I returned yesterday from a ski trip to Park City, Utah.  This was my second ski trip ever.  So I now have officially 6 days of skiing logged.  Learning new skills is humbling.  Yet at the same time it’s great to be a beginner.  Let’s review some highlights.

Friday – Deer Valley Ski Resort

We stayed ski in / ski out literally about 150 ft from the nearest chair lift.
Got on the skis early a.m and managed to not fall in line for the first 100 ft.  Bonus.

The first day actually overall was fair to good.  I was surprised how much I remembered from last year.  Actually felt a little more natural.

My mother-in-law coined a new phrase that will be used from now on to describe epic wipe-outs…

“Yard-Sale” = defying gravity while dislodging skis and poles and realizing why wearing a helmet is fantastic idea.  Crash and burn.  Laughing is mandatory.

Friday Highlight:  12-year old after watching me “yard sale”

Kid:  “Hey mister, are you OK?”  (stopping for a short 5 seconds before he continues to shred the run)
Me:  laughing… “yeah man”

You know it’s a great wipe-out when you’ve got kids asking if you’re ok

Saturday – The Canyons Ski Resort

Now it’s time to do some blacks.  Trees are an interesting obstacle when stopping ability is not yet a priority.

I kept doing the same run over and over to work on turning in moguls in between trees and falling in powder.  The landings weren’t hard, just frustrating after the 12th time.

New motto:  “If you’re not fallin’ then you’re not pushin’ hard enough.”

Well I must have been pushin’… A LOT.

Saturday Highlight:  late 40-something female getting drilled in the back by the chairlift and then ending up riding with my brother-in-law up the lift.
She and my brother in-law.
One Chair ahead = her friend
Two Chairs ahead = yours truly and my sister-in-law.

Small talk all the way to the top.

Dismounting the lift…she hesitantly says a couple of things to me (remember I am working on Black Diamonds)

Lady:  “You fell a lot on that last run…are you OK?”
Me:  “Yes I’m fine…did he tell you that it’s only my 5th day skiing in my life?”
Lady:  “Yes you’re doing very well for that.”
Me:  (maintaining my inside voice) at least I can get on a chairlift :/

Sunday – The Canyons Ski Resort

Final day.  Back to skiing over my head.
Managed to fall A LOT in the course of 3 days without getting hurt until…
yes, the LAST / FINAL run of the day.
Tired.  Snowing.  Going too fast (theme of the weekend).
Got my pole stuck under my ski while cruising down the run.
Yanked my pole so hard…

Sunday Highlight:  Punched myself in the face leaving the entire left side of my jaw swollen chipmunk-style.

6 Days of skiing down.  Numerous to go.

Weekend Summary:

Bite off more than you can chew and … CHEW IT!

Crank it!
B-Rad

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Grip N Rip 2.0 Saturday Feb 6, 2010 co-taught with partner in crime Adam T. Glass.

There’s a New Kid on the Block and he’s “Hangin’ Tough”

Sometimes I wonder how and why certain people cross my life path.  At this point in my journey, I understand there are zero coincidences.  When you cross my path for whatever reason, I will make sure to let you in on that thought stream.  Whether it resonates with you at that specific moment in time and what you do with that encounter will be left to your free will.

There is something about gathering open minds and the open forum synergy it creates.  The world is changing.  Adaptation is taking place…Learn to adapt or be forced to adapt.  Weekends like this are indescribable in a blog post and that’s why you need to attend.

Fourteen brave souls entered my private lab at 1000 hours eager, excited, nervous.  A few from the Twin Cities proper.  Most from different area codes.  The actual workshop ended at 6:30pm.  Yet the material absorbed and implemented will change these 14 people (and myself and Adam) included forever.

Where else can you bring together…

a medical company worker
a lawyer
a barber
a programmer
an IT analyst
a railroad worker
a pipe layer
a construction company owner
a machinist
a sex offender case worker
a ski instructor
a communications professor
a guy with off-the-charts Tourette’s
a guy who elects getting punched in the face a couple times per week
an E6 Air Force Sergeant
and myself who has seen the tip of the iceberg in my 11 year+ fitness industry stint

…and have everyone feeling like they just were struck with a lightning bolt?

Your belief systems (positive or negative) are the driving force in your life.  They determine EVERYTHING.  Are your belief systems serving you?  Question “authority.”

The ONLY thing this weekend could rival is a Monster Truck Showdown.

Why a Monster Truck Showdown?  Because the reverberation felt around the training world sounds like the Monster Truck announcer in that deep announcer voice growling “Sunday-Sunday-Sundaayyy!”

Crank it!
B-Rad

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I have a beef.  And it has to do with a VERY popular TV show which claims to help obese people lose weight.  Buckle up…

vs.

