Month: April 2015

Make Macho Man Proud

You all know that I’m always looking for new sources of protein to add to my daily meal plan. Also, I am really trying to minimize processed ingredients in the food I eat. That is why I was really excited when I picked up the EPIC 100% grass-fed beef bar at Whole Foods recently . I don’t think it will replace my daily protein bar due to the price tag (almost $3) but the taste, ingredients, and protein content will make me buy more in the future. The Epic bar makes slim jims look even more unappetizing than they already are.

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A Week to Remember for ETT

The past 7 days have been somewhat of a whirlwind. The craziness started last week when a buddy of mine asked me if I had any workout plans that would burn a 1000 calories. I told him that I did not, but assured him that I could construct a workout that would allow him to achieve his calorie goal. He came over Tuesday, spent about an hour and 20 minutes in the ETT dojo, burned over 1100 calories, and is now my first official personal training client.

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The next day, I had a coworker who I provide striking training tweet at a local radio personality about ETT’s training system. The radio personality, Carmin from the Mike Calta Show, is participating in a local celebrity boxing match next Saturday. My coworker suggested that Carmin use ETT to help her prepare for her match. She jumped at the idea immediately. I followed up by calling into the show Thursday and spoke on air with Carmin and the host Mike Calta about what type of striking training ETT could provide her. Before I knew it, I had scheduled a training session with Carmin and was able to talk about ETT on a popular local radio station. If that wasn