1. I became a father. This is number one for a reason. Becoming a father has been the most rewarding and precious experience I have had since the day I was born. With all the mixed emotions being a new dad brings and no matter what may be going on in the unpredictable moments of daily life, all I have to do is see the face of my baby girl Matea and I have a guaranteed smile.

2. I finally took the plunge to follow my lifelong passion for health and fitness. Despite continuing to work my regular job as a heavy equipment operator I got certified as a personal trainer, and started my online business called Dad Fitness. I plan on eventually making this my full-time job so I can create my lifestyle around my career and be in total control of my income so I can be there for my family.

With the current news that I will be laid off from my operator job due to the economic downturn I feel the time is NOW to "feel the fear, and do it anyway". How can I someday tell my kids that they can be whatever they want to be when they grow up, if their Dad is afraid to do the same. It's not what you say, its what you DO.

3. Dating my wife. After having our baby daughter no matter how much we thought we were prepared, we were hit with quite the wake-up call. As we got busy being parents, we let "life" get in the way of us being husband and wife. After realizing it was OK to accept help from our family once in awhile, we started having a date night at least once every 2nd week. We hope to even make this happen once a week in 2009.

4. "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants." This quote comes from my favorite book of 2008. In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan. I realized even following what has been considered a healthy lifestyle of eating for the last 15 years, that I was obsessed with food. "Eat this, at that time, so many times a day" was making me not enjoy food anymore. This book has changed my entire outlook on how we eat as a society and specifically how I eat.

5. I invested in MYSELF. With the world economy in a downturn I continue to make an investment that will NEVER fail me. I try to read an hour each day, 3-4 books a month and continue to advance my personal training certifications with advanced courses in training and nutrition.

I try to surround myself with positive people who are successful at doing what I WANT to do. I even traveled to Toronto this year to attend my first Mastermind meeting. I also read a lot on self improvement including success, business, money, time management, relationships and anything that I feel will help improve my health, wealth and happiness. You will never get dumber by reading a book...

6. Total Body Workouts. Like most guys who started training in the gym my background came from bodybuilding. I even went a step farther as my interest in the sport grew and competed in a few contests. But after 15 years in this industry my training philosophy is changing. For most regular folks you just want to get in shape, bodybuilding style workouts are NOT the best way to go.

That's why the last year or so I have been designing my workouts around full-body workouts opposed to the typical body part splits such as a chest day or arm day. Most busy dads want to get the best bang for their workout buck and working your entire body with compound exercises that use a lot of muscles together is the most effective and most functional way to workout. This is the backbone of my Dad Fitness workouts and is why you can lose fat and build muscle with just 3 short workouts a week.

7. I replaced supplements with food. This year I have been gradually cutting back on the supplements that I have been taking for years and relying on whole natural foods for my vitamins and minerals. Instead of taking vitamin C, I eat more oranges and bell peppers. Instead of taking additional vitamin E, I eat more mixed nuts. I even give up taking a protein bar to work for my mid-morning snack and eat mixed nuts instead.

I also recently give up taking my post-workout protein shake and replaced it with chocolate milk. Studies show chocolate milk works just as well to help your muscle recover after a workout. Now I only take fish oil and a multivitamin twice a day to supplement my diet. As for all those empty protein tubs, they make great piggy banks for all the money I am saving!

8. Be ruthless with my time. Since becoming a busy dad who works a full-time job and running my own business I have had to better manage my time before someone else would. Making my family also number one on my priority list I had to make sure I blocked out time in each day to get things done. I don't need a blackberry or an iphone to help organize my time as I think they are ironically time-stealers, not time-savers. I use a basic planner that I write in every day to keep me on track with work, workouts, appointments, business contacts etc. I review this every night and make sure things are planned to the best of my ability for the next day.

Another big change I made was to outsource any tasks that I have no interest in doing or think I could be doing something better with my time. Instead of spending 4 hours snow blowing our driveway I pay a company to clear my driveway with a loader that takes 5 minutes and use that time to work on my business or spend with my family.

9. I stopped microwaving plastic. You probably heard about the warnings of heating plastics and specifically the chemical found in plastics, BPA. The problem with BPA is that it doesn't stay in the plastic. It leaches into whatever food or beverage you put in a plastic container, canned good, or plastic baby bottle. And if you microwave the containers or bottles, you are likely increasing the amount of BPA that leaches into your food.

BPA mimics the sex hormone estradiol, which can trigger major changes in your body such as brain damage, hyperactivity, abnormal sexual behaviour, increased fat formation and risk of obesity and early puberty and disrupted reproductive cycles. I simply switched to the Pyrex glass containers to store and warm my food at work and at home. This is the only time I use a microwave as I stay away from any processed foods that come in a box or container that you can heat in a microwave. I suggest you do the same.