“I PITY the fool who believes these two…” –>

I watch ONE episode of the Biggest Loser per year.  Any more than that and I tend to throw up in my mouth which doesn’t exactly satisfy my taste buds.

Why do I have such disdain for the Biggest Loser?

10 Beefs With the Biggest Loser

10 Ridiculous Challenges…

You have avoided all forms of movement for years.
You are 43, 53, 78, 143, 235 lbs overweight.
Now let’s take you out and run 20 degree incline hill sprint repeats for an hour.
I have no idea how you just created a stress fracture in your foot in the first 10 min on an exercise program.

9 UNREAListic weight loss…

Is it unhealthy for someone to lose 25lbs in ONE week?  A better question…is it healthy to weigh over 400lbs.  Not so much.  It’s NOT about shedding the fat…it’s about KEEPING IT OFF!

8 Horrific exercise technique…

You’ve seen my rant on Jillian’s kettlebell technique.  It’s not just about kettlebells.  It’s about everything they do on that show.  There is bunk technique on almost every exercise they choose to show…boxing anyone?

7 Bunk Training Methods…

Pushing yourself to failure every workout is a surefire way to stay fat.  Fat is a function of hormone production in response to threat.  Going to failure produces threat.  Threat produces Cortisol.  Cortisol produces fat.  Jillian wrote a book on this and she still isn’t getting it right.

6 Doctors and Psychologists behind the scenes…

Supposedly there are doctors monitoring the Biggest Loser contestants’ training programs.  I’m sure they do exist because of liability.  I would like to meet them and ask them how much they are getting paid.  Psychologists.  They have to have them behind the scenes.  When someone is more than 100lbs overweight, it is outside the scope of food and exercise.  There is an underlying mental block that is manifesting bodyfat in order to “protect” that person from that same mental block.

5 Personal Chef…

They have chefs on this show that cook EXACT portions and EXACT food (healthy) that the contestants want.  Do YOU have a personal chef?

4 Planted sales pitches...

The show is becoming a pitch fest.  Is Wrigley’s Gum really going to control your appetite?  uh, no.

3 Bob and Jillian are LAME trainers…

I know the producers of the show are in control of portraying Bob and Jillian the way they want to.  But they could still control A LOT of variables when it comes to exercise selection and also exercise technique.
Nitro could do better   Check out Nitro’s favorite exercise…  click here

2 Focus Weight Loss vs. Body Composition change…

This is definitely BIGGEST rant peeve.  Ladies…  does it matter if you weight 180lbs if you fit in a size 4 jeans?  No.  STOP FOCUSING ON THE SCALE!!!!!!!!  The Biggest Loser has YOU focusing on the scale instead of the way your clothes fit.  You WANT to look better naked.  You must tone and maybe even build some muscle in order to look better naked.  Losing weight and leaving loose skin behind IS NOT looking better naked.  It’s looking more like a clothes rack.

1 UnREALity TV… UNREAListic Results…

12 weeks.  Lose 200lbs.  Possible?  yes.  We’ve seen it done.  Probable?  No.  Keep it off?  HELL NO.  I am going to guess that 90% of the previous Biggest Loser contestants have gained a lot of if not ALL of their weight back.  So what did 12 weeks of suffering teach them about lifestyle behavior modication?  ZERO.  and ZERO is a whole lot of NOTHING!  Bottom-line is this is Television Drama.  Let’s revisit…

vs.

“I PITY the fool who believes this TV show…” –>

***Hey, if the Biggest Loser “inspires” you to get off your ass and change your life…word.  Just make sure you find someone to hold you accountable and to keep you going when results aren’t happening as fast as you would like them to .***

Seek out the advice of a professional who has a proven track record of Fat Loss RESULTS.
In Minneapolis?  Check out http://RADBootCamp.com

Crank it!
B-Rad

P.S.  What do you think?  Leave your comments below!

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Nitro – Lame Exercise #19 – The Body Bar

Nitro would have to perform 3,248 reps with a body bar per session to build his legs with a body bar!

Crank it!
B-Rad

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Nitro – Lame Exercise #18 -Standing Leg Curls

Standing Leg Curls are good for one thing: Kicking old ladies in the shin standing in line at the grocery store.  Who would want to do such a thing?

Crank it!
B-Rad

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Nitro – Lame Exercise #17 -the Grip Ball

The Grip Ball is a lame substitute for real “kettle ball” workout.

Crank it!
B-Rad

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RAD Boot Camp Body Transformation Challenge II…

WINNERS!!

