Signature 1.5 Launch!

This last weekend we held our first ever Signature Launch!  This event was to showcase our Sig Memberships that include Personal Training, Small Groups, TRX, HIIT, Kinesis, Yoga, and MORE!!!  We love our training staff and want to thank everyone who participated!  Here's a little video recap!

The Burpee

Exercise Review by Travis Girard

The dreaded burpee!! One of the most feared exercises by clients, and one of the most utilized bodyweight exercises used by trainers. This challenging exercise uses almost every muscle in the body, making it a calorie incinerator! Are you doing it correctly to get the most calorie burn for your buck?

Let’s take a stroll down memory lane and see where this exercise got its roots:

The burpee, also known as the squat thrust, is a full body exercise used in strength training and as aerobic exercise. It is performed in four steps, and was originally known as a "four-count Burpee":

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the exercise was named in the 1930s for American physiologist Royal H. Burpee, who developed the Burpee test. He earned a PhD in Applied Physiology from Columbia University in 1940 and created the "Burpee" exercise as part of his PhD thesis as a quick and simple way to assess fitness. The exercise was popularized when the United States Armed Services adopted it as a way to assess the fitness level of recruits when the US entered WWII. Consisting of a series of the exercises performed in rapid succession, the test was meant to be a quick measure of agility, coordination and strength. 

Now you know!

How do I perform a Burpee?

1. Begin in a standing position.

2. Drop into a squat position with your hands on the ground. (count 1)

3. Extend your feet back in one quick motion to assume the push-up position. (count 2)

4. Return to the squat position in one quick motion. (count 3)

5. Return to standing position. (count 4)

Variations:

A common CrossFit variation is to require your pelvis to touch the ground or the Burpee does not count.  Another common variation is to add a maximum vertical jump as you return to standing position.

Application:

Start with 3 sets of 10 Burpees to build cardiovascular tolerance.

Extreme: One of the grueling original applications the military used with the Burpee was the “Burpee Mile” where the participant would perform a Burpee followed by a broad jump, until the person traveled one mile.

Wake Up Your Oatmeal.

Anne at FANNEtasticFood.com

Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal
Ingredients
1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
1/2 cup skim milk
1 ripe banana, sliced
2 dashes cinnamon
1/4 cup pureed canned pumpkin
1 dash ground cloves
1 dash ground nutmeg
Handful frozen blueberries (optional)

Directions
1. Put the oats, milk, sliced banana, and cinnamon into a small pot on the stove.
2. Stir continuously over medium high heat for about 5 minutes, or until the mixture gets thick and creamy (and starts bubbling). Stir in the frozen blueberries now, if you like.
3. Turn down heat to medium low and add the canned pumpkin and a dash each of ground cloves and ground nutmeg.
4. Serve hot and enjoy!

A lot of our members are eating oatmeal right now. So, just when you think you can’t eat another bowl, how about spicing it up a bit. And think of all the great vitamins and minerals you’re getting with the addition of the Pumpkin and Blueberries!!

Enjoy, 

Darcy

Darcy West BA, ACSM, HFS
Personal Trainer

Gold's Gyms of the Wenatchee Valley
509.663.4965 (Wenatchee) & 509.884.4965 (East Wenatchee)

The Perfect Day of Eating

Will this be your best day ever? Or your beastliest? What you put in your mouth will have a lot to do with the answer. Food can help fuel body and mind to ensure that you perform at the peak of your abilities. Or it can sabotage your best efforts, leaving you panicked, drained, and floundering. Are you eating your way to disaster, or triumph? Let's go through your daily menu of foods and tasks to help you snack, slurp, and sup your way to success.

6:43am -

You've just rolled out of bed. You need to be on the road by 7:20. Big day of work ahead.

Eat This: Bacon or ham and fried eggs
Benefit 1: Fullness and energy
The protein in this power meal will keep you feeling full throughout the morning. A University of Illinois study found that people who eat more protein and less carbs than in conventional meals find it easier to stick to a diet. Protein is satiating and may also boost calorie burn, the study authors say.

Benefit 2: Relaxed blood vessels
When you digest eggs, protein fragments are produced that can prevent your blood vessels from narrowing—which may help keep your blood pressure from rising. In fact, Canadian scientists found in a lab study that the hotter the eggs, the more potent the proteins, and frying them sends their temps soaring.

Not That: Pancakes, or a bagel with cream cheese
These carbohydrate-loaded options will send your blood glucose skyward, and you may feel ready to tackle anything. But don't be fooled: That soaring blood sugar will lead to a crash, and you're bound to feel hungry again before lunch. Resist the tempting ease of most high-carb breakfasts, and go find some protein.

Extra tip: Eat now at home, not later on the road. A University of Massachusetts study found that eating breakfast out instead of at home more than doubles your odds of obesity. Not only are restaurant meals often bigger than home-cooked ones, but you're also vulnerable to an impulse buy at a drive-thru or convenience store.

7:37a -

You're caught in stop-and-go traffic. Figures it'd happen on the day you need to arrive early to prepare for the big meeting.

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