Success Fitness FACTS

Complete nutrition for a hot body - 101

2012-01-13T07:05:00.000-08:00

As a fitness professional and personal weight loss success story, I get asked all the time "what do I eat to lose weight and look better?".

As much as I would absolutely love to divulge a hidden trade secret here, its just not there and doesn't need to be.

My approach is simple, our bodies are meant to eat clean, whole, raw, and natural foods. Envision how Adam & Eve would have eaten in the garden of Eden and there you have it.

An abundance of fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, a bounty from the sea, proteins from the air and fields which are at their most natural state is what the good Lord has provided us with. Unfortunately as society has continued to develop many have gone the way of eating for convenience, emotional satisfaction, and recreation.

With this an industry is born which specializes in low-quality/high energy density foods which are inexpensive, taste great, and portable. The vast majority of these foods are your "anti-hot body" and as much as possible should be avoided. A simple rule; if this food came straight from a farm, ranch, or dairy it is most likely going to be good for you, if it has come from a factory and features ingredients you do not recognize, avoid it.

Next, carbs have been getting a bad rep in years past, some for good reason some is unjustified. The truth about carbs again is quite simple... ALL major systems in the human body run on carbohydrates (glucose for organ function, glycogen for musculoskeletal), and because of this carbohydrates are a vital component in maintaining good healthy nutrition.

Where we've gone amiss is with a radical abundance of simple/processed/sugary carbs, as not only does the body see these as the fastest source of ready energy (use it or store it), but they also induce hunger and lead to over-eating. Except for rapidly replenishing depleted glucose/glycogen after prolonged/maximal intensity exertion, these are also on the "anti-hot body" list.

What many people do not know or realize is that a vast majority of fruits and vegetables have the carbohydrates that our bodies need built right into them and in the ideal ratio. This means that if your diet is focused primarily around fruits and vegetables, you are going to get all of the carbohydrates your body needs. The breads, cereals, pasta, tortilla's, bakery items, pancakes, etc. are just simply not needed and promote fat storage as surplus energy.

Below are some examples of meal ideas that fall in line with not only supplying your body with the absolute very best source of quick yet sustained energy, but promote lean muscle and decreased body fat:

Breakfast:

- Diced apples mixed with shredded carrots, raisins, and walnuts

- Mixed fresh melon (watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew melon, etc.) broiled lean pork chop

- Fresh mixed berries with steak scramble (eggs with onions, peppers, garlic, & lean steak)

- Diced peach & nectarine w/lime juice roasted chicken or turkey breast chunks

- Sliced banana, almonds, blueberries, and strawberries

- Diced mixed melon with roasted salmon steak

- Oats with frozen mixed berries (thawed) and grilled lean turkey sausage

Snacks:

- 4oz roasted almonds (no salt) & apple

- 4oz shelled walnuts & strawberries

- 5oz Pistachio’s (no salt) & honey dew melon

- sunflower seeds & fresh mango/papaya

- cherry tomatoes & spicy roasted chicken chunks

- peel & eat shrimp with cilantro & lime

Lunch/dinner options:

- Large spinach salad with grilled tuna, walnuts, assorted fresh veggies & lemon vinaigrette dressing

- Broiled sirloin (6oz) with steamed asparagus

- Herb roasted chicken breast with steamed seasonal vegetable medly

- BBQ smoked turkey breast topped with grilled pineapple salsa and sautee’d green beans w/almonds

- Chunky chicken and vegetable soup in a garlic basil broth

- Slow roasted pork tenderloin with Waldorf salad

- Seafood stir-fry with shrimp, scallops, crab & fresh (or frozen) mixed stirfry veggies (cooked with olive oil)

Though not your typical "normal" day-to-day fare, these foods within this approach in conjunction with a consistent/progressive exercise program are guaranteed to get you on track to your hot-body!

Joe Carson BS/CPT
Master Trainer/Owner
Success Fitness
http://www.successfitnessok.com
Author: Your Body Your Life Yourself

Making over your metabolism 101

2012-01-12T03:48:00.000-08:00

What is metabolism?

Metabolism is a complex chemical process which provides energy for life function.

Examples:

- Neurological system - digestive system - cardio respiratory system - Neurological system

Factors that effect metabolism:

- Genetics - age - body composition - stress/cortisol levels - nutritional habits

- Medication(s) - hydration - supplementation - activity level - types of exercise

Easy steps for stoking the “metabolic fire”:

- Begin each day with a balanced meal (breakfast is the “KING” of the meals and is essential)

- Foods should be as natural (unprocessed) as possible

- Reduce sugar intake

- Moderately consume items in which caffeine occurs naturally (coffee, green tea, dark chocolate, etc)

- Drink sufficient pure water (average 16oz per hour for 8-hrs)

- Eat moderated calorie intake, balanced meals approx. every 3 hours (ideally 5x per day)

- Follow a structured exercise program that contains both strength & cardio training

- Get plenty of sleep, a minimum of 8 hours is a standard rule

- Organize daily tasks and actively manage life stressors to reduce cortisol levels

Metabolic pitfalls:

- Avoid extended periods of limited movement (use break time to take a short walk)

- Avoid use of harsh stimulants or artificial metabolic enhancers, long term they do just the opposite

- Unbalanced diets (excessively high in carbohydrates and or fats)

- Excessively high calorie meals (typically more than 600 calories at a time)

- High levels of abdominal/visceral fat

- Some medications (especially anti-depressants/mood enhancers)

- Not consuming enough quality calories (spread ideal intake through a 12 – 15 hr period)

- Lack of structured exercise (must include both cardio & strength training)

- Stress and anxiety both cause the body to go into “self protect” mode, slowing metabolism

- Genetics/endocrine(thyroid)

Foods that boost metabolism:

- SUPER FOODS (foods with high levels of anti-oxidants): blueberries, grapefruit, greek yogurt, pomegranates

- Spicy foods, capsaicin has a natural thermogenic property that is shown to boost metabolism

- Protein, the building blocks of all of our body’s systems (lean cuts, high amounts of fat will slow digestion)

- Water, the more pure and natural the better (steam distilled or fresh well water is best) 16oz per hour for 8 hours

- Low glycemic (slow burning) carbohydrates (Oats, natural granola, 100% whole grain breads/pasta)

- Omega 3 – 6 fats (supplements, walnuts, almonds, olive oil, fish)

Making over your metabolism not only has tremendous benefits for enhancing body composition, but will make you feel more energetic, which in turn leads to a more productive and fulfilling way of life!

Joe Carson BS/CPT
Master Trainer/Owner

Success Fitness

http://www.successfitnessok.com

Author: Your Body Your Life Yourself

Total body shaping 101

2012-01-11T05:19:00.000-08:00

Lets face it, we all have at least one area/part of our body that seems to be our primary area of concentration when working out. Often for guys its either the chest or the arms, for the ladies the buns and thighs seem to take center stage.

What you may not know is that often times the best way to target that "troubled spot" is not to target it at all, and train it and everything around it equally. For instance, the wider, thicker, and more defined a man's back muscles are, the bigger, better, and more defined the pectorals in the chest look.

The happy by-product of working those back muscles so hard to achieve that development is the growth, size, and shape that naturally occurs in the biceps. Likewise, this also happens in the triceps as a result of heavy presses.

Compound/multi-joint movements require more strength/muscle resource than does isolation/single-joint training, which not only facilitates growth/shaping for the prime-movers but for the smaller synergist & stabilizer muscles that are associated with each movement. (bicep curls and tricep extensions are over-rated)

So, to achieve that shape that you are looking for, skip the spot/focus training and spend equally as much time training the muscles that you cannot readily see as you do training the muscles in which you can.

*The best body-shaping/toning programs involve circuit style training of at least 4 - 6 exercises, typically in an alternating upper-lower format. This not only allows for building-toning-shaping of the lean muscle but also helps to burn fat.

Joe Carson BS/CPT
Master Trainer/Owner
Success Fitness
http://www.successfitnessok.com
Author: Your Body Your Life Yourself

Serious muscle 101

2012-01-10T06:46:00.000-08:00

It is a complete myth that doing strength training will make you "bulk up", unless this is something in which you wish to train for specifically.

Look at it like this, going for a 10 minute run on the treadmill for your warm up each day does not make you a marathon runner. Our bodies adapt according to the stimulus which we place on them, which allows for us to train for and achieve an incredible number of goals physically.

The caveat to the limits of our performance comes by way of our individual genetic makeup and body type. It is just as possible for a person to become incredibly strong to the point of squatting and pressing multiples of their own body weight all while not experiencing extreme muscle hypertrophy (muscle volumizing/bulking). With this, always consider building pure strength as the core focus of your training, developing muscle shape and tone will come as your programming progresses.

Key Components to building serious muscle:

- Food/fuel, eat complex carbs & LOW - FAT protein beginning early in the day. Consume a simple carbohydrate (like white rice/white bread) and fast digesting protein (whey isolate) immediately post workout. Try to eat at least 4 - 5 clean protein based meals per day, and stay well hydrated.

- Training, your programming should be comprehensive and focused around primary-compound/multi-joint movements. Train whole body workouts as much as possible to achieve the best overall results for both strength and metabolism.

For instance, upper body pushing/press movements combined with lower body pulling movements one session, the next session do upper body pulling movements combined with lower body pushing movements.

Not only does this approach help you to make the most of your time in the gym, but also speeds up the proverbial "results-o-meter".

- Know your zone; what I mean by this is there are different loads/rep ranges for each result.

