Workouts

Here we are 2 weeks into the New Year! How are you doing with maintaining your goals? Watch this segment with WBTV Anchor Kristin Miranda as we talk about ways to stay focused! Then watch Mandi Miller owner of Got What It Cakes Cakery as she demonstrates some surge exercises!

The Real You In 42 21 Days To Create The Habit 21 Days To Keep The Habit Fitness, Nutrition and Goal Setting Everything you need to get you into your best health in just 42 days without leaving your home. Find out how hundreds have gotten into their best health ever with the Mind Body Motivation system created by Chris Bryan. This program is made for all fitness levels, if you want to be in your best health both physically and mentally this is the program for you. No excuses. If you want it, this is how you can get it! To find out more on how you can order this program soon, enter your name and email to the right side of this page and we’ll send you all the info you need! Make It Happen! Know The Goal!

On the morning of Sunday May 17th my alarm went off at 4:42 am.  I woke up with an incredible amount of energy and focus, along with that feeling of unexpected nerves. I was about to participate in my first ever triathlon and while I felt confident in my preparation, having never attended a competitive event such as this, still brought some extra focus.  I always say you don’t know what you don’t know, so even when thinking you’re ready you’re bound to find some new challenges!  When I arrived, passing rows of cars with athletes outside prepping their gear, I got so pumped up, I knew I was meant to be there, and the first thing I noticed was how friendly everyone was.  It was as if everyone was familiar with the 3 foot rule in sales, if someone comes within 3 feet of you, you say hello, and for me being a motivator of people, was the coolest thing, I’m a big fan of saying hi! Got my packet, my race chip and was greeted by a good friend and one of the reasons I decided to train for tri’s my friend Stephen, and he was just as pumped up as I was!  Stephen and his wife Lucy are truly a bada$$ couple, training hard to race the Augusta Tri in September which is far longer than what we were running Sunday.  You may have remembered me talking in earlier blogs about Lucy and her awesome story of survival.  If you’re looking to follow someone go see her blog at Life with Lucy, guaranteed to find some motivation to be a butt kicker at life, click the link and see for yourself! As we approached the water, nerves were high, but people just as friendly, giving high fives and pumping each other up.  First wave was off, into the open water, then the second wave, and then my turn! I knew the water would be a challenge, and about 20 feet out, I realized it was going to be more than that.  I literally got run over, I was water level and then someone came right up over my back and I was 4 feet under water, on the way up I must have drank a half gallon of water, then came a kick to the goggles knocking them off filling my eyes with water.  We were out just far enough that I could not touch bottom and I remember thinking WHOA, this is gonna be tough! I regained composure and went back after the swim.  No lying, I was so tired half way out that I remember thinking, wow I could totally die right now, I rolled over on to my back and started kicking to catch my breath.  A lady in a kayak hollered my way, ARE YOU OK?  Being far enough away that I knew she wouldn’t hear me I kindly yelled back ” Even if I wasn’t you would be too far away to save me” waving my hand so she knew I didn’t need a hand.  I then made a pit stop half way there, grabbed the dock for a minute, talked to some staff, told them to keep an eye on me as I swam to finish the leg. Coming out of the water was a relief, and once I stepped out, I felt great, I was wide awake and ready for the rest of this amazing journey! The bike was tough, an event I quickly learned I will need more help with.  One after the other passing me by in what appeared to be a seamless cadence and the wizzing sound going by, along with their friendly voices saying “you’re doing great, keep going”  again just so cool to feel the comradery amongst athletes.  Along the way on the side of the road, I actually saw and old friend and fellow yoga instructor Shane P who lives along the route and was just chilling out front, it was a good laugh and helped to keep me motivated. Once the bike was done came my strongest event the run, a simple 5k, but how simple after a swim and ride we were about to find out.  When I compete in timed events, I dig deep, I think of those that we’ve lost too soon, those that if they were here wouldn’t let the burning pain and fatigue slow them down, they give me an amazing mental strength, I run for them and I know they’re looking down giving me the support I need. I went after the run, and I passed every person I saw in front of me, all the people that passed me on the bike, and as I did, I returned the same motivational courtesy, YOU CAN DO IT, FINISH STRONG! I missed my goal time by just over 2 minutes, but the real goal was just to finish and I did, I finished strong, and learned more at that one event than I had in 2 months of training. All in all, if you’re considering it, I say do it.  You’ll meet great people, you’ll become the most fit you’ve been, and most of all you will learn a lot about yourself and what you’re made of. It was a hard 97 minutes but I loved every minute of it, so much so that I’m running my next on June 13th in Charlotte NC!  Back to training!  Stay tuned I’ll keep you posted on progress! Challenge yourself everyday!  Fight to be your best! ‘Know The Goal’

