Your Perpetual Fitness Weight Loss & Fitness Blog!
"Don't Try To Be Better Then Someone Else, Be Better Than Yourself."
Personal Trainer - Weight Loss, Nutrition & Fitness Blog
Rip Up Your Back and Tone That Mid-Section!
The Bent Over Continuous Row!
Let me start out by saying I love this exercise!
Rips ups your back, tones your butt and hamstrings and also works your abs! Doesn't get much better then that!
Must be done correctly so you don't hurt yourself
Here are the steps........
1) Use a lighter dumbbell then for a normal row.
2) Stand feet about 5 inches apart with a slight bend in your knees
3) Flex your glutes and hamstrings and bend over from the waist
4) Squeeze your should blades together, abs have to be tight and keep your back straight
5) Bend over as far as you can while keeping your back straight
6) One arm at a time while holding all the above lift with your elbow
7) Then switch sides and keep it moving the whole time
8) Pretend like there is a pole going right down your spine and your just rotating around it without letting it move.
9) Make it continuous until you can't perform it with the right posture and make sure you do equal on each side.
7 Tips For Burning Fat!
Want to burn some fat? Want to lose some weight? Looking to get cut up? Want to see your muscle tone! Follow these 7 tips!
1) Get rid of your cheats! - When you think of "cheat" food you look at it as something easy. Making eating healthy some that is tough or depriving! Making your mind always wanting to lean to the cheat foods. Don't think of it as cheat foods. Just think of it as 90% good 10% not as good............not 10% bad!
2) Take Responsibility - It's your decision what you eat. No one can make you eat anything. If your working with a trainer or a dietian and the "plan" isn't working. Are you really doing all of the plan? If your missing a workout or eating something your not supposed to consistently and blaming your trainer or dietian your doing yourself of that trainer any good. Until you take responsibility for your actions nothing wil change. If you want to change your body, take responsibility for your body and why its the way it is and what you need to do to change it. When we hold ourselves accountable and take responsibility, things will change.
3) Eat often - 4 to 5 times a day. you should be hungry some if your looking to get thin
4) Go for quality not quanity - You'll be amazed by how much better you feel when you pay more for better meats, veggies, etc. It's really not more expensive. If your looking to get leaner just get the good stuff and eat less of it. The expenses end up being the same. The difference will not be the same. You'll be happy.
5) Too Much Info is bad - Stick with something that works for you and keep it going. Make it work for you. What works for others doesn't mean it will for you. Jumping from one thing to another never works. Give it time. If your taking responsibility and doing what you need to do you will get the change you want to see in your body.
6) Move more - Find something outside of your workouts that you like doing. Ride a bike, rollerblade, play basketball etc........
7) Eat Whole Foods - Protein powders are good but not all the time. Once or twice a day is ok. Whole foods are what your body is meant to use, to grow with, and stay healthy with. Eat whole foods and your body will thank you. You'll also start thanking yourself when you look in the mirror soon.
There ya go..........need help? Contact me today! www.yourperpetualfitness.org
Jordan Gruppen
Your Perpetual Fitness
1) Get rid of your cheats! - When you think of "cheat" food you look at it as something easy. Making eating healthy some that is tough or depriving! Making your mind always wanting to lean to the cheat foods. Don't think of it as cheat foods. Just think of it as 90% good 10% not as good............not 10% bad!
2) Take Responsibility - It's your decision what you eat. No one can make you eat anything. If your working with a trainer or a dietian and the "plan" isn't working. Are you really doing all of the plan? If your missing a workout or eating something your not supposed to consistently and blaming your trainer or dietian your doing yourself of that trainer any good. Until you take responsibility for your actions nothing wil change. If you want to change your body, take responsibility for your body and why its the way it is and what you need to do to change it. When we hold ourselves accountable and take responsibility, things will change.
3) Eat often - 4 to 5 times a day. you should be hungry some if your looking to get thin
4) Go for quality not quanity - You'll be amazed by how much better you feel when you pay more for better meats, veggies, etc. It's really not more expensive. If your looking to get leaner just get the good stuff and eat less of it. The expenses end up being the same. The difference will not be the same. You'll be happy.