* 1 - 8 reps at almost maximal loads with extended rest (3min) pure strength
* 8 - 12 reps at a load that makes the last 2 - 3 very difficult to finish, lower rest (90sec) muscle hypertrophy/growth.
* 12 - 20 reps at a load that you can handle with some challenge safely, very low rest(1min or less) muscle endurance/dynamic strength

Typically, you will do 3 - 5 sets for each exercise and 3 - 4 exercises per muscle group (mixing up modalities *cables, dumbbells, barbells, bands, etc. and ranges of motion *vertical pushing/pulling, horizontal pushing/pulling). Make the most of your time in the gym and focus on keeping the workouts as intense and brief as possible. If you are in the gym for more than an hour, your intensity is way too low!

*TIP: when doing a rep of ANY exercise, focus on squeezing/contracting the prime mover (largest muscle) as hard as possible during the acceleration phase of the movement, decelerate slowly, always pause briefly before changing direction, and keep absolute-total-and complete control at all times.

- Rest, yes you most certainly can get "too much of a good thing", especially for those who are radically motivated and ready to make their body change yesterday. Over stimulation of your central nervous system will assuredly get you just the opposite of what you're after as far as body changing results, and will make life otherwise miserable. It is advised that you take 1 day off of training between each intense workout, and remain active (walks, biking, hiking, volunteer work, sports, etc.) to facilitate recovery.

Though the results will not come over night, you get on board with a solid program and a strong mind the changes you both see and feel will just amaze you!

Achieving this

                                                   from

                                                                                                            this

Was no easy feat, but proves that anyone who is driven and motivated
can reasonably accomplish anything!

Joe Carson BS/CPT
Master Trainer/Owner
Success Fitness
http://www.successfitnessok.com
Author: "Your Body Your Life Yourself"

Fat Burning - 101

2012-01-09T04:40:00.000-08:00

Alrighty, here we go! I absolutely love writing about this subject because after I lost 177 pounds of the wretched stuff I began educating and inspiring others to take back control of their lives one bite and one movement at a time.

There are countless "diets", "programs", "pills/concoctions", and Lord knows what else made its debut on the market this resolution season. Even with their radical abundance, there are few of these approaches that are effective short or long-term.

If you truly want to burn fat and keep it off you have to understand one basic principal:

"fat is reserved energy, just as money in the savings account is reserved financial resources. If you do not make enough in regular wages to pay the monthly bills, the money has to be made up from somewhere (a withdraw from savings). The same applies with fat, if you are not taking in enough energy (through food and anything else that goes in your mouth) to satisfy your daily energy demands (which exercise just adds to this by an increase in muscle activity), then your body will be forced to make a withdrawal from the energy savings account/stored fat".

The best way to create this "deficit" doesn't come through starvation, as this will kill your over-all energy levels and actually facilitate fat storage. Rather, the best way to create this energy deficit is to make subtle - consistent - sustainable changes in the quality/quantity of foods you eat (avoiding excess carbohydrates, sugars, high-fat foods, processed).

You do this as to not facilitate that fat storage surplus, which works in just the reverse of the process mentioned above, and you want to increase daily muscle activity through exercise (cardio-circuit training and strength training, at least 2+ hours of each per week).

Understand, muscle is metabolic tissue and requires a continual source of energy in order to remain active and facilitate movement. So, the more muscle you have on your body and the more frequently you activate this muscle the more calories (reserved energy) you burn, not only during work, but even at rest!

Burning fat for energy doesn't require pills, hcg, radical diet approaches, or even committing to insane amounts of time in the gym. Rather, burning fat for energy - getting lean and staying lean is a function of understanding, conscious self-control, and a commitment to a healthier/happier way of life.

Joe Carson BS/CPT
Master Trainer/Owner
Success Fitness
http://www.successfitnessok.com

The New Year is here, will you make your weight loss goals?

2012-01-01T05:50:00.000-08:00

Having lost 180 pounds myself, I know exactly how difficult it can be to get the "weight loss train" moving, keep the momentum, and reach the depot (your final goal).

What is the secret to meeting those goals, sticking to your resolution, and making it last? First things first is to set realistic goals. All too many people want to make too radical a changes, which do not fit their lifestyles and they fall off the "wagon". You should step back and take a close look at your lifestyle and make notes of small incremental changes you can make one step at a time.

Next, do not be afraid to seek the advice of a professional. Whether it be in losing a few pounds, quitting smoking, drinking less, or in being able to create the body you have always dreamed of. There literally is no such thing as a stupid question. Take that step, make that appointment, and not only save yourself some grief but the cash saved from gadgets, gizmo's, pills, programs, and countless well marketed scams can be priceless!

Avoid radical, go realistic, seek "real deal" advice and make 2012 your best year!

Joe Carson BS/CPT
Master Trainer/Owner
Success Fitness
http://www.successfitnessok.com

Stuff I bet you did not know, but should!

2011-12-27T08:52:00.000-08:00

8110 S. Harvard Ave. Tulsa, Ok 74137 (918) 477-7378

A bit about Success Fitness:

- Founded and independently operated by Joe Carson BS/CPT Master Trainer as an integrity based contrast to the commercial fitness industry

- Free-form exercise/fitness specialists, which allows us to get our clients results 3x – 5x faster than traditional exercise/machine training and is many times safer

- The only gym/training facility in the state to be ranked in the nation’s top-10

- Only training facility in the region to have all degreed, multiple certification, and 5+ years experienced staff

- We feature “The Proven Method” weight management program, which is the same program used by Owner Joe Carson BS/CPT for his personal 177 pound weight loss, 10+ year maintenance, and hundreds of client pounds lost

- Unique design format, featuring a large open gym used for group TRX training, semi-private one on one training, and a full cardio area, as well as private training suites

- No membership fees and no hidden dues or costs, simple straight forward pricing with no high-pressure sales

- Strong focus on individualized approach to ensure highest level of quality and safety

- Websites: http://www.successfitnessok.com and http://www.tulsagrouptraining.com

- Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skbDCFGdz5Y (TRX demo), http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EihFunp2Wr4 (about Success Fitness), http://www.youtu.be/watch?v=skbDCFGdz5Y&feature=related (kettle bell demo), http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nqpXpnj1pqI (testimonials)

The programs:

- 1 on 1 private personal training; providing the safest, most efficient, most effective programming and professional session guidance available (60 min or 30 min sessions)

- 30 minute express sessions; these cost and time conscious goal oriented sessions provide you with an exceptional bang for the buck

- Small group TRX/kettle bell express sessions; these action packed 30 minute sessions are in small groups of 4 – 6 participants, are fun, efficient, and cost effective

- Complimentary corporate fitness/wellness program consultation & program development services

- Educational/motivational seminars

GUARANTEED TO BE THE MOST EFFICIENT/EFFECTIVE PERMANENT WEIGHT LOSS APPROACH AVAILABLE!

The staff:

Joe Carson BS/CPT Master Trainer/Owner

- Holds 2 Bachelors of Sciences Degrees, 4 current industry leading certifications, and 50,000+ hours professional experience

- Personal weight loss success of 177 pounds in just 15 months, with over 10 years maintenance

- Author of the book “Your Body Your Life Yourself”

- Developer/Author of the permanent weight management program “The Proven Method”

- Ranked #8 out of the top 10 fitness trainers nationally

- Standards/professional development committee member for SCW & IDEA Fitness

- Advisory board member Community Care College “Certified Fitness Professional” program

- Nationally recognized weight loss expert

- TRX/kettle bell small group training coach

- Motivational coach/speaker

- Blog: http://successfitnessfacts.blogspot.com/

- IDEA Fitness site referral: http://www.ideafit.com/profile/joseph-carson

- Personal Trainer.com site referral: http://www.personaltrainer.com/trainer/profile/joecarson

- Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SuccessFitness

- In the media: http://www.tulsaworld.com/scene/article.aspx?subjectID=425&articleID=20100125_43_D3_JoeCar537908

Mondoe Davis MS/CPT

- Holds a Bachelors and Masters Degree, 2 current industry leading certifications, 10+ years fitness experience

- Former line backer with the New York Jets NFL football team

- Former Owner “Reflections Fitness & Nutrition LLC”

- Athletic performance and conditioning specialist

- Motivational coaching specialist

- TRX/kettle bell small group training coach

Jessica Buccheri BS/CPT

- Holds a Bachelors Degree, 2 current industry leading certifications, and 8+ years fitness experience

- Women’s fitness and conditioning specialist

- Weight loss guidance and motivation coach

- Body toning and sculpting specialist

- TRX/kettle bell small group training coach

Jacob Chrapla AA/CPT

- Holds an Associates of Arts and current studies for a Doctorate of Physical Therapy program, 2 industry leading certifications, 8+ years fitness experience

- Martial arts & athletic performance conditioning specialist

- Master of non-conventional/free-form exercise

- Weight loss conditioning & motivational specialist

- TRX/kettle bell small group training coach

Emma Murray CPT (internship)

- Graduate Community Care College Certified Fitness Professional Trainer program, 2 industry leading certifications

- Rehabilitative exercise fitness and conditioning specialty

- TRX/kettle bell group training coach

8110 S. Harvard Ave. Tulsa Ok (918) 477-7378

http://www.successfitnessok.com ß Main site

http://www.tulsagrouptraining.com ß Group training site

Managing holiday meals with ease!

2011-12-20T17:15:00.000-08:00

The average American will gain 5-11 pounds over the holiday season as a result of festive meals, office parties, and an abundance of sweets at every turn. So,what is the best way to keep you from joining this statistic while enjoying the treats of the season?
This is the "secret/trick".... Protein and water! ;o)
Be sure that each and every meal you eat is centered around plenty of lean protein and that you have at least 80oz total water each day. This will help to keep you satisfied or feeling fuller for longer, increase your metabolic rate through digestion, and keep you well hydrated (the body doesn't always know the difference between hunger and a lack of water, thusly having you feeding a thirst), while allowing you to limit your intake of the "bad stuff".
Simple/sugary carbohydrates actually make you hungrier as you eat them because of a response to the insulin spike from elevated blood sugar and are a key contributor to over-eating.
By being well hydrated and maintaining a satisfied hunger, you will eat MUCH less over-all, saving yourself thousands of extra calories!