The warm weather rolls in and we slowly start to come out of the winter hibernation rut that has kept us away from our passion to run!  As the flowers and trees bloom new life and the energy of the sun hits us we become energized and look to be active outdoors!  My favorite time of year! As your trainer I have to remind you to not jump right into your old running routine without taking care of the few essentials to be sure it is a safe and healthy running season for you!  Running can be hard on the body if not done correctly so here are my top 3 ways to get yourself started!  Whether you’re new to running or have been running for years, these 3 to-do’s are key to making this your best running year yet! 1. Start Smart:  What are you wearing on your feet?  This is the most common question I’m asked by readers, “how often do I change shoes?” and while the answers can differ from person to person, anywhere from 3 months to 5 months if you’re using them often is a safe bet.  Don’t skimp on the sneakers, if your soles lack support, it can lead to lower back pain, knee pain and other injuries.  The support of your sneaker is very important and I always recommend seeing your local running specialist store so that they can check your gait, record your stride on video and let you know what your foot is doing (pronate – supinate) so that your shoe insures your safety.  If you’ve been following me, and live in Charlotte NC, definitely go see the guys at Charlotte Running Company  you can click that link to see their locations, but they’ll do this foot, stride, shoe analysis free of charge and you’re guaranteed to learn a lot!  They have a huge selection of my favorite brand running sneakers Brooks and a lot of different styles and colors like the ones shown in the picture which are my running shoe of choice the Brooks Adrenaline GTS 15.   2. Where and When:  If you have not been running for a while, it’s not a great idea to jump back into your 6 mile or more jaunt.  Lets see how the body is feeling, start of with 1 or 2 miles on your first day, just to get your feet back under you as the saying goes.  Give your shins a chance to feel the impact of the ground, so that they can heel up, be stronger and get you ready for the season.  A great idea is to write out a schedule of runs to help you stay focused.  Maybe start with 2 miles, wait a day and increase gradually.  Figure out your long run goal of the year, and work up toward it, so that when that day comes you are strong and you’re ready!  Choose a good place to run, not a busy road with no side walks.  If you can find a dirt running track, go with that, if you’re in the Charlotte NC ara there are some great runs, the Ballantyne Greenway, and McAlpine Park are two of my favorite places! Finally pick a good time.  The hours of 11 to 4 may be more challenging come summer time.  It will hot and humid.  If you can go early, or even as the sun starts to set, you’ll be in great conditions. 3.  Why?  Have you thought about training for a specific race?  This is a great way to stay focused and to work toward a goal.  The race does not have to be competitive, in fact I highly recommend getting some friends together to all run a race for charity.  They are always such a great time, 100’s sometimes 1000’s of people getting together for a cause, I get goose bumps just typing about it because they can be so rewarding.  Stay tuned for some upcoming posts on races that I’ll be attending to run for a cause, and if I can meet you there, I’d love for you to say hi! There you go, three easy ways to find your stride as you begin your running journey!  Running is a life long journey, a true marathon of a sport, no matter if you run 1 mile or 90 miles, take in the moment, enjoy the challenge, enjoy the scenery, and most important, make it fun! ‘Know The Goal’  