5) Too Much Info is bad - Stick with something that works for you and keep it going. Make it work for you. What works for others doesn't mean it will for you. Jumping from one thing to another never works. Give it time. If your taking responsibility and doing what you need to do you will get the change you want to see in your body.
6) Move more - Find something outside of your workouts that you like doing. Ride a bike, rollerblade, play basketball etc........
7) Eat Whole Foods - Protein powders are good but not all the time. Once or twice a day is ok. Whole foods are what your body is meant to use, to grow with, and stay healthy with. Eat whole foods and your body will thank you. You'll also start thanking yourself when you look in the mirror soon.
There ya go..........need help? Contact me today! www.yourperpetualfitness.org
Jordan Gruppen
Your Perpetual Fitness
The "REAL" Miracle Weight Loss Drug!
Every time you complete a task of any kind, your brain releases a small quantity of endorphins. This natural morphine gives you a sense of well-being and elation. It makes you feel happy and peaceful. It stimulates your creativity and improves your personality. It is nature's "miracle drug." One of the things that stimulates the release of this "drug" the most is exercise!
Everyone wants to feel good. And feeling good requires that you do good. You get a feeling of being good by completing a task 100 percent. When you do this repeatedly, eventually you develop the habit of completing the program that you begin. When this habit of task completion locks in, your life/body will begin to improve in ways that you cannot believe.
If you have ever had a major assignment that you have put off, you know what I am getting at. The longer you wait to get started on an assignment and the closer the deadline approaches, the greater stress you experience. It can start to keep you up at night until you finally launch into the task and push it through to completion; you feel a great sense of relief and well-being. Putting off exercise will not allow you to reach your goals! That feeling of working your program and achieve your fitness goals is the best feeling you can have! Why wait?!!!
Write down everything! Here is an important point. The very act of identifying a source of distress of distraction and then paying close attention to it will cause you to improve your performance in that area. For example, late night eating, no breakfast, missed workouts on certain days of week.
Bringing closure to an issue in your personal life is absolutely essential for you to feel happy and in control of your situation. Lack of closure—unfinished weight loss or body fat %, an incomplete action of any kind—is a major source of stress, dissatisfaction, and even a feeling of failure! It consumes enormous amounts of physical and emotional energy. Alot less energy then it will take to do the exercise! Which in turn will create more energy!
Be dependable to yourself! Whatever your goals, make a list of all the things you will have to accomplish in the achievement of those goals. Put a deadline on every one of those tasks. Do it now!
Get your "Miracle Drug" working for you!
Need help? Contact me!
Jordan Gruppen
jgruppen07@hotmail.com
Your Perpetual Fitness Personal Training
Everyone wants to feel good. And feeling good requires that you do good. You get a feeling of being good by completing a task 100 percent. When you do this repeatedly, eventually you develop the habit of completing the program that you begin. When this habit of task completion locks in, your life/body will begin to improve in ways that you cannot believe.
If you have ever had a major assignment that you have put off, you know what I am getting at. The longer you wait to get started on an assignment and the closer the deadline approaches, the greater stress you experience. It can start to keep you up at night until you finally launch into the task and push it through to completion; you feel a great sense of relief and well-being. Putting off exercise will not allow you to reach your goals! That feeling of working your program and achieve your fitness goals is the best feeling you can have! Why wait?!!!
Write down everything! Here is an important point. The very act of identifying a source of distress of distraction and then paying close attention to it will cause you to improve your performance in that area. For example, late night eating, no breakfast, missed workouts on certain days of week.
Bringing closure to an issue in your personal life is absolutely essential for you to feel happy and in control of your situation. Lack of closure—unfinished weight loss or body fat %, an incomplete action of any kind—is a major source of stress, dissatisfaction, and even a feeling of failure! It consumes enormous amounts of physical and emotional energy. Alot less energy then it will take to do the exercise! Which in turn will create more energy!
Be dependable to yourself! Whatever your goals, make a list of all the things you will have to accomplish in the achievement of those goals. Put a deadline on every one of those tasks. Do it now!
Get your "Miracle Drug" working for you!
Need help? Contact me!