Joe Carson BS/CPT
Master Trainer/Owner
Success Fitness ( http://www.successfitnessok.com )
Author: "Your Body Your Life Yourself"

Healthy nutrition on a budget

2011-07-05T11:40:00.000-07:00

For many, the current economic climate has meant that every penny - nickle - and dime must be optimized and provide maximal benefit. Often quality in nutrition is among the items compromised in order to save money. This approach, while understandable is not always what it appears.
In order to maximize food quality while minimizing the pain felt in the pocket book, a few basic principals must be followed.

- Look to frozen for both fruit and vegetable options which are not in season. These tend to be substantially less per pound, while yielding strong nutritional benefits. Look to your local farmers market/co-op for great deals on the fresh fruits and vegetables which are currently in season. Not only are you going to save a few bucks, these are less likely to be genetically altered or laden with chemicals & pesticides.

- Buy proteins in large quantities to prepare for "utility meat". Not only does this cut down on initial cost, but also yields an overall savings in both monetary investment and time saved with food preparation.

- Eat whole-rolled oats for breakfast in lieu of cold cereals. Not only will the container last you much longer, but is many times more healthy and less expensive than most cold cereals.

- Eat at home as often as possible. With an average of $2.62 per meal served at home vs. $13.68 per meal served at a restaurant, the average American can save well over $2k per year by eating most meals at home, all while consuming fewer calories, lower sodium, and substantially less saturated fat.

- Create a grocery list before going to the store. Not only will this allow for you to plan your meals in advance, but also helps to thwart off those impulse purchases.

I personally feed a family of 3 on a budget of $350.00 per month, all while providing healthy options of good quality foods simply by following these tips.

Eat well, live well, be healthy!

Joe Carson BS/CPT
Master Trainer/Owner
Success Fitness
Author "Your Body Your Life Yourself"

2011-06-09T07:41:00.000-07:00

8110 S. Harvard Tulsa 918-477-7378 successfitnessok.com

Professional Profile for: Joe Carson BS/CPT

Master Trainer/Owner Success Fitness – Author “Your Body Your Life Yourself”

Joe Carson, BS, CPT
Master Trainer & Owner

Success Fitness Personal Training Services

Joe is a high-energy, very personable 37-year-old with a compelling story and multiple professional certifications. His own success story is nothing short of remarkable: Joe lost 180 pounds in 15 months through proper nutrition and exercise. He’s maintained that weight loss for more than nine years and is a professional athlete in addition to training others. He believes in the life-changing power of good health, proper nutrition and fitness and sincerely desires to share his knowledge and story with others.

Joe has earned 4 different personal training and nutrition certifications and has more than 25,000 session hours as a personal trainer. His education and training include:

Certified Personal Trainer from the National Academy of Sports Medicine
Certified Fitness Professional from APEX
Certified Personal Trainer, SCW Douglas Brooks MS. course
Sports Nutrition Specialty Certification, SCW Dominique Adair MS course
Author of the book “Your Body Your Life Yourself” knowledge is power
He’s also a recognized chef and enjoys creating and sharing nutritious and delicious recipes

Extensive experience training people with a variety of needs and challenges, including:

Those needing targeted training to recover from an injury
Weight loss exercise programming and nutrition guidance
Older or elderly men and women who desire to increase basic mobility
Athletes who need to increase fitness levels or build muscle mass
Men and women who want to lose weight, increase strength, and achieve better health and fitness overall

Joe’s private gym located at 8110 S. Harvard in South Tulsa is among the best equipped in the area and offers a first class environment for you to reach your health and fitness goals.

EDUCATION

University of Phoenix January 2003 BSB-Management, BSeB-eBusiness

National Academy of Sports Medicine Certified Personal Trainer (173878)

SCW Certified Personal Trainer (Douglas Brooks classroom course)

SCW Sports Nutrition Specialist (Dominique Adair classroom course)

APEX Certified Fitness Professional (CPT-333523)

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

- Owner/Master Trainer Success Fitness Personal Training Services Tulsa , OK

September 2006 to Present

-All American Fitness Tulsa Ok September 2004-August 2006

- Independent private training Tulsa Ok February 2003-September 2004

- 35,000+ session hours with various populations (injury free)

Personal Trainer-

Proficiency in:

§ Weight-loss nutrition and progressive program design

§ Strength training nutrition and progressive program design

§ OPT Model and structured progression implementation

§ Rehabilitative/therapeutic program design

§ Women’s health/fitness progressive program design and special nutrition

§ Adolescent health/fitness progressive program design and special nutrition

§ Men’s health/fitness progressive program design and special nutrition

§ Natural movement science and functional application

§ Safety fundamentals

§ Compliance fundamentals

§ Advanced kinesiology and human movement science education

§ Sport specific progressive program design and special nutrition

§ Occupational specific program design

Personal Success

I have experienced a personal weight loss of 180 pounds, naturally through nutrition and exercise, and have maintained this achievement for 9 years through practical lifestyle changes. It is my life’s passion to help others to see the tragedy that comes from neglecting their body.

Community involvement

Active Mayor’s Fitness Challenge initiative partner

Teach classes at my facility to the public to cover health/fitness/nutrition

Active mentorship program to prospective trainers

certification summary:

NASM (National Academy of Sports Medicine)
NASM is among the industry leading certifications due to the level of clinical information involved within their extensive curriculum and their OPT (Optimum Performance Training) model. The NASM Mission is “The National Academy of Sports Medicine is dedicated to transforming lives and revolutionizing the health and fitness industry through its unwavering commitment to deliver innovative education, solutions and tools to produce remarkable results! Education – Application - Integrity”.

NASM is among the most respected of Personal Training Certifications in the fitness industry because of the extensive research applied to the curriculum, integrity based certification process, and rigid testing standards.

SCW (Sara City Workout) Certified Personal Trainer

The SCW Certified Personal Trainer certification is a highly respected and sought after certification due to the curriculum and on-site facilitation by nationally renowned exercise physiologist, personal trainer, author, and speaker Douglas Brooks (see: http://www.movesintfitness.com for more information). The radically extensive course is developed with revolutionary techniques and scientific based rationale. This curriculum is class room based with both academic and practical application. The on-site testing process is highly extensive, evaluating proficiency in both clinical knowledge and practical/hands-on knowledge.

SCW (Sara City Workout) Sports Nutrition Specialty Certification

The SCW Sports Nutrition Specialty Certification is a highly respected and sought after certification in the study of human nutrition. The on-site curriculum and facilitation developed by nationally respected nutritionist Dominique Adair

(see: http://www.adairfit.com/about_dominique.html for further information). This classroom based course covers all of the bio-functional systems related to human nutrition (calories, macronutrients, micronutrients, metabolism, and the effects of supplements and exercise). The extremely rigorous on-site exam process requires a solid knowledge base to pass.

APEX Certified Fitness Professional

This certification from APEX is developed in collaboration with NASM to cover a curriculum that encompasses the relationship between: nutrition, exercise, and supplementation. This classroom based curriculum was developed and facilitated by Richard Stewart (see: http://www.apexfitness.com/html/company/faculty/stewart/ for more information). APEX certification covers an enormous amount of information due to the large scope and the difficult exam process is correlative.

Ways to get around the "I hate exercise" dilemma..

2011-03-28T11:03:00.000-07:00

It is no secret that the modern American has numerous barriers to maintaining a structured exercise program consistently. For some, the balance of work and family schedule is almost overwhelming, while for others, they just simply hate even the mention of exercise.
There are ways to overcome both sides of this dilemma, and they come in the form of elevated recreational activity levels and decreased amounts of extended time at rest.
The first step to creating a game plan is to identify activities that you enjoy, and for those with children do not hesitate to not only include them, and maybe even make them the focus of this plan as not only a means to more exercise/activity but also quality family time.
Now, simply create a list of 10 things that you like to do, want to do, and are willing to do. Next, evaluate the amount of time in your day that is spent sitting, then make a list of 10 things that you can do to move more and sit less (i.e. column-1 : walking the dog with the kids, column-2: Walking a flight of stairs while on a break).
With this list, you want to set an objective to implement one item per week into your daily routine from each column beginning in week 1 with 1 item from each, the next week 2 items from each, and so-on.
The idea is to make the increases gradual and allow sufficient time to adjust, while making progress toward a goal of a more active and healthier lifestyle.

Joe Carson BS/CPT
Master Trainer/Owner
Success Fitness
Author: "Your Body Your Life Yourself"

WHY SO MANY RESOLUTIONS FAIL -- AND HOW TO MAKE YOURS A SUCCESS!