The biggest reason for becoming educated as a runner is to ensure long term health so that we can enjoy this form of exercise into our old age. There are SO many injuries that can arise from improper running form and the point is always to get healthy not hurt. When giving thought to any possible negative  effects running could have, one of the first thoughts that came to mind was how can we protect our feet? For me the perfect shoe was the Brooks Adrenaline GTS 15 because of the perfect combination of substantial support and premium cushioning for a dependable and unbelievably smooth ride when on all types of surface.  A lot went into finding the perfect shoe, and now I’ll bring you through the important process. To find out how important the correct shoe can be I decided to ask an expert, someone who could give us the facts, and who better to do that than the owner of The Charlotte Running Company Donny Forsyth.   I made a visit and have to say the service  I got was way above average, just a few minutes in I was already happy that I made the choice to make the visit.  As a fitness trainer there were certain questions I wanted to be asked and Donny delivered on all of them.  He asked the important questions, did I have any health issues or injuries, did I have experience running, and was I running for a particular reason. I informed him that I was unfamiliar in a lot of areas of running and that I was going to train for a half marathon that is being held in six weeks.  He replied, “six weeks, half marathon, really?” Lol, yup, you got it, no time to waste! What we did next was the most impressive part for me. We discussed a few important factors to consider when finding the correct shoe.   He set me up on  a treadmill that had a camera placed behind it, so that he could see how my foot was landing and if there was any serious pronating or supinating.  I asked what this assessment would cost and he answered ‘nothing at all, we do this for all of our customers”. We continued and compared my stride from one shoe to another on a split screen until we came to the conclusion that my foot did pronate slightly and this would be the key factor in determining what type of shoe would be best for my foot.   Then came the fun part,  trying on about a half dozen different pairs looking to find what I found to be the most comfortable.  We tried on sneakers from a few different manufacturers, we covered what the differences were, how each one was manufactured with a specific purpose.  All these years, I just picked out a shoe, never thinking about the differences between the foam and gel and how it affects our foot and posture.   There were two points made that I believe are important for all of us to know. The first point is knowing what your foot is doing, does it pronate or supinate?  More importantly does in overpronate,  or oversupinate.  If it does than the condition can lead to Plantar Fasciitis, Achilles Tendonitis, Shin Splints, Hip Pain, Lower Back Pain as well as other ailments that can certainly make or break your running career. Second what I found interesting and want you to keep in mind is that when getting your running sneaker you may want to consider getting a half size larger than your normal size.   As we run our feet will swell, so if our shoe starts tight in the beginning of the run we’re sure to have some serious discomfort within just a few miles. So step one in becoming a runner is making sure we know about the most important part of running anatomy the feet.  Protect the feet because we use them all day everyday and if you’re running in shoes that are going to hurt your physical abilities then its just not worth it.  Don’t risk the chance of injury, definitely go and see a running specialist, if you’re in Charlotte go visit one of The Charlotte Running Companies four locations, you can see their website and locations by clicking here. As mentioned earlier The Shoe That Fits, is this beauty. Brooks Adrenaline GTS 15.  Some key product points that differentiate this shoe from all others on the market are: These sneakers can be found for only $120 at www.brooksrunning.com, a very affordable price considering they’ll keep you  healthy! Not only were they the perfect fit, but the color combo’s are great too, but hey, we’re wearing these to be healthy not fashionable! Fashion comes on our next blog post when we speak to friend and fitness blogger Lucy Parker Randall.  She’s got some really great information for all of us on what we want to consider when choosing our running clothing as well as some cool insight into the latest technologies in fashion! What type of sneakers do you prefer, what have your experiences been, have you ever seen your stride on the big screen? I want to hear from you, help me on this journey of becoming a healthy educated runner!

As we start to look at the changes we want in our life it’s important that we realize one thing… Change only happens if… WE MAKE IT HAPPEN We meaning I in my case and we meaning YOU in your case. I recently wrote about the 2 year anniversary of my 90 Day Health Transformation and the response I got from so many people was truly touching.  There were a lot of “congratulations I’m inspired” to “how in the world did you last 90 days”. It was not easy, but it was not impossible.  Here’s an example of how changing perspective of WHY we are doing something can make change less difficult. I had a conversation with a friend just the other day and she mentioned her “love” for frappuccino and how it’s a part of her daily routine which helps with the sanity aspect of life, but is also the biggest thing that may keep her from her health goal.  I get it, we all have them, and when it’s a part of your routine, it can be tough to even think about letting go of. My response was this, as she was holding her baby tight to her chest. If I told you giving up Frappuccino for 90 days would ensure that your baby would remain healthy would you do it? No hesitation at all… YES! Of course you would, because you gave yourself a WHY.  So many times we are willing to go to great lengths for others, but not for ourselves.  When I did my 90 days, during month 2 friends would tell me, “Chris you can have a vodka soda, it’s low calorie, it won’t affect your body as much”. Sure they were right, buuuuuuuuut they were wrong. I wrote down a goal, a plan, and I signed the paper committing to finish the full 90 days. So maybe if the paper I signed said I could have vodka soda in month two I may have hit my goal, but it didn’t and the reason we stay committed to anything is to show ourselves that if we want something bad enough, all we have to do is follow the plan. WITH DISCIPLINE EVERYTHING IS POSSIBLE Here’s how we start.  We write down on a piece of paper four things. What we want to change: For me it was to get under 10% body fat and be in my best health for my B-Day! For you it may be eat healthier, to build muscle,  to lose body body fat, or to just be happier with yourself! Why we want to change: For me it was to prove to clients that when you put your mind to something and commit to a goal you truly can achieve anything you want in life. For you it may be because Heart Disease runs in the family, or to avoid Diabetes, or maybe for your children to have  a great role model who can exercise with them! When we want to change:  For me it was 90 days, not an entire lifetime and it was worth it because I wanted it. For you it may be a life long change, maybe there’s not a specific time you want to do, but either way set small goals with a timeline so you can measure your success How we will make change happen:  For me this was the plan, the single things I was going to commit to in order to work toward that goal, and I said all along, even if I didn’t hit the goal, so what, I was going to stay committed to my plan to prove that I do have some control over my life in a world where we do not control much. For you, this is the same, the same for all of us.  We must break down our large goal into smaller actions that can get us there.  That’s all this is.  Small Actions that lead to a greater result! So that’s how you can do it.  Start to think about it today.  We have our 6 week program starting April 12^th, make your when the 6 weeks, commit to the things you know will help you get to your goal.  Give this some good thought, and make no mistake about it, six weeks of commitment looks a lot easier on paper than it is to do in real life. Think hard, write it down, sign your name on the commitment line, and MAKE IT HAPPEN! The 6 Week Summer Shape Up is the perfect time to do it! ‘Know The Goal’ CB

Starting 2015 strong! Fox 46 Good Day Carolinas New Years Day segment.