Jordan Gruppen
jgruppen07@hotmail.com
Your Perpetual Fitness Personal Training
Get Off The Weight Scale!
When it comes to weight loss many people turn to the scale. It can be a good measure of progress if you have much weight to lose. But are you really getting all the information that you need or want? It doesn't, the scale cannot tell you your body composition. It cannot tell you how much more fit you are and it will not tell you all the time your on the right track. Getting caught up in the numbers on the weight scale can lead to bad behaviors and put you on an unhealthy trail.
1) The scale doesn't tell you how much fat you have. Your scale only tells you how much you weigh, that's all it does. In addition to measuring your weight, the scale weighs bone, water, muscle, organs, and undigested food. When the number on the scale goes up or down, it doesn't represent only fat gain/loss or muscle gain/loss. It measures fluctuations in glycogen (stored carbohydrates) and water, and it even measures how much that breakfast you ate weighs.
2) The scale can't tell if you've gained muscle. A pound of muscle is small and very compact (Giving you the thin look). A pound of fat is bulky and lumpy (not thin look). When you gain muscle and lose fat, your body gets smaller and tighter. Building muscle also makes it possible to drop clothing sizes without a big change in weight. Perhaps after a good fitness program, the scale says you lost 9 pounds, which may not sound like much. But what if you actually lost 16 pounds of fat and gained 7 pounds of muscle? That's a really good improvement in your body composition. You'd still be upset because you wouldn't know it if you only used your regular bathroom scale to track your progress.
3) You didn't really gain 5 pounds of fat overnight. You may step on the scale one day and the number is five digits higher than it was the day before. Don't go crazy! Unless you ate an extra 17,500 calories the previous day, you didn't gain fat (a pound of fat = 3,500 calories). Your scale is only weight you and your water, stored carbohydrates, and food (which is all good). Also, cheap bathroom scales may have measurement errors, giving slightly different readings even when you're at exactly the same weight
4) Your body's water levels are constantly changing. The scale can move up or down depending on how much water you drink, how much salt you consume, how much you sweat, and how many carbohydrates you eat. An average person can see a daily fluctuation in water weight of about 2 pounds, without any changes to diet or exercise habits. These fluctuations do not signify fat loss, and watching the scale move up and down every day can be frustrating for many people. Thats why its good to do once every 2 weeks. After you know you've eaten and workout about the same or better as before the last weigh in.
1) The scale doesn't tell you how much fat you have. Your scale only tells you how much you weigh, that's all it does. In addition to measuring your weight, the scale weighs bone, water, muscle, organs, and undigested food. When the number on the scale goes up or down, it doesn't represent only fat gain/loss or muscle gain/loss. It measures fluctuations in glycogen (stored carbohydrates) and water, and it even measures how much that breakfast you ate weighs.
2) The scale can't tell if you've gained muscle. A pound of muscle is small and very compact (Giving you the thin look). A pound of fat is bulky and lumpy (not thin look). When you gain muscle and lose fat, your body gets smaller and tighter. Building muscle also makes it possible to drop clothing sizes without a big change in weight. Perhaps after a good fitness program, the scale says you lost 9 pounds, which may not sound like much. But what if you actually lost 16 pounds of fat and gained 7 pounds of muscle? That's a really good improvement in your body composition. You'd still be upset because you wouldn't know it if you only used your regular bathroom scale to track your progress.
3) You didn't really gain 5 pounds of fat overnight. You may step on the scale one day and the number is five digits higher than it was the day before. Don't go crazy! Unless you ate an extra 17,500 calories the previous day, you didn't gain fat (a pound of fat = 3,500 calories). Your scale is only weight you and your water, stored carbohydrates, and food (which is all good). Also, cheap bathroom scales may have measurement errors, giving slightly different readings even when you're at exactly the same weight
4) Your body's water levels are constantly changing. The scale can move up or down depending on how much water you drink, how much salt you consume, how much you sweat, and how many carbohydrates you eat. An average person can see a daily fluctuation in water weight of about 2 pounds, without any changes to diet or exercise habits. These fluctuations do not signify fat loss, and watching the scale move up and down every day can be frustrating for many people. Thats why its good to do once every 2 weeks. After you know you've eaten and workout about the same or better as before the last weigh in.