2011-01-06T10:50:00.000-08:00

The New Year is when more of the American population will seek to lose weight and get into better shape than any other time. For most, they will preclude the New Year's goals with a "final ooh-rah", which will ultimately yield an average weight gain of 7 to 11 pounds, between Thanksgiving and New Year's day.
Most of the time these resolutions are inspired with the best of intentions, but ultimately met with a less than desirable demise, usually as a result of diminished motivation.
The number one cause for this is a lack of proficient planning, and understanding of what realistic goals are and how best to methodically achieve them.
Case in point, if you are a 42 year old female who weighs 189 pounds, and wears a size 18, you will most likely never weigh the same as you did 20 years ago, nor would you be able to achieve that same clothing size.
Ironically, there are countless scores of people, who will use this retro-active scenario as their motivation in going forward, and find themselves sorely disappointed and frustrated at their perceived failure.
The best place to start with achieving those New Year's fitness resolutions is actually with your Doctor. Getting a thorough physical will not only help you to determine what is recommended as a healthy weight to girth ratio, it will also help to identify any potential health problems that could be exacerbated by radical changes in nutrition or activity.
Next, follow this up with an assessment by a Certified Fitness Professional, to help determine what your current conditioning levels are and what is the most appropriate programming approach.
Finally, measure your overall results realistically, and rather than fixating on numerical changes (i.e. body weight), focus more on how you feel as a result of your new exercise and nutrition programs.
Look for positive changes, keep a good attitude, and know that nothing bad could ever come from doing something good for yourself!

Joe Carson BS/CPT
Master Trainer/Owner
Success Fitness
Author "Your Body Your Life Yourself"

DANGER -- Weight Loss In A Bottle -- DANGER

2010-12-05T16:10:00.000-08:00

With a modern society that works more productivity hours than any other country in the world, Americans have experienced radical shifts in eating habits adversely affecting our overall weight and health. Because many of us are engaged in the “battle of the bulge” there is a mass market for “quick fix” solutions to suit our busy lifestyles.

The answer to this dilemma for many is to seek a pharmaceutical solution, something that they can take a few times a day, lose weight and not have to make radical shifts in eating habits or activities. However, there is an extremely high price to pay for choosing this avenue for weight loss.

Consider the following: Appetite suppressants may work to help to curb overall caloric intake through the duration of a day, but the trade off is compromised metabolic function and a strong host of other associated complications that are compound specific. This means that caloric balance can be radically skewed to the point of deteriorated lean muscle mass through a catabolic state, and possible diuretic effects leading to dehydration, muscle fatigue, cramps, digestive problems, thermoregulatory problems, and a lack of energy.

Thermogenisis aids can cause increased/irregular heart rate, compromised kidney function, adverse neurological responses (gitters), and have a history of causing sudden death!

The truth is this, thinner does not always equal healthier. A lifestyle that incorporated healthy eating habits, regular exercise, and lots of activities is the best answer to the weight loss dilemma. The trade off between marginal results that you may receive with pharmaceutical means and the risks associated is just simply not worth it.

Sustainability is a vital component to any weight loss program, and you do not want to spend the entirety of your life pill dependant. Get active, and get healthy!

The “Secret” to keeping that fitness resolution

2010-11-18T04:47:00.000-08:00

It is common knowledge among the health and fitness industry that January and February are known as being among the busiest months of the year, mainly due in part to the “new year’s resolution crowd”.

However, a sad reality is that by March and April a large number of these people begin to drift further away from their desires to achieve a new fitness goal and the gym, often from disappointment in results not showing up fast enough, or due to injury.

The secret to achieving these goals does not come in a bottle, and cannot be found solely on a treadmill or on a pin select machine, it comes in the form of knowledge and information. The most efficient, effective, and safest way of achieving this knowledge, while simultaneously attaining the results, is through working with a fitness professional such as a personal trainer or conditioning coach.

This experience gives you both clinical and practical knowledge as you actively reach your goals and has become increasingly more affordable. As a supplement there are also a number of fantastic books on the market designed to educate the health and fitness novice on an understandable level, many of these falling under the “For Dummies” titles that cover everything from basic human nutrition, to strength training and workout design.

Whether you want to lose weight, gain muscle mass, or simply feel better by getting into shape, it is important to empower yourself with the knowledge of how the human body actually works, and how to safely and effectively manipulate its composition toward your fitness goals.

Another tool for education is offered at Success Fitness in the form of informative, classroom based fitness and nutrition classes. These are open to the public and information on subject and scheduling can be found on the website successfitnessok.com

Joe Carson BS/CPT

Master Trainer/Owner

Success Fitness

Author "Your Body Your Life Yourself"

NUTRITIONAL SURVIVIAL WITH 7 DAYS ABOARD A “FLOATING BUFFET”

2010-11-11T10:53:00.000-08:00

Vacation week, for most, a much anticipated time to recharge the batteries and a brief escape from the norms of everyday life (often including breaks from normal nutrition and exercise habits). For my wife and I, this is our week of rest and relaxation, as we are aboard the Carnival Glory sailing the eastern Caribbean.

In many ways cruising is the ultimate in value for your vacation dollar, with the complete inclusiveness aboard ship, passengers literally want for nothing, including masses and masses of food.

In observing the average passenger aboard this vessel, their way of eating aboard ship is not much different than their way of eating at home. Many aboard are over weight, out of shape, and some exhibit signs of poor health even at relatively young ages, yet load their trays with plates piled high, often consuming well over a thousand calories per sitting.

This is the inspiration of this blog entry, as a health and fitness professional, I believe that there should be a balance between enjoying a low stress/relaxing vacation and indulging in an event of reckless abandon which could yield long-lasting consequences.

For example, several years ago in preparation for a cruise (for which I planned to indulge), I lost ten pounds from my maintenance weight, and came back after seven days, ELEVEN POUNDS HEAVIER!

Though this left me with only one additional pound above my maintenance weight to lose, imagine what this could look like for someone who did not prepare to indulge, was sedentary while aboard, then returned ten plus pounds heavier than when they left with no immediate plans to lose the additional weight.

We went to the gym yesterday afternoon for a cardio session and were the only passengers in the entire facility. This is actually fairly common, as it is rare to ever go into the fitness facility on this class of ship and find it completely occupied, though there are five thousand other passengers aboard. Take advantage of this opportunity to utilize what is usually a very nicely equipped facility and do so with limited intrusions.

With this said, approaching this type of environment from a health and fitness perspective lends way to an exercise in education, focus, and discipline. Even for the most health savvy, the level of temptations aboard one of these ships is enough to yield to an occasional indulgence which must be met with conscience.

Finding the balance between becoming OCD and total abandon simply requires a little forethought. For us, we take the stairs everywhere we go (which is a great way to burn a few extra calories and can count as interval cardio if done at a quick pace), if you have ever been aboard a cruise ship, you know that there is an abundance of stair climbing opportunities.

Next, we take advantage of the fact that in the buffet lines, salad is the first thing and load our plates up with an array of fresh veggies and fruits. This provides a nice caloric cushion and can be quite filling, just be careful of the abundance of fatty/sugary dressings and prepared salads, all of which can be caloric disasters in disguise.

When approaching the entrée’s look for the preparation and try to avoid anything that is floating in oil/fat or anything that is smothered in a heavy cream sauce. Buffet lines are famous for this type of food and it can cause tremendous repercussions not only with potential weight gain, but also losses in energy (inducing that early afternoon nap). If you’re going to indulge in a dessert of any type, lunch would be the time to do it. Choose just one item and make that your limit.

The Lido eateries are another cruise ship pitfall, as there are usually pizzerias, burger shops, burrito bars, etc. all serving up the greasiest/fattiest fare of the seven seas. One thing going for the Carnival Glory is the fact that among these Lido eateries is a Mongolian barbeque shop, which allows passengers to assemble their own selection of fresh veggies, and lean proteins to present to the chef to cook right before their own eyes, thusly offering portion control, and quality in preparation. This ship also features a full deli, which offers absolutely delicious sandwich options that are reasonable portions and very healthy.

For the formal dinners, this is actually the easiest time to maintain good nutritional habits as many cruise lines offer reduced calorie versions of their primary entrée’s and provide low/reduced calorie options (including fresh tropical fruits) for dessert. Being in traditional formal restaurant format, the portions are reasonable and the likelihood of “return trips” is less likely.

Though it is good to occasionally “let your hair down” and enjoy restful time away from the norm, it is also a good idea to remain consciously aware that those pounds gained while at leisure can require tremendous sweat equity to get back off when you return to the real world.

Joe Carson BS/CPT
Master Trainer/Owner
Success Fitness
Author "Your Body Your Life Yourself"

A GREAT STORY ABOUT A GUY WHO WENT FROM CAN'T TO CAN!

2010-10-28T09:24:00.000-07:00

The hardest thing I’ve done in my life was when I walked through the front door of Success Fitness. My stats were bad. I was depressed, had no energy, overweight, not getting quality sleep, and having to wear a CPAP machine at night. On top of all that, I have a congenital heart condition along with suffering a heart attack at age 53.

I knew I needed someone to motivate me to turn my life around. Joe Carson was that person. First, he took on the nutritional battle. I fought against this change for the longest time until I realized that Joe was in the same foxhole with me shooting rounds down range.

My next big battle would be caffeine. I was drinking in excess of 5 cups of coffee a day. Joe sternly showed me the errors of my way and now I have only 1 cup of coffee per day. That was not easy! My workouts at first were rough and very taxing. I thought the muscle soreness would never go away. I couldn’t even do 1 regulation push-up.

After a year working out with Joe, I understand the importance of this new lifestyle. It is not just a diet and exercise. You must incorporate this new lifestyle and never look back. My results have been two-fold. First, the physical toughness I have undergone is I am able to do 40 regulation push-ups, 60 kettle bell swings with a 70lb kettle bell, and pressing 590lb on the leg press. Second, the mental toughness I have undergone is shown in more confidence, focus and positive attitude.

As for my stats, I am no longer depressed. I have lots of energy. I have lost 30 pounds. I no longer wear the CPAP machine and my quality of sleep is much improved.

I honestly believe in the next few months, I will be ready to tell Joe Carson that I can and will maintain this awesome new lifestyle without him, once again, walking through the front door of Success Fitness holding my head high for overcoming a lifetime of shortcomings.