1st Place – 6 Months Unlimited Classes

Jen Olson

-20.25 inches
-14.2 lbs
-1 jean size  6-8 to 4-6
-3.7% body fat

2nd Place – 3 Months Unlimited Classes

Sherry Osland

-20.5 inches
-24 lbs
-2 jean size  16 to 12
-4.2% body fat

3nd Place – 1 Month Unlimited Classes

Vicki Goulette

-14.75 inches
-16.2 lbs
-1 jean size  14 to 12
-6.5% body fat

Here are the results overall from everyone else in alphabetical order…

Tracy Berg
-7.75 inches
-1 lbs
-2 jean sizes
-2.5% body fat

Nicole Danielsen
-9.25 inches
-12.6 lbs
-2 jean sizes
-4.1% body fat

Muhaz Fisseha
-2.75 inches
-3 lbs

Laura Garcia
-9.25 inches
-2.6 lbs
-1 jean size
-1.4% body fat

Jamie Goulette
-8.75 inches
-35.8 lbs
-1 jean size
-2.6% body fat

Michelle Hanson
-3.25 inches
-2.8 lbs
-.4% body fat

Jen Hellerud
-1.25 inches
-4 lbs
-1 jean size
-1% body fat

John Joran
-4.75 inches
-1.9 lbs
-2.9% body fat

Dan Lang
-15.25 inches
-25 lbs
-2 jean sizes
-3% body fat

Shelley Lillie
-2 inches
-1.2 lbs
-1 jean size
-.3% body fat

Laura Lusson
-7.5 inches
-7.8 lbs
-1 jean size
-2.4% body fat

Jeanne McGrath
-13 inches
-9.2 lbs
-1 jean size
-3.5% body fat

Ann Mockenhaupt
-9.75 inches
-11.2 lbs
-2 jean size
-.9% body fat

Carolee Mueller
-11 inches
-5 lbs
-1 jean size
-1.5% body fat

Lindsay Preston
-8.5 inches
-7.8 lbs
-1 jean size
-1.7% body fat

Sami Rambosek
-3 inches
-.4 lbs
-2 jean sizes
-3.6% body fat

Donna Ring
-3.25 inches
-1% body fat

Eric Roeske
-8.75 inches
-14.2 lbs
-1 jean size
-3.8% body fat

Molly Roeske
-13 inches
-8.2 lbs
-1 jean size
-4.5% body fat

Nikki Wildman
-8.25 inches
-6 lbs
-1 jean size
-3% body fat

Congrats to ALL who participated in this Challenge!

RAD Boot Camp Body Transformation Challenge III begins…
Monday January 4, 2010.

This time we will run multiple tracks.  We will have 1st / 2nd place male and 1st  / 2nd place female.

Crank it!
B-Rad

P.S. Click the RAD Boot Camp Banner to Begin your ONE-WEEK TRIAL!

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RAD Boot Camp Body Transformation Challenge II saw 65+ compete.  Props to everyone as you put the work in to “upgrade” your body and look better naked.

Here are the finalists…in alphabetical order

Nicole Danielsen

-9.25 inches
-12.6 lbs
-2 jean sizes  10 to 6
-4.1% body fat

Jamie Goulette

-8.75 inches
-35.8 lbs
-1 jean size  38 to 36
-2.6% body fat

Vicki Goulette

-14.75 inches
-16.2 lbs
-1 jean size  14 to 12
-6.5% body fat

Dan Lang

-15.25 inches
-25 lbs
-2 jean sizes
-3% body fat

Jen Olson

-20.25 inches
-14.2 lbs
-1 jean size  6-8 to 4-6
-3.7% body fat

Sherry Osland

-20.5 inches
-24 lbs
-2 jean size  16 to 12
-4.2% body fat

Nikki Wildman

-8.25 inches
-6 lbs
-1 jean size  6 to 4
-3% body fat

ROCK the Vote!

Post your votes like this

1 Sally
2 John
3 Bill

Votes will be tallied and winners announced.

Congrats to ALL who participated in this Challenge!  The next one starts in January!

Crank it!
B-Rad

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Nitro – Lame Exercise #16

Cable Cross-sover Punch and Pull – Are YOU traumatized by the cable crossover?

Crank it!
B-Rad

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Today’s St. Paul RAD Boot Camp Kettlebell Class Spotlight is Muhaz Fisseha.  Muhaz came to us by way of an All-Women’s gym where she was not getting the results she wanted.  Well, we changed that…and THEN SOME.  Check her out!

“I FINALLY got rid of fat on my hips and thighs!”

Body Fat LOST      -6% body fat
Inches LOST         -18 inches
Weight LOST         -11 lbs+
Jean Sizes LOST   -2 jean sizes (4 to a 0)

That’s Right.

Crank it!
B-Rad

P.S.  Get Your 1-Week Complimentary Trial HERE…

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