When trying to achieve a healthy weight and improve the way you look, you should focus less on what the scale says and more on developing the good habits that will produce results.
Some good habits are.....
1) Lift Weights......Women you won't get bulky unless you are trying too with supplements! It becomes a big mental game just start lifting weights!
2) Do cardio atleast 3 times a week
3) Eat a healthy lean protein, carbo, and fat diet plan
4) Track your progress without a scale!
Need help? Contact me today!
Your Perpetual Fitness Personal Training
- Jordan Gruppen
Attitude Is Everything!
Attitude is Really Everything - When it comes to living healthy. A negative attitude can sabotage the best laid plans for your fitness and health goals. Living well is a direct correlation with a positive attitude. Keep smiling and try to surround yourself with positive people and influences, while you look for the good in daily business and personal activities.
11 Ways To Cut Off Some Fat!
Spend more time each day burning fat than you do storing it, and over time, you'll bury your belly forever. Sound simple? It is.
Here are 10 ways to begin the process to a new healthier and thinner you!
1) Eat more protein - Protein burns more calories to digest then carbs or fat. Do the math!
2) Get Up off your Bum! - When exercising doing exercises standing up........you burn more calories, involve more muscles
3) Use good posture - Good posture when standing and when exercising burns more calories. Forcing more muscle to help you out through everyday activites and also doing exercise will really tighten you up!
4) Close your eyes - When you're using the elliptical trainer, bike or walking slow. Try letting go of the handles and closing your eyes. Without the visual feedback, your core muscles will have to work harder to keep you balanced, burning more calories.
5) Rent motivation - When your exercise becomes dull or you just have a hard time building motivation then rent it - With such movies as Rocky (gym), Hoosiers (Team Sports), Coach Carter (Basketball), Chariots of Fire or Without Limits (running). Or go to You Tube and look at videos like this one - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSM1mvMyp
6) Don't skip meals - Not eating for long periods of time puts your body into a catabolic state, meaning it starts to break down muscle tissue for energy and therefore conserves fat.
7) Hit the weights - Just 20 minutes a day of lifting, three days a week, will help. Harvard research shows that 60 minutes of weight training per week has a greater reduction on waist size than almost any other variable.
8) Eat your biggest meal of the day after you lift - It takes calories to digest food. And researchers at the University of Nevada found that it takes 73% more calories to process that food after a weight-training session than if you hadn't worked out at all! So save those simple carbs to eat after your workout along with some protein and you'll be feeling good!
Here are 10 ways to begin the process to a new healthier and thinner you!
1) Eat more protein - Protein burns more calories to digest then carbs or fat. Do the math!
2) Get Up off your Bum! - When exercising doing exercises standing up........you burn more calories, involve more muscles
3) Use good posture - Good posture when standing and when exercising burns more calories. Forcing more muscle to help you out through everyday activites and also doing exercise will really tighten you up!
4) Close your eyes - When you're using the elliptical trainer, bike or walking slow. Try letting go of the handles and closing your eyes. Without the visual feedback, your core muscles will have to work harder to keep you balanced, burning more calories.
5) Rent motivation - When your exercise becomes dull or you just have a hard time building motivation then rent it - With such movies as Rocky (gym), Hoosiers (Team Sports), Coach Carter (Basketball), Chariots of Fire or Without Limits (running). Or go to You Tube and look at videos like this one - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSM1mvMyp
6) Don't skip meals - Not eating for long periods of time puts your body into a catabolic state, meaning it starts to break down muscle tissue for energy and therefore conserves fat.
7) Hit the weights - Just 20 minutes a day of lifting, three days a week, will help. Harvard research shows that 60 minutes of weight training per week has a greater reduction on waist size than almost any other variable.
8) Eat your biggest meal of the day after you lift - It takes calories to digest food. And researchers at the University of Nevada found that it takes 73% more calories to process that food after a weight-training session than if you hadn't worked out at all! So save those simple carbs to eat after your workout along with some protein and you'll be feeling good!
9) Join a league - Sign up for a sport such as softball, soccer, or even kickball. It'll automatically schedule exercise sessions into your week, and because you're part of a team, you'll have peer pressure that will make sure you keep showing up.