10. "Do what you can, with what you have, where you are." This is a quote from Theodore Roosevelt. I have this posted on the wall of my home office and this simple phrase really helps me get through the tough times. Personally at this time my wife and I are looking to leave our current jobs and move across the country to follow our true passion in life and to explore better opportunities for our family. Making such a big change and taking risks are hard to do.

But you MUST fight the fear and do things anyway if you want to be successful in all facets of your life. If you are feeling frustrated with your current situation in life, realize you can't change everything overnight, but in the meantime keep working towards your goals and do what you can, with what you have, where you are.


PS. Don't forget to check out my latest article posted on TheFatherLife.com.

==>King Of The Grill


Sean Barker, CPT

Learn the "The Truth On Fat Loss, How To Finally Lose That Beer Belly" in this FREE report from Sean Barker at www.dadfitness.com

Turbulence Training has taken on cardio, Body For Life, bodybuilders, and even spinning...and now it has another victory notch to add to it's belt, as Turbulence Training beats "Sore Knees" in this success story... You can lose fat with Turbulence Training, even if you have bad knees... "Craig - I just wanted to thank you for an excellent program that ANYONE can use to get into shape.  I had Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09716743163024447408noreply@blogger.com0

"My first thought when I was reading this book was a sense of relief. I said to myself, finally there is a book out there that will be found on store shelves that has the reader's best interests at heart."...

I'm going to share a few amazing Turbulence Training Success Stories with you this each week. Each person featured also has won a 1-Year Platinum Turbulence Training Membership. Here's our first succes story from South Africa! Notice how she "just said NO to cardio" and finally got results... "All I can say is thank-you, thank-you, thank-you, THANK-YOU! I used to be one of those "lucky" peopleCraig Ballantyne, CSCS, MShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09716743163024447408noreply@blogger.com0

TGIM.

Yes, Thank-God its Monday!

After working three 12 hour shifts this weekend I am glad to be off for a couple days.

So this morning I got up eager and ready to head back to the gym to start the New Year off right.

After getting up bright and early at 5am and doing 2 hours of work in my home office, I headed out to the gym at 8am.

As I approached the rec centre where I workout I noticed there were no vehicles in the parking lot???

Uh-oh, this didn't look good.

As I approached the main door I seen the notice stating that due to cutbacks, they won't be opening until 12pm! Nooooooooooo!

Over the years I always preferred to workout in the mornings as it makes me feel good for the rest of the day and by doing it first I don't have any chance to skip it when things come up.

So I wiped the frozen tears from face, drove home and did a fast and furious Dad Fitness Home Workout.

Check out the video below of the Dad Fitness Fast and Furious Home Workout.

With this workout you will lose fat faster than I am losing my hair!



I was soaked by the end and finished in less than 30 minutes!

I kept the day going strong with a healthy post-workout meal of 3 omega-3 egg omelet, 2 slices of 100% mulitgrain toast with natural peanut butter and a clementine.


Even if you like going to the gym like I do, make sure to have a back-up plan.

Get your fitness back-up plan here
==>The Dad Fitness System

It's going to be a good-year!


Sean Barker, CPT

Learn the "The Truth On Fat Loss, How To Finally Lose That Beer Belly" in this FREE report from Sean Barker at www.dadfitness.com

1. After a holiday season of too much beer, food, chocolate, beer, late nights, junk and beer (!) a great start is to systematically just completely eliminate all the junk from your diet. There are an entire category of diets and plans out there but my favorite is from Dax Moy - and is entitled simply the "Elimination Diet".
   
   This involves eliminating caffeine, alcohol, wheat, red meat, sugar, artificial sweeteners and dairy amongst others. It's tough but you'll feel great at the end. Couple of bonuses - you'll probably lose 4 or 5lbs during the first week, and more importantly it's completely free here!
   
   You can even pick up a useful Elimination diet cookbook, which will make it a lot easier here.
   
   
2. If fat loss is your goal -- Make a real commitment to lose the unwanted pounds. Write it down and make it specific. Saying that you want to lose weight is not enough. Saying how much and how you are going to do it by when is far more powerful. And WRITE IT DOWN.
   
   For example:
   
   I am going to lose 12lbs of fat by March 1st 2009
   I will do this by exercising six days per week for a minimum of 30 mins
   This will include metabolism boosting resistance training three times per week for a minimum of 45 mins.
   I will meet with a trainer at least once a week for my resistance training sessions.
   
   or
   
   I will follow the Warp Speed Fat Loss Program for the next 28 days and maximize my results by February 5th.
   I will then continue on a three times per week program including 30 mins of resistance training and 30 mins of cardio for the next 6 weeks.
   I will cut 500 calories from my diet and track this using fitday.com
   
   
3. Maximize your cardio training by using a heart rate monitor. You wouldn't lift weights for a completely random number of sets and reps with an arbitrarily chosen weight - but many people follow up their resistance training with a cardio program that involves just riding the bike or running on the treadmill. Get specific with a good heart rate monitor and work at a given heart rate intensity. A good rule is to use the Karvonen formula (220-age-resting heart rate= HRR - heart rate reserve). Work at 85% of your max (0.85 x HRR + resting heart rate) for 60s and then recover until your heart rate is below 60% of your max (0.6 x HRR + resting heart rate). Repeat that for 4-6 rounds.
   