Steve Terhune

BOOT CAMP, P90X, CROSS FIT… WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

2010-10-24T17:10:00.000-07:00

The definition(s) of exercise can be as diverse as those who participate, with variations from yoga and Pilates, all the way through the most extreme body building/performance training.

Exercise in itself is more like an umbrella as it were, encompassing the specific studies of: kinesiology, bio-mechanics, exercise physiology, and natural human movement science, all combined to accomplish a positive change toward a person’s fitness goal (s).

Programs such as: boot camps, P90X, and Cross Fit all do a good job of creating generic fitness programs, created off of a “generic” fitness blueprint. However, these lack the most significant component to any exercise program, which is an individually appropriate approach.

If humans were all created alike with the exact same lifestyles, same physical ailments, same ideal posture, same vocation(s), and same goals, these generic programs would be appropriate. However, no two humans are exactly the same; each and every person is different and should be programmed accordingly in order to maintain safety, positive progress, appropriate exertion levels, and behavior modification.

These programs simply cannot provide all of these individual components, as they are designed more as a business model with an elevated profit focus, a lot like the programs found in popular fitness magazines and on the internet.

This is not to say that these programs do not have a place, as they work exceptionally well for those who are already in great physical condition, have a strong knowledge of exercise mechanics, and have no physiological injuries/maladies. Some great examples of those that could benefit from this type of program would include: police officers, fire fighters, and performance athletes.

The general population as a whole, would benefit most from working one on one with a fitness professional who can assess their individual needs and abilities, then design a comprehensive program that not only includes exercise, nutritional guidance, and lifestyle coaching, but also progressive goals assessments and the education to maintain the results achieved permanently.

Exercise is not a one size fits all endeavor, unfortunately there are scores of people who sustain unnecessary injuries daily courtesy of the lack of knowledge and guidance needed to understand the “how’s and why’s” of what they are doing, some to be deterred from ever exercising again.

Your body, your health, and your way of life are worth the investment to learn the right way to reach your fitness goals. Though these generic programs can be very cost effective in the front-end, they may cost you dearly in the end.

Joe Carson BS/CPT

Master Trainer/Owner

Success Fitness

Author “Your Body Your Life Yourself”

What does a Personal Trainer actually do?

2010-10-21T05:51:00.000-07:00

Personal Training is still a misunderstood profession, as many assume that Personal Trainers are only for the most affluent, actors, or athletes. Though this perception holds some weight, Personal Training encompasses a far greater scope than just the elite of society.

A Professional Personal Trainer must have a mastery of both the art and science behind Personal Training. This means that they must have an intricate knowledge of human physiology, bio-mechanics, exercise physiology, kinesiology, natural movement science and principal, human nutrition, cardio-respiratory exercise, conditioning training, sport specific training, special population training (heart patients, arthritis, disc/spinal issues, joint issues, obesity, etc.) as well as a host of other clinical related proficiencies.

Once this is developed, the Professional Personal Trainer must embrace the art of the profession. This includes proficient assessment, program design (progressive, safe, efficient, and creative), client relations, compliance measures, retention skills, and interactivity. A good Personal Trainer will know how to determine what a clients desires truly are, and how to set attainable goals that are appropriate to the clients conditioning level and abilities. They will then create a safe, effective, and efficient program with compliance measures to get that client to each milestone toward their goal. All of this is done while maintaining an exceptional standard of professionalism, courtesy, and customer service.

If you are serious about reaching a fitness goal, the investment of a Professional Personal Trainer is worth it many times over (ask anyone who has worked with a good trainer). Often you will find that trainers who work in private studios are more experienced and tend to offer a more efficient and effective training environment.

Joe Carson BS/CPT

Master Trainer/Owner

Success Fitness

I'M EATING PRETTY GOOD.... I THINK?

2010-09-28T05:35:00.000-07:00

Human nutrition is an intricate combination of both art and science. Art encompassing components such as taste, texture, preparation techniques, and flavor combinations, while the science incorporates the nutritional components like micronutrients (vitamins and minerals), macronutrients (protein, carbohydrates, and fats), and calories (units of energy).

The human body utilizes the fuel (foods) put into it based on a number of conditions and stimulus that it encounters. For instance, the amount of calories consumed for a 34 year old male who weighs 185 pounds, standing 5 feet 11 inches to maintain current composition would be approximately 2485 with light to moderate activity (desk job, golf on Saturday). Contrast this with a male of the same body composition who works a hard manual labor job and does high intensity strength training 5 days per week, then spends his weekends hiking. The amount of calories to maintain his body composition jumps to 3032, which is a difference of 547 calories.

The calories consumed for man number 2 would be appropriate based on his activity level and are expended through his elevated activity levels, where as if man number 1 were to consume the same amount of calories would theoretically gain 1 pound per week through energy storage.

Given this example, the consumption of a modest breakfast (eggs, bacon, bread, hash browns, and juice) equals 710 calories, a modest fast food lunch (cheese burger, large fries, large drink, and a desert pie) equals 1850 calories, and a very conservative dinner of a grilled chicken sandwich, side salad with light dressing, and diet soda equals 465 calories, for a grand total for the day of 3025 calories (213 grams from fat, 45 grams saturated fat).

This is an example of a typical 3 daily meals for man number 1, how good is he really eating? A great way to get a handle on daily food consumption and nutritional balance is to keep a food log (www.fitday.com) is a great example.

This will give you the information necessary to keep your daily intake in check and allow for you to detect pattern eating (peak busy times, emotional moments, etc.). Always consult with a physician or nutritionist prior to making radical nutritional or exercise adjustments.

Joe Carson BS/CPT

Master Trainer/Owner

Success Fitness

Author "Your Body Your Life Yourself"

A "SUCCESS" STORY

2010-09-11T12:03:00.000-07:00

If you would have asked me at any point during high-school what I would be doing as a career in my mid-30's, I would most likely have answered something much different than gym owner/personal trainer.

The "journey of life" never ceases to amaze, and rarely do we really know what lies ahead in our future. Such was the case with my career path post college.

I had spent much of my working days post high-school in entry level/manual labor jobs, eventually moving into the office environment, and even an endeavor as a Police Officer. And it wasn't until after having left the Tulsa Police Department that I discovered my true calling, personal training.

Sure, during the end of my weight loss, I did some coaching and a little independent training, but nothing on a professional level or on a commercial scale. It wasn't until after having accepted a position at a health club as Fitness Manager that I realized just how deeply rooted this profession was within me.

I quickly developed a style/approach that allowed me to always exceed my clients expectations and left me anxious to get to the next session. However, I had a major challenge with the aggressive business/sales models of the health clubs and loathed the lack of emphasis on quality service to the members/customers.

I wanted to do something different, risky, and totally unheard of... I wanted to open an integrity based fitness business that operates on the belief system "if you treat the customers well, the money will come".

Three months (and many-many long hours/headaches) later, Success Fitness was born. We decided to open on 9/11/06 symbolically as a display of American pride and perseverance. Since then, we have been incredibly blessed to have more than tripled in size and increased our training volume by over 10x!

Though there have been enormous challenges which come from operating a small business in a challenged economic environment, we have stayed true to our integrity based model and it has kept us strong and healthy with a promising future ahead.

This story demonstrates that, anyone seeking it can find success in any area of their lives they so choose, all it takes is a little initiative and determination to see the vision through.

Joe Carson BS/CPT
Master Trainer/Owner
Success Fitness

WHAT ARE THEY DOING IN WASHINGTON D.C.?

2010-09-06T05:15:00.000-07:00

At any given time, if you turn on news there is certainly a good chance that you may be fed a list of statistics from any number of "the latest" studies. Some are relevant/pertinent, few really find a relatable thread with our daily lives.

With this, I recently saw a study that was done in May of this year which showed that Tulsa was the 20th fattest/most unhealthy city in the Country, while Washington D.C. was the fittest/most healthy city.

Though alarming, this statistic did not really resonate with me until a trip to our nations capitol just a couple of weeks ago. My wife and I were amazed at just the sheer number of people who were openly exercising, moving, and just being active in literally all areas of the city.

Every park was full of runners, cyclists, field sports athletes, and this spilled over into the streets in every area of the city. It was like the whole town was training for a massive scale triathlon!

Another note worth point was the incredibly small number of the population who is over-weight, obese, or morbidly obese. We encountered very few people who were not within their reasonably healthy weight, which is a dramatic difference from back home in Tulsa.

What is it that has caused such a dramatic difference in culture between these two cities? Is it the weather? Is it economic? Is it a factor which has yet to be identified? This is finally something that is happening in Washington D.C. which the rest of the country would benefit from.

Now the question to answer is, what will it take to inspire those here at home to adopt this type of culture? My approach is simple, yet to the point..... Simply provoke the thought process of "why not exercise and eat healthy" rather than trying to convince the masses as to why they should.

Though not much good is coming out of D.C. these days, this concept is a keeper!

Joe Carson BS/CPT
Master Trainer/Owner
Success Fitness
Author "Your Body Your Life Yourself"

"YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT" --- Really?

2010-08-22T17:04:00.001-07:00

Among the most popular phrases in referring to "healthy nutrition" and basic eating habits is "you are what you eat".

Is there really truth to this?

YES!

A fantastic example of this could be witnessed first hand at most any county fair or all you can eat buffet. Observe first, the excessive number of overweight people, the food choices made, and sheer quantity consumed.

These people did not reach the weight that they are by eating clean healthy foods for every meal daily and throwing down on the poor quality food in mass quantity only occasionally.

I can personally speak to this, as I did not mass myself up to 354 pounds after having ran across a sale on tofu and mung beans down at the health food store then totally stuffing myself.