10) Avoid foods that come in a bag or box - Typically, these are highly processed carbs foods that quickly raise blood-sugar levels and shut down your body's ability to burn fat. Gives you those highs of energy and lows also! Keep energy all the time and eat whole unprocessed foods! Get those veggies!
11) Try Sprinting! - All-out sprints with brief periods of rest is the most effective form of cardio for fat loss. Try a 1-to-2 "work-to-rest" ratio. That is, sprint two times longer than you rest. So a good distance to start with is 20 seconds, then rest 40 seconds, then repeat 3-7 times. Feel the fat just burning off!
There you have it. Soon you'll be looking like this!
or 
Not bad eh?
Jordan Gruppen
Your Perpetual Fitness Personal Training
4 Simple Ways To Measure Your Fitness Progress
Are you having trouble seeing if your exercise program is working? Does the scale not show the weight you wanted to lose? Are you never happy with your body?
What can happen sometimes when the progress is slow your mind adjusts to your new body and can't see what progress you've really made. You just keep picking it apart and tearing it down! Some of us have a hard time ever being happy with our bodies. I personally don't think anyone should be totally happy with their body. You should always want a little improvement to keep you on your toes but never obsess about it. Thats what can cause some problems in the long run.
So here are 4 easy ways to see if your Exercise & Nutrition program are working for you.......
1) Try on some clothes. Using how your clothes fit as a measure can be very helpful. Find a size of jeans you are comfortable with—a pair that fits. If they still fit, you know that you haven't gained those extra pounds you've imagined on yourself. If they begin to fit a bit loose, you know you're making progress. Alot of times this can be the most important one especially at the beginning of an exercise program. Since adding a little muscle can take the place of the weight of fat that has been lost. Therefore, not seeing a big change on the scale.
2) Measure you. A slightly more economical option involves an actual tape measure. Taking measurements of different parts of your body, and retaking them at specific intervals for comparison (for example, you can take them every 2 weeks like in Precision Nutrition), can be a fantastic reality check on your path toward acceptance. You might also consider body fat measurements, which can be done with fat calipers or special scales. For the most accurate reading, a full-body water weighing is the best. Taking these measurements at the same intervals can really tell you how you are doing and if your program is working for you.
3) Take Some Pics. Having your picture taken can be hell for many of us, but this can be a big shocker. You need to realize no one is going to see these but you. The idea is to take a picture of yourself wearing the same thing. Something that shows a good amount of your body is usually the best choice, but just make sure you are comfortable with what your doing. Compare your photos and note the progress you've made. If you work hard you will notice a difference. Not only in your body but you face and skin tone.
4) Bulls Eye. There are so many more amazing things to focus on then how your body looks, like how you feel, your loved ones, your fantastic job and even your workouts. Obsessing about your body, either good or bad, can really make you put pressure on yourself. Which add to your stress levels and/or just make you feel insecure. Focus on being healthy, strong, fit, and all the other great things in your life. When your turn your focus on your workouts, and preparing your meals you will find you will lose more weight or achieve the body you want faster then if all you thought about was how you looked. Guaranteed.
If your not happy with the way you look or feel. Change something.
"Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."
What can happen sometimes when the progress is slow your mind adjusts to your new body and can't see what progress you've really made. You just keep picking it apart and tearing it down! Some of us have a hard time ever being happy with our bodies. I personally don't think anyone should be totally happy with their body. You should always want a little improvement to keep you on your toes but never obsess about it. Thats what can cause some problems in the long run.
So here are 4 easy ways to see if your Exercise & Nutrition program are working for you.......
1) Try on some clothes. Using how your clothes fit as a measure can be very helpful. Find a size of jeans you are comfortable with—a pair that fits. If they still fit, you know that you haven't gained those extra pounds you've imagined on yourself. If they begin to fit a bit loose, you know you're making progress. Alot of times this can be the most important one especially at the beginning of an exercise program. Since adding a little muscle can take the place of the weight of fat that has been lost. Therefore, not seeing a big change on the scale.