You’re ready, you’re excited, you see all of the great changes you want to make, nothing is going to stop you! Then…. Life happens. Things get busy and we get side tracked. Here’s a 21 day jump start to help you create some good healthy habits that will get you to your goal! Follow this cheat sheet, and print it out to help you keep focused.  Then look below the cheat sheet for links to different reference point you will need!   Click Here To Calculate How Many Calories You Will Need Click Here To See The 7 Day Liver Fat Flush Drink Click Here To See 21 Day Goal Setting Plan Click Here To See 21 Days Of Good Eating Habits                              

The easiest and most efficient way to find success in life is to have a goal. A goal leads to a plan, and during your 1st 21 days of creating a habit you will want to have specific goals and targets! Often times we try to create too many goals at once and we lose focus. Follow these easy steps to help create your goals! WRITE DOWN (yes capitalized for a reason) all of your goals for the next 21 days. We’re going for accountability and if you see it, and read it, you’ll remember it making it much easier to stay on track! Write 3 goals that you want to achieve over the next 6 months, one Health Goal, one Professional Goal, on Personal Goal. Lets break these down quickly. Health Goal – How much weight you want to gain, or lose over the next 6 months. Then write what you’re willing to do to make that happen. For example, I will lose 20 pounds in 6 months, by working out 3 times per week, and following my healthy eating guidelines! Professional Goal – If you’re working, are you working toward something? What do you want achieve, where do you wan to be in your professional life, how do you have to study to get there, what do you have to do to make that happen? For example, I want to reach this position in my company to get this raise and I am going to do 1,2,3 things to make sure I’m on the right path. Personal Goal – This one my is the closest to your heart. What do you want to see change in your personal life, maybe its stronger family relationships, or friendships? Maybe its to achieve something physically, like a 5k race, a half marathon, or just working out with friends consistently! Your first task toward your best 21 days is to KNOW THE GOAL Write down something for each of these goals. You must always be working toward something if you want to be your best, and you must know what it is you want to achieve. Write It Down!!!

Lets talk about the great debate of which is a more effective exercise for losing weight, running or weight training. Before we start lets differentiate ‘losing weight’ and ‘burning body fat’ You see both running and weight training play an important role in how we lose weight, what kind of weight we lose, and also how we maintain that weight loss. All weight loss occurs through caloric burn, so to lose weight or get thinner in body, we must burn more calories then we consume. If you’re curious how many calories you’re burning without exercise, and then how many you need to burn to get to your desired weight loss goal, be sure to read my blog CALCULATE YOUR BMR AND CALORIES So, which is better for burning calories during your workout running or strength training? As far as burning calories goes, during your exercise, running definitely has the upper hand. How many calories you burn is based on your weight and how fast you’re running, but for example, a 140 pound person running a 10 minute mile will burn on average 640 calories in 60 minutes. When it comes to weight training we do burn calories, a 140 pound person will on average burn around 250 calories during a 60 minute workout. If you were to participate in the popular style of fitness referred to as High Intensity Interval Training ‘HIIT’ which is a high intensity weight training program, that same 140 pound person would burn on average around 400 calories in a 60 minute workout. As we can see, during the 60 minute workout, we will burn more calories running at a good pace then we will strength training and this is why we seem to get skinnier from running. Weight training builds muscle, and in order for the body to maintain muscle tissue it must burn calories. As a result, weight training will lead to us burning more calories throughout the day. Muscle will also help you keep the weight from coming back because that muscle will always need energy ‘calories’ to sustain its current size. All in all, do both, or incorporate a HIIT High Intensity Interval Training program, which includes weight training at a high intensity and fast pace, helping you to achieve both results in one. Running will help you burn more calories to help you lose weight, and strength training will build the muscle you need to keep the body fat from coming back! Everything we’ve talked about here also revolves around your nutrition plan. It’s the combination of both your fitness and your meal plan that will help you achieve the desired success you’re looking for! If you’re looking to learn more about food and what to eat, be sure to download my free e-book The Power Of Food! You can download it to the right of this page.