Truthfully, I ate what I wanted, as much as I wanted, and when I wanted to eat it. This included my famous "Okie-turtle" sundae from Austin's Frozen Custard on nights when I had class while I was in college. The calorie monsters caught up with me in a big way with a horrific ultimate price to be paid.

This is the science:

For the purpose of simplicity, we are going to break our examples down into basically two types of foods (fuel), the nutrient dense, and energy dense.

Nutrient dense foods being, foods that are in their most raw/natural state (i.e. fresh vegetables, fresh fruits, nuts, lean grass fed beef, free range poultry, fresh caught seafood). These foods contain a higher ratio of the vital nutrients which our bodies need in order to operate efficiently and to maintain optimal health. ---- ROCKET FUEL----

Energy dense foods tend to have immense calories (most from fat), sodium, preservatives, and have incredibly low amounts of usable nutrients in the form of vitamins, minerals, and quality macro-nutrients (proteins, carbohydrates, and omega-3/omega-6 fats). Great examples of these foods are: potato chips, candy bars, snack cakes, most fast foods, most boxed processed foods, canned/processed "meat products", and most "convenience foods". ---- SLUDGE----

Consider, the "fat-juicy" bacon cheese burger, as it is true that you really "are what you eat" how do you think your body will really process this saturated fat/sodium laden/carb-heavy belt buster? There is a very good chance that the majority of this meal will be stored as fat, slow metabolism, and cause excess water retention.

Counter this with a 6-oz grilled salmon fillet seasoned with garlic and lime, sided by herb seasoned steamed broccoli/baby carrot combo. Not only will this all of this meal most likely be utilized as energy fuel, there is a high concentration of vitamins/minerals and quality macro-nutrients which will enhance metabolism and actually aid in fat burning!

The moral of the story is this... If you want to lose weight or maybe just maintain a healthy body weight, consider that your body truly is what you eat... Fatty/low quality foods = fatty/poor health body, where as lean/nutrient rich foods = lean/healthy/beautiful body! It really is that simple!

Joe Carson BS/CPT
Master Trainer/Owner
Success Fitness
Author: Your Body Your Life Yourself

Consistency and results... You really cannot have one without the other

2010-08-15T14:47:00.000-07:00

When endeavoring into an exercise program, many have a preconceived view of how they envision their ultimate outcome. For most, this might include a much slimmer waist line, for others maybe larger arms and a bigger chest.

However, in a busy world of hustle-bustle and go-go-go, there lies the challenge in whence to allocate time and energy resources to achieve said goals. Unfortunately, this is where many dreams of an ideal body meet their demise and ultimately we fall victim to the fast paced lifestyle which has completely consumed us.

For some they may get to the gym once, maybe twice per week and for others they go every single day, yet often-times both have achieved the same result ultimately. Failure to reach their goals. Does this sound familiar?

Person number one went only when they found time to workout and became discouraged that the results just never seemed to come. This is because the human body is the worlds most adaptive organism and needs continual/progressive stimulus in order to affect change.

Person number two, went too hard charger and realized mid-stream that they did not have the physical, emotional, or time resources to support their new found endeavor, ultimately making it harder than they wanted to endure indefinitely. This is because humans are emotional creatures and everything that we do is emotionally driven, if the motivation to change is superficial (as many are) our desire to persevere will quickly fade.

The secret to achieving those goals and sustaining them for a lifetime, is balance and consistency. It is unreasonable to believe that one can exercise only a couple of times per week for a half hour each, not make significant nutritional changes and think that radical weight loss is possible.

Now, if someone were to MAKE scheduled time each day for a structured exercise program and were to follow progressive nutritional guidance which allows for incremental change, the chances of long-term success become almost assured.

Prioritizing the events in your life and allowing yourself to set some basic organizational structure will not only allow for better nutrition and exercise habits, but will also allow for a more consistent (and less stressful) flow of the rest of your life's events!

Joe Carson BS/CPT
Master Trainer/Owner
Success Fitness

The famous "Create-a break"!

2010-08-09T07:34:00.000-07:00

Anyone who has exercised at a structured level can attest that to be pushed beyond normal limits is uncomfortable both physically and mentally. Often times the mental challenge can far outweigh the physical demands and cause one to succumb to the desire to simply just stop to rest in the midst of an exercise (hence the term "create-a break".

It's no secret that exercise as a whole is 85% - 90% mental and only about 10% - 15% physical, the body will move if you tell it to. It's literally a mind-game and one which nobody can decide the ultimate winner other than you. The prize in this instance is the satisfaction of knowing that you took control of the exercise and finished rather than surrendering control and stopping (i.e. the exercise controlling you rather than you controlling the exercise).

The ultimate technique to overcome this compulsion to stop short of completion is to set a mental goal going into the exercise, psyching yourself up to engage and succeed. In essence, you're promising yourself that you are not going to stop short or settle for anything less than achieving that goal. Whether it be to make a full mile run without walking, or to swim those 50 laps without a break, if you set your mind to it the body will follow.

Not only do "create-a breaks" compromise the efficiency and quality of your workout physically, they also foster internal frustrations which can lead to lack of motivation and a desire to abandon the program all together, setting you up for ultimate failure and hard feelings toward exercise/fitness.

A simple win-win proposition is to embrace the goal at hand, think strong/positive, and claim each and every victory earned as making you stronger physically and building the character to persevere without compromise!

Joe Carson BS/CPT
Master Trainer/Owner
Success Fitness
Author: Your Body Your Life Yourself

Strength training vs. Conditioning/stabilization training

2010-07-14T16:23:00.000-07:00

Recently I was approached by a client who asked about the methodology behind his current training programming and why we do not utilize continual repetitive movement (or simply do the same exercises over and over).

This is a very good question as this client is in what we professionally refer to "conditioning/stabilization training". This terminology is predominately utilized in the NASM (National Academy of Sports Medicine) certification education protocol, but also carries over into practical application with those just beginning an exercise program or special populations client.

Essentially, conditioning/stabilization training is a programming technique which utilizes a number of exercises systematically assembled into a program that assists the client in building muscle endurance, learning basic natural movement mechanics, develop balance/coordination, enhance neuromuscular efficiency, and promote dynamic flexibility. Because of the radical possibilities of the ranges of motion capable by the human body, the utilization of continual repetitive movement patterns during this phase is contraindicated.
This programming uses various multi-planar/multi-joint movements in stable and proprioceptive scenario's and load ranges of 8 - 15 repetitions and up to 8 sets, minimal rest between sets is recommended to maximize cardio-respiratory efficiency.

Strength/hypertrophy training on the other hand is just the opposite and utilizes continual progressive compound load stimulus in repetitive movement patterns to promote muscle strength and volumization (hypertrophy). Using compound movements with load ranges of 2 - 8 repetitions over 4 - 6 sets is the most appropriate approach, while utilizing timed rest periods to ensure sufficient ATP (Adenosinetriphosphate) and CP (Creatine Phosphate)regeneration to facilitate maximal muscle contraction.

Conditioning/stabilization training should always be utilized before any strength training program to ensure maximal safety and enhance results.

Joe Carson BS/CPT
Master Trainer/Owner
Success Fitness

THIS IS A GREAT STORY!

2010-07-07T09:19:00.000-07:00

Arriving at the doors of Success Fitness, I had full intention to invite “exercise” into my life. Wow, was I in for a surprise! Exertion, muscle tension, discomfort and sweat were present and available to do “exercise.” My immediate thoughts were, “You have got to be kidding me.” Not at all what I had in mind although I am not sure what I had in mind, just not this. Bottom line: I had no concept of ‘exercise.” Had I imagined “exercise,” I doubt it would have been described with these four words: exertion, muscle tension, discomfort or sweat. Rather naïve I was.

There was an immediate struggle in adopting the Success Fitness journey as norm. I had many challenges to face. Here are just three majors out of the many I could choose from: mindset of exercise, I can’t and belief of self. Exercise did not feel good and my immediate response was this is bad, resistance moving in. I did not give exercise a good reputation. Exercise is usually noted as a great stress releaser, but for me it became a major stressor. Secondly, “I can’t” became my closest companion when I believed it was too hard. Therefore, I would stop; comfort rescuing me, delaying the benefits of exercise. For me, exercise had the ability to surface every weakness, revealing a third great challenge: the lack of believing in myself that I could do this thing called exercise.

It was apparent that I would need to face these challenges if I was to do a Success Fitness journey. I had to first begin to believe the “good of exercise.” I had to endorse it with value and purpose. No small task, but a worthy pursuit none the less. I Can’t had to be replaced with I CAN-I WILL. I had to choose to distance myself from ‘comfort,’ allowing the discomfort to be present. I needed to learn to push through the elements of exercise to gain the full benefit of the workout. It would be important for me to create a new belief system to challenge self-defeat and “think strong, be strong,” believing in myself.

I knew in my heart that Success Fitness was the place to commit to the journey of well-being on many fronts of my life. I soon learned that to succeed in this journey it is wise to not endeavor on one’s own or alone. Joe Carson, my personal trainer became an incredible asset to fulfilling my personal goals. His expertise, leadership, and encouragement all wrapped up in one kept me moving forward. There is no greater help to have someone partner with you in achieving excellence in life goals. Joe has been committed to work diligently for my betterment, never giving up on me when I was willing to give up on me.