2) Measure you. A slightly more economical option involves an actual tape measure. Taking measurements of different parts of your body, and retaking them at specific intervals for comparison (for example, you can take them every 2 weeks like in Precision Nutrition), can be a fantastic reality check on your path toward acceptance. You might also consider body fat measurements, which can be done with fat calipers or special scales. For the most accurate reading, a full-body water weighing is the best. Taking these measurements at the same intervals can really tell you how you are doing and if your program is working for you.
3) Take Some Pics. Having your picture taken can be hell for many of us, but this can be a big shocker. You need to realize no one is going to see these but you. The idea is to take a picture of yourself wearing the same thing. Something that shows a good amount of your body is usually the best choice, but just make sure you are comfortable with what your doing. Compare your photos and note the progress you've made. If you work hard you will notice a difference. Not only in your body but you face and skin tone.
4) Bulls Eye. There are so many more amazing things to focus on then how your body looks, like how you feel, your loved ones, your fantastic job and even your workouts. Obsessing about your body, either good or bad, can really make you put pressure on yourself. Which add to your stress levels and/or just make you feel insecure. Focus on being healthy, strong, fit, and all the other great things in your life. When your turn your focus on your workouts, and preparing your meals you will find you will lose more weight or achieve the body you want faster then if all you thought about was how you looked. Guaranteed.
If your not happy with the way you look or feel. Change something.
"Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."
Visualize Clearly and Often - The Body You Want
Visualize Clearly and Often - Design your new body in your mind first. You cannot achieve your idea of the perfect body if you don't have an idea of what the perfect body means to you. Take 10 minutes when you are sure not to be disturbed by people or phone calls, get comfortable, fully relax, and then begin to dream about what you will look like when you have achieved your goal. Be specific, what will your calves look like, your legs, your butt, your lower back, your stomach, your chest, your upper back, your shoulders, your neck and your face. Review this image when it's time to workout and your not feeling up to it. Review this image when you just don't want to push any harder during your workouts. Review this image when it's time to make some food........You'll find you will start turning into that image.........
Kettlebell Swing To Burn Away Fat!
The Kettlebell Swing!
Great for Cardio & Burning Fat! Tightens those glutes with every swing!
Jordan Gruppen
Your Perpetual Fitness Personal Training
Exercise For Results
Research from the University of Wyoming has said that it takes 5 hours of exercise each week to make any real body composition resuls. In a survery of around 1,000 people they concluded that people were unhappy with how they look or feel if they worked out less then 5 hours a week. Exact opposite for those that workout more then 5 hours. They tend to feel happier and more content with the way they look and feel.
In another reasearch that was basic about people wee gaining weight and those who were losing. It was found that the ones who were gaining averaged less then 20 min a day exercising. The ones who were losing were exercising an average of 80 min a day.
Because of that reasearch you should look to get to around 5 hours a exercise a week. That may seem like a lot to some of you and may seem like little to others. Remember this, Americans spend an average of 28 hours a week watching TV. 28? Are you joking? No, this is true and it's sad.
No matter what you do for work, play etc. Your demanding schedule can always make time for exercise. I've seen it done in very busy peoples lives, business owners, CEO's, Professional athletes, and a mom of 7! It can be done you just need to demand it out of yourself. It's a choice, a mindset. If you want to exercise you will.
Just make sure you make EVERY workout count and 5 hours is plenty.
(source The Metabolism Advantage)
In another reasearch that was basic about people wee gaining weight and those who were losing. It was found that the ones who were gaining averaged less then 20 min a day exercising. The ones who were losing were exercising an average of 80 min a day.
Because of that reasearch you should look to get to around 5 hours a exercise a week. That may seem like a lot to some of you and may seem like little to others. Remember this, Americans spend an average of 28 hours a week watching TV. 28? Are you joking? No, this is true and it's sad.
No matter what you do for work, play etc. Your demanding schedule can always make time for exercise. I've seen it done in very busy peoples lives, business owners, CEO's, Professional athletes, and a mom of 7! It can be done you just need to demand it out of yourself. It's a choice, a mindset. If you want to exercise you will.
Just make sure you make EVERY workout count and 5 hours is plenty.
(source The Metabolism Advantage)