   
4. Work on the quality of your muscle tissue. A regular stretching session from a trainer or sports therapist is a great investment. Failing that making a commitment to stretching regularly on your own is never a bad idea. Ideally though - a regular massage will do wonders for the health of your musculoskeletal system - but if that's not economically viable - then pick up a foam roller.
   
   
5. Hire a coach. Outside expertise allows you to focus on your job and commitments and literally just "show up" and let them take care of it for you. Studies have shown that people exercising when a trainer only supervises (no instruction or coaching) work up to 30% harder than they do on their own. 30% more work translates to significantly faster results - imagine what you could do if that trainer actually pushed you through to harder workouts and designed a program that would work better?
   
   If you can't afford a coach three days per week, then hire the best coach in your area once per month and use him or her as a consultant to design your monthly workout and provide third party accountability.

One last tip -- plan the whole year in advance. Writing down your goals and your plans to achieve them can greatly help - for a great resource to assist you in that - check out the publisher of Success Magazine, Darren Hardy's manual - Design Your Best Year Ever.

Make 2009 a great year!

--
AC
www.alwyncosgrove.com

Why do new year’s resolutions usually fail? Why do you start with guns blazing on January 1st, but by February, you’re losing motivation, cheating on your diet, skipping workouts, and slipping back into old patterns? John LaValle, a master trainer...

I read this great article on deadlifting last week Mark Rippetoe Deadlift Tips and applied some small form changes (getting over the bar more). 1) Overhead Squat - 125x5 2A) Deadlift - 345x3 (overhand), 375x1 (alternate), 315x8 (alternate), 225x2x8 (overhand) 2B) 1-Arm DB Shoulder Press (3x6 with 60) 3) Good Morning - 2x12 at 155 4A) Pullthrough - 135x20 4B) Chinup - 10 reps That was goodCraig Ballantyne, CSCS, MShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09716743163024447408noreply@blogger.com0

Today's workout was brutal combination of Russian and Japanese fitness secrets. Kettlebell exercises (from Russia with love) combined with Tabata intervals. 400 reps of swings, snatches, and a few squats, using the 35 pound, 53 pound, and 70 pound kettlebell. Did some warmup rounds with the 35 and then moved to the 53. Used it for swings and snatches and did some swings with the 70 (no snatches Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09716743163024447408noreply@blogger.com4

Today's workout was brutal combination of Russian and Japanese fitness secrets. Kettlebell exercises (from Russia with love) combined with Tabata intervals. 400 reps of swings, snatches, and a few squats, using the 35 pound, 53 pound, and 70 pound kettlebell. Did some warmup rounds with the 35 and then moved to the 53. Used it for swings and snatches and did some swings with the 70 (no snatches Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09716743163024447408noreply@blogger.com3

"This very well could change the face of the fitness and weight loss industry. This is going to be huge in 2009." - John Sifferman of www.JohnSifferman.com via you tube video review....

Library Journal Media Editor Raya Kuzyk follows the fitness book market with an eagle eye. Her book selection can be used to prevent that most ghastly holiday tradition... overeating......

Book reviewer and syndicated columnist Kelly Jad'on recently reviewed Tom Venuto's new hardcover book, The Body Fat Solution. Kelly's columns are syndicated to USA Today.com, The Wall Street Journal, Reuters, Google News and dozens of local and national news websites....

Range of Motion is Critical For Building Muscle

By Sean Barker, CPT.

If your not sure what I mean by ROM, its Range of Motion. This is the complete range of movement that you perform every exercise from start to finish.

But how many people get carried away with increasing the weight they lift only to sacrifice the proper exercise execution in which the exercise should be performed. A good many, and I admit I have done it in the past as well.

We all like to load up that bar giving us the feeling that we are super strong by slapping plate after plate onto the barbell. But doing this only builds your ego, not your muscles. It also greatly increases your chance of serious injury when performing exercises without a complete range of motion.

Increasing your poundage's over time is the cornerstone of getting bigger and stronger in the gym. But not if it comes at the expense of doing the exercise with improper form. Whether it's bench presses, squats or any exercise that requires you work the muscles over a complete range, people have a tendency to slowly develop bad training habits of limiting the range in which they complete the exercise.

This might enable you to use a heavier weight, but its not maximizing muscular overload it's limiting it as the muscles are only getting half the stimulation that they should be. Plus, your joints and ligaments are picking up the slack, which is provoking injury.

Adhere to proper weight selection that allows you to work the intended muscle with your desired number of reps. Always remember that your weight should be chosen based on how well you can perform the exercise, not the other way around...

Sean Barker, CPT

Learn the "The Truth On Fat Loss, How To Finally Lose That Beer Belly" in this FREE report from Sean Barker at www.dadfitness.com