Nearly a year later, my commitment to the Success Fitness journey has revealed measured results. Decrease in weight and body fat, increase in lean muscle together declares that exercise is a worthy pursuit. Results that may not be as measurable but none the less valuable are the developing and strengthening of tenacity, persistence, courage, resilience, and perseverance to name a few to move out “I can’t” and move in “I CAN-I WILL” girl. The Success Fitness journey has marked my life in my own personal development as well as increasing my potential to influence others for the good of their relationships and destinies. The challenges of Success Fitness journey have stretched me beyond my imagination, but believe me it has been a worthy investment financially, physically, emotionally and spiritually. The “good of exercise” has served me well.

Roselene Coblentz

WHAT WILL THEY SAY ABOUT YOU?

2010-07-05T09:40:00.000-07:00

As we live our daily lives, how often does it ever occur to us how others in our world perceive how we live, things we say, and the way we conduct ourselves? The primary purpose of a funeral is to celebrate the life of the deceased and to honor them in their passing. What if you had lived your life in mediocrity and in such a way that anyone in attendance would be challenged to find anything reverent to say?

If you were to pass tomorrow, how would your eulogy read? What impact would you have made and how far reaching would it have been? Did you just touch those immediately around you or will there be those around the world shed a tear in your remembrance?

The unfortunate reality is, we live in a society where "good enough" is often the rule and the genuine pursuit of excellence is averted. There should be even a brief moment each day where we all should reflect on what we have accomplished, who we have impacted, and how can we do/be better for tomorrow.

When your time has come to leave this earth, "what will they say about you?"

Joe Carson BS/CPT
Master Trainer/Owner
Success Fitness
Author: Your Body Your Life Yourself

METABOLIC ENVIRONMENTS: FAT BURNING V.S. FAT STORAGE

2010-06-20T12:59:00.000-07:00

For most, food and nutrition is seen as a simple proposition; eat what you crave/tastes good or eat what is available. Usually there is little consideration given to how what you're eating affects your body metabolically.

Essentially what/when/how much we eat and our energy demands dictate what type of metabolic environment is created. The two primary environments are: high-energy demand (fat burning) or low energy demand (fat storage).

The "high-energy demand" (fat burning) environment is created through methodical nutrition and elevated activity levels either through sports, manual labor jobs, or heavy exercise. The methodical nutrition is defined as moderately portioned/well balanced meals consumed approximately every 3-hours.
These meals are comprised mostly of lean proteins, complex carbohydrates (slow burning),fresh vegetables, and Omega-3 fats, while limiting processed foods and sugars (stable blood insulin levels). This environment is optimal for facilitating weight loss and healthy body composition, while maintaining elevated energy levels.
A great meal composition ratio for maintaining a "high-energy demand" (fat burning) environment would consist of 60% carbohydrates, 30% proteins, 10% fats, while keeping meal sizes moderate.

Whereas a "low-energy demand" (fat storage)environment is created through random nutritional habits of either way too few calories spaced too far apart, way too many calories in either too many or too few meals (no breakfast, big lunch, huge dinner), or just simply poor food (drinks included.. i.e. soda/alcohol) choices coupled with large portions.
These types of nutritional habits coupled with little to no exercise, low activity levels (sedentary lifestyle), and low-movement work environment are the primary contributors to body fat storage/weight gain and energy deficits.
Diets high in simple carbohydrates (high sugars) are primary contributors in creating a fat storage environment as these types of foods elevate blood sugar, increase appetite, and elevate insulin levels causing the body to burn pure sugar for energy and store anything that it is not being expended as fat (or reserve energy)

If your goals are to lose weight and achieve a healthy body composition you would want to achieve the "high-energy demand" environment as consistently as possible while alternating your workouts between cardio (primarily interval) and strength training.

These are the basic principals to weight loss and optimal energy balance. Though all of our bodies are different and some people through good genetics do not store fat as efficiently as others, this principal applies to the masses!

Joe Carson BS/CPT Author: Your Body Your Life Yourself
Master Trainer/Owner
Success Fitness

WHY WE GET FAT AND HOW TO FIX IT

2010-06-13T18:00:00.000-07:00

If you were to ask an average person "what makes people get fat?" their answer would probably be something like "because they eat too much freakin' junk food". To ask a Doctor, he might tell you there are new genetic mutations that are prevalent in the modern population which are causing a majority of society to become obese. However, if you were to ask someone who has been there, lived it, and has experienced the genuine pain that comes from self loathing and lack of hope, you might get an entirely different answer than expected.

I've traveled that road after having many of my dreams, hopes, and securities completely disintegrated before my very eyes, I was helpless to stop any of it and desperately needed a source of comfort. Having grown up in a broken home destroyed by alcoholism, I wanted no part of that means of coping. As a child, I also had seen the havoc left behind courtesy of drugs and the lifestyle that comes with them. That just left me with the only option for comfort that I knew as "safe", food.

This story is not unique to just me, each person with a radical weight problem has their own story to tell. Maybe not alcoholism, maybe not a broken home, but a story never the less.

People are emotional creatures, this lends us to seeing value in family, spouses, careers, visions, and religion. However, there are also times which these emotions are not always affected in a positive manner, which leads us to seek comfort. More often than not, we seek comfort in the things that makes us feel good, and what makes one feel good more than a slice of hot apple pie topped with ice cream?

This is not to say that every person who is over weight is a psycho or a mental case, nor am I eluding to the fact that our many of our modern foods are dealt out in way too large portions and have way too many calories for our energy needs. My point is, eating delicious food (especially in good company) makes us feel good and often becomes a subconscious source of comfort, thusly leading to radical weight problems (and health problems by association).

How do we fix this and is it really a problem? The reality is this, each of us must determine what in life is truly important and what motivates us to make what we know are bad nutritional choices. Then take a close look at ourselves for who we are and what we've become, contrasting the high received from eating our favorite comfort food v.s. our low from discovering that none of our favorite clothes fit anymore and every visit to the Doctor yields even more bad news.

This is the same type of emotional reflection process that not only I used to inspire me to change my life and lose 180 pounds, but it also the same type of process used by life coaches everywhere to aid clients in overcoming habitual challenges that have adverse consequences.

Ultimately, it is your world, your life, your choices, and your decisions. In order to lose the weight and keep it off, you must decide to make the changes for yourself and know that there is literally no better comfort than the liberation tied to the freedom which comes from taking back control of every area of your life.

Joe Carson BS/CPT
Master Trainer/Owner
Success Fitness
Author: Your Body Your Life Yourself

MOTIVATION - Life's driving force

2010-06-09T07:19:00.001-07:00

Each and everything that we do requires motivation on some level. Getting up to go to work each morning is fueled by the motivation to make money in order to pay bills and maintain a standard of living. Consuming food is motivated by the internal instinct to provide fuel to the body to facilitate survival. There are different faces for different actions, each serving a specific purpose in our overall existence.

Often times motivation is subconscious and comes naturally to us as it is a normal part of everyday life, however when given challenging options we must call on conscious motivation(s) to see us through.

In the gym, the most common plight we hear from our clients is "I want to lose weight". Our first response is "who told you that you needed to lose weight"? Our goal is to establish whether or not this person is superficially motivated by a peer, partner, sheer vanity or if there are deeper reasoning's that are reflected emotionally.

When embarking on a quest of the magnitude of a lifestyle change (or even to just kick a bad habit like smoking, drugs, or alcohol), the motivation must be emotionally based and truly heart felt. Any superficial motivation will be met with potential failure at each and every temptation, as there is no heart-felt conviction to maintain steadfastness.

In order to achieve true "emotional motivational strength", one must shut out the rest of the world and reflect upon what it is that they want for themselves and nobody/nothing else. True strength comes from the heart, not the muscles and when faced with temptation and opportunity to stray the heart will never fail you, where it is assured that all else will.

Envision the way that you feel physically, emotionally, and in your day to day life currently and as you move forward through the years. Are there things that you enjoy that you're not able to do? Are there things that you'd like to try but are afraid that you're not capable of doing? How do you want to spend retirement - working 3/4 of your life to reach your "golden years" only to spend each day counting pills and complaining about aches and pains? Who amongst you is depending on you - spouse, kids, grand-kids, future grand-kids, co-workers, friends, loved-ones? Be a forward thinker here and realize that you have only one shot at life and quality longevity.

Once you've set the groundwork and set your heart on making the very best choices in your life for yourself and those that you love, there literally is nothing that can stop you!

--- Get up --- get motivated --- live life with no regrets!

WHY SO MANY PEOPLE HATE EXERCISE

2010-06-06T12:23:00.000-07:00

When polling the general public, how many people would honestly say that they genuinely love to exercise?
In a recent study only about 16% of the modern American population who exercise regularly say that they actually enjoy it and 6.5% of people who do not exercise regularly say that they enjoyed it somewhat when they did.

So what is it about exercising that is so repulsive? Is it the time factor, in making time in what can already be a very busy and hectic day to: go to the gym, exercise, clean up, and make the trip to the next destination?

Could it be the fear of exertion? Many just simply do not have the desire or willpower to push themselves into a state of sustained discomfort then embrace that as good.

Or does sheer laziness play into the equation? A state that whether "politically/socially correct" or not is a common reality as it pertains to the willingness to put forth any progressive efforts at all in any area of life.

Exercise is literally a mind-game, one in which the victor is determined by the desire of the participant to simply "knuckle-up" and do it or just walk away.
Every rep, every set, every time has to be seen as an effort toward positive forward progress and approached with the mental vision of the desired outcome (think strong, be strong).

Rather than just "trying to get through it", you should consider "making the most of it" and see the workout time as an investment which will yield guaranteed returns contingent upon effort.

The body reacts to exercise the way the brain perceives it, so if you're trying to "get through it" and have the mental perception of "this hurts, I do not like this" the body will react accordingly and often adversely. However, if you approach every rep with a "can-do, will-do" attitude, the body will respond accordingly.

The "nuts and bolts" to exercise is simple, as with any machine the human body must be maintained and regular exercise in conjunction with clean/solid nutrition is just how this is accomplished. As with a car, you neglect to maintain the body there are assured consequences, and it is much easier (and cheaper) to be proactive when it comes to good health and prevent problems than it is to be reactive and try to fix it once it may be too late.

If done correctly and with a good attitude, regular exercise can:

- Decrease the risk for type-II diabetes
- Decrease the risk of heart attack and stroke
- Increase energy levels and neurological efficiency
- Increase metabolism while improving body composition
- Help to create a visibly appealing appearance
- Decrease injury potential with daily activity
- Improve overall quality of life

And many more........

With so many upsides to regular exercise why wouldn't you want to get motivated and get moving?!?!

EATING FOR WEIGHT LOSS

2010-06-03T06:20:00.000-07:00

When endeavoring into a plan to lose weight the immediate inclination is to seek the latest diet that "everybody's" talking about and get on it. Another idea is to "start eating salads" and radically reducing calories. Both scenarios may yield an immediate return on the scale but will ultimately lead to dietary failure, frustration, and possibly becoming heavier that when you started.

Losing weight is more about balance than a radical shift to either "high protein" or "no protein all vegetables". There are numerous myths and misinformation's that do nothing more than cause confusion and hide the fact that "eating for weight loss" is not rocket science and can be easily understood and accomplished by following a few basic rules:

- Eat for the purpose of eating, and understand that you are providing your body with a fuel source, nothing more-nothing less. Anything that is not going to be used immediately can ultimately wind up being stored as fat.

- Eat foods that have ingredients you can pronounce! This is no joke and could ultimately save you a lot of grief from organ tissue damage down the road. The body is just not meant to digest shelf stabilizers, flavor enhancers, color additives, fillers, etc. This stuff slows your metabolism and creates toxicity in your digestive tract that can dramatically affect other systems. ---FRESH IS BEST!---

- Stay well hydrated. The average adult should consume a minimum of 16oz pure water per hour through the course of an 8-hour day (128oz total) in order to remain sufficiently hydrated. Not only will the water help to regulate appetite, but will facilitate better energy balance and utilization of triglycerides (lipids) for energy.

- Eat often, including making breakfast your largest meal of the day! The idea of "stoking the metabolic fire with breakfast" is no joke and is guaranteed to serve you well through the entirety of the day. Having smaller meal portions through the day keeps all of your bodies systems fueled for optimal operation, thusly burning more calories and aiding in energy balance. Supper should be the smallest meal of the day and for most should only consist of a lean protein with a green vegetable. Supper tends to be the downfall of many Americans, as our bodies run in "famine mode" through the busy day (sparse food or poor quality food) leaving us famished and eating large/calorie dense suppers at night just before becoming sedentary. This behavior is a major contributor to our growing obesity epidemic!

- Make a list of foods that you like and seek alternate recipes that use lower fat/calorie ingredients and reduce sugar and sodium. Also, research the nutritional data of your favorite restaurants to help determine better quality food choices when dining out.

Eating for weight loss is not a matter of taking things away, rather it's a matter of empowerment with the knowledge to make better decisions about what you're eating and why.

IRRESISTABLE CRAVINGS

2010-06-01T16:37:00.000-07:00

Food cravings are as common as trees in a forest and just as varied. Everything from the "bowl of ice cream every night after dinner" crowd to the "ketchup on everything" crowd, there are hundreds to thousands of common cravings that are leading us to over eat.
What causes these cravings? The most common causes are related to sugars and carbohydrates as these are seen by the body as "immediate energy" and induce a pancreatic insulin response to normalized blood insulin levels, often leading to increased appetite and over consumption.
The perfect fix for this problem is to avoid sugary foods, simple carbohydrates, and eat every 3 hours or so. Stick to meals that are more balanced in ratio to proteins, carbohydrates, and fats.
Water is another little trick to managing those cravings. The brain does not do a very good job of discerning the difference between hunger and thirst (especially in the evening) and will often leave you feeding a thirsty/dehydrated body. A good rule of thumb for most adults is to consume 16oz of water per hour during the course of an 8 hour day (128oz total). Not only will this help to satisfy those cravings, but will help with digestion and energy balance.
Now, a little trick for satisfying that after dinner "sweets craving" is to take a "special dark" Hershey's kiss and place it on your tongue allowing it to slowly melt (do not chew it up). This will induce a chemical response in your brain which will leave you feeling quite satisfied.

Strength

2010-05-30T16:31:00.000-07:00

Typically when one thinks of "strength", visions of muscle-clad athletes comes to mind. Rarely would thoughts of a child growing up in a world where he feels unwanted and surrounded by demons of every kind come to mind.
Strength for me has been defined by the refusal to succumb to the alcohol, violence, suicide, and just sheer pain that seemed to surround me at my every turn.
There have been so many opportunities to falter and God knows the countless temptations to just simply throw up my hands and become what everyone said I would be.
My time of weakness came after having my dreams of a career the Marine Corps crushed immediately followed by an unexpected dissolution of marriage left me reeling and seeking comfort in the only thing I saw as an option, food.
My attitude was simply, "I'm going to eat what I want, when I want, and as much as I want" to be honest I frankly did not care what anyone thought of me or what my life had become.
This way of thinking is what ultimately led me to morbid obesity at a top weight of 354 pounds, and feeling worse than ever.
I again needed to call upon the strength that had brought me through the immense darkness of my childhood to help me reclaim my health, happiness, and my life.
I ultimately lost 177 pounds naturally through strict nutrition and countless hours in the gym, which demanded every bit of emotional resource I could muster, but I did it!
So, for me does "true" strength have anything to do with how many pounds are lifted on a bench press or the size of a dumbbell used in a curl? The answer is a simple no, not even close. The truth is, strength comes from your heart not your muscles and a person with a strong heart can move the world!

How a fat man got fit!

2010-05-25T12:06:00.000-07:00

Many in modern society have found themselves in a much too common place of living for the day, putting their fitness and health as a distant priority. I am all too familiar with this cycle, as it consumed me for a number of years and left me at a peak weight of 354 pounds.

I reached a startling realization one evening as I saw my reflection in the mirror and had a heart-to-heart with myself. The truth was that there was no easy way out and nobody could do it for me.

With this, my journey to lose the weight began with a vengeance, as I sought any and every way possible to shed the pounds. Just like everyone else in the world who has decided to take this plunge, I wanted the results immediately if not sooner.

I researched all of the popular weight-loss programs (point counters, meal delivery services, etc.) and diets out there, quickly discovering that they are not in the business of effective weight loss or health at all; they are in the business of making mega-million-dollar profits by playing on the emotions of those seeking weight loss and better health.

The “results” in a bottle was next. Just like everyone else, I wanted the easiest/fastest way to make the pounds disappear. Everyone knows that exercise is hard work, and it is really hard work for someone who is morbidly obese. The more I looked at these “miracles in a bottle,” the more I discovered that not only do these things not work for long-term results, they are down right dangerous!

Now with two of the “quick and simple” avenues considered and ruled out, this really narrows my options for a fast/easy avenue to lose the weight. There is just one more to examine, bariatric surgery (stomach stapling, stomach bands, gastric bypass, etc). These surgeries are becoming more popular and are showing some success for what they do, but that is only one side of the coin.

There are too many of these surgeries being performed on people who are not appropriate candidates, thusly creating an enormous influx of profit potential for cosmetic/bariatric surgeons because this method is viewed as “a quick fix” yet creating permanent and often fatal consequences for their patients unnecessarily.

The complications associated with bariatric surgery include but are not limited to: infection, malnutrition, increased sensitivity to certain foods, malabsorption of nutrients (attributed to the lack of digestion in the stomach), and in some cases death!

The truth is, there is no quick fix/easy way to approach a healthy weight loss that is sustainable. This way of thinking totally misses the mark for attaining health, body composition, and fitness goals then sustaining them permanently. The easy diet, magic pill, miracle surgeries just do not exist in a practical world.

If all of the hyped-up programs were effective, the American population would not be in an outrageous state of poor health, which can be attributed to obesity and poor lifestyle habits. However, what does exist is the information contained within this book to help you formulate a no-fail approach that will not only help you to lose the weight just as I did but also join me in keeping it off forever! The coolest thing about this approach is once you have adopted the basic principals permanently in your life, everything becomes second nature to you and then the rest is virtually effortless!

Now which is better? A permanent, cost-effective, and healthy means to weight loss and improved health that is designed by a health and fitness professional who has been there, done that, or becoming another victim of good marketing and emotional manipulation by a large corporation who has no practical foundation to be offering anything for weight loss or health improvement? With the “trending” companies, you are destined to fail and suffer potentially life-altering (if not life-ending) consequences along the way, all the while unnecessarily expending precious resources that can be better utilized for something with benefit. This stuff does not work; if it did, America would not be the most unhealthy and most obese nation in the world!

I chose door number one, and it works!

The “your body, your life, yourself” approach is a matter of empowerment through integrity, education, and adopting a sustainable lifestyle change that will facilitate permanent weight loss, increase energy levels, decrease potential for serious health problems related to obesity, and give you a permanent zeal for a prolonged quality and quantity of life.

“It does not require a degree in Nutritional Science, Exercise Physiology, or Health Sciences to live a healthy life and stay physically fit. The information provided within this book gives you a solid foundation as to how your body works and what it takes to maintain it in optimal health. By simply utilizing this basic information in conjunction with some discipline and determination, you can achieve and maintain your lifestyle change for now and forever! I know this because I live it, I teach it, and it has become my passion to educate the world; re-gifting the gift of life!” –Joe Carson, BS/CPT