective Exercises

Experts say there is no magic to exercise: You get out of it what you put in. That doesn't mean you have to work out for hours each day. It just means you need to work smart.
That said, experts agree that not all exercises are created equal. Some are simply more efficient than others, whether they target multiple muscle groups, are suitable for a wide variety of fitness levels, or help you burn calories more effectively.
So what are the best exercises? We posed this question to four fitness experts and compiled a list of their favorites.

1. Walking

Any exercise program should include cardiovascular exercise, which strengthens the heart and burns calories. And walking is something you can do anywhere, anytime, with no equipment other than a good pair of shoes.

It's not just for beginners, either: Even the very fit can get a good workout from walking.

"Doing a brisk walk can burn up to 500 calories per hour," says Robert Gotlin, DO, director of orthopaedic and sports rehabilitation at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York. Since it takes 3,500 calories to lose a pound, you could expect to lose a pound for every seven hours you walk, if you did nothing else.

Don't go from the sofa to walking an hour day, though. Richard Cotton, a spokesman for the American Council on Exercise, says beginners should start by walking five to -10 minutes at a time, gradually moving up to at least 30 minutes per session.
"Don't add more than five minutes at a time," he says. Another tip: It's better to lengthen your walks before boosting your speed or incline.

2. Interval training

Whether you're a beginner or an exercise veteran, a walker or an aerobic dancer, adding interval training to your cardiovascular workout will boost your fitness level and help you lose weight.

"Varying your pace throughout the exercise session stimulates the aerobic system to adapt," says Cotton. "The more power the aerobic system has, the more capacity you have to burn calories."

The way to do it is to push the intensity or pace for a minute or two, then back off for anywhere from two to -10 minutes (depending on how long your total workout will be, and how much time you need to recover). Continue doing this throughout the workout.

3. Squats

Strength training is essential, the experts say. "The more muscular fitness you have," says Cotton, "the greater the capacity you have to burn calories."
And our experts tended to favor strength-training exercises that target multiple muscle groups. Squats, which work the quadriceps, hamstrings, and gluteals, are an excellent example.
"They give you the best bang for the buck because they use the most muscle groups at once," says Oldsmar, Fla., trainer David Petersen.
Form is key, though, warns Petersen.
"What makes an exercise functional is how you perform the exercise," he says. "If you have bad technique, it's no longer functional."
For perfect form, keep feet shoulder-width apart and back straight. Bend knees and lower your rear, says Cotton: "The knee should remain over the ankle as much as possible."
"Think of how you sit down in a chair, only the chair's not there," suggests Gotlin.
Physical therapist Adam Rufa, of Cicero, N.Y., says practicing with a real chair can help.
"Start by working on getting in and out of a real chair properly," he says. Once you've mastered that, try just tapping the chair with your bottom, then coming back up. Then do the same motion without the chair.
Gotlin sees lots of patients with knee pain, and says quadriceps weakness is the cause much of the time. If you feel pain going down stairs, he says, strengthening your quads with squats may very well help.

4. Lunges

Like squats, lunges work all the major muscles of the lower body: gluteals, quadriceps, and hamstrings.
A lunge is a great exercise because it mimics life, it mimics walking," only exaggerated, says Petersen.
Lunges are a bit more advanced than squats, says Cotton, helping to improve your balance as well.
Here's how to do them right: Take a big step forward, keeping your spine in a neutral position. Bend your front knee to approximately 90 degrees, focusing on keeping weight on the back toes and dropping the knee of your back leg toward the floor.
Petersen suggests that you imagine sitting on your back foot. "The trailing leg is the one you need to sit down on," he says.
To make a lunge even more functional, says Rufa, try stepping not just forward, but back and out to each side.
"Life is not linear, it's multiplanar," says Rufa. And the better they prepare you for the various positions you'll move in during the course of a day, the more useful exercises are.

5. Push-ups

If done correctly, the push-up can strengthen the chest, shoulders, triceps, and even the core trunk muscles, all at one time.
"I'm very much into planking exercises, almost yoga-type moves," says Petersen. "Anytime you have the pelvis and the core [abdominals and back] in a suspended position, you have to rely on your own adherent strength to stabilize you."
Push-ups can be done at any level of fitness, says Cotton: "For someone who is at a more beginning level, start by pushing from the kitchen-counter height. Then work your way to a desk, a chair, the floor with bent knees, and, finally, the floor on your toes."
Here's how to do a perfect push-up: From a face-down position, place your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Place your toes or knees on the floor, and try to create a perfect diagonal with your body, from the shoulders to the knees or feet. Keep the glutes [rear-end muscles] and abdominals engaged. Then lower and lift your body by bending and straightening your elbows, keeping your torso stable throughout.
There are always ways to make it harder, says Rufa. Once your form is perfect, try what he calls the "T-stabilization" push-up: Get into push-up position, then do your push-ups with one arm raised out to the side, balancing on the remaining three limbs without rotating your hips.

6. Abdominal Crunches

Who doesn't want firm, flat abs? Experts say that when done correctly, the familiar crunch (along with its variations) is a good choice to target them.
For a standard crunch, says Cotton, begin lying on your back with feet flat on the floor and fingertips supporting your head. Press your low back down and begin the exercise by contracting abdominals and peeling first your head (tucking your chin slightly), then your neck, shoulders, and upper back off the floor.
Be careful not to pull your neck forward by sticking the chin out; don't hold your breath, and keep elbows out of your line of vision to keep chest and shoulders open.
For his part, Petersen teaches his clients to do crunches with their feet off the floor and knees bent. He says that with feet kept on the floor, many people tend to arch the back and engage the hip flexors.
"Crunches can be excellent, but if they're not done correctly, with the back arching, they can actually weaken the abdominals," Petersen says.
To work the obliques (the muscles on the sides of your waist), says Cotton, take the standard crunch and rotate the spine toward one side as you curl off the floor.
"Twist before you come up," he says. "It's really important that the twist comes first because then it's the obliques that are actually getting you up."
But keep in mind that you won't get a flat stomach with crunches alone, says Cotton. Burning belly fat requires the well-known formula: using up more calories than you take in.
"Crunches work the ab muscles; [they're] not to be mistaken as exercise that burns the fat over the abdominals," he says. "That's the biggest myth in exercise going."

7. Bent-over Row

Talk about bang for the buck: This exercise works all the major muscles of the upper back, as well as the biceps.
Here's how to do it with good form. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, then bend knees and flex forward at the hips. (If you have trouble doing this exercise standing up, support your weight by sitting on an incline bench, facing backward.) Tilt your pelvis slightly forward, engage the abdominals, and extend your upper spine to add support. Hold dumbbells or barbell beneath the shoulders with hands about shoulder-width apart. Flex your elbows, and lift both hands toward the sides of your body. Pause, then slowly lower hands to the starting position. (Beginners should perform the move without weights.)

Technique

These seven exercises are excellent, efficient choices, the experts say. But with just about any strength or resistance exercise, says Petersen, the question is not so much whether the exercise works as how well you execute.
"Done with good technique, all exercises do what they're supposed to do," says Petersen.
The trouble is that poor form can change the whole exercise, putting emphasis or even strain on different areas than intended. This can hurt, rather than help you.
So especially if you're a beginner, it's a good idea to seek the advice of a fitness trainer - Fitness Experience in Scottsdale Arizona has a variety of well qualified trainers to assist you (480) 451-7650-- to be sure your form is safe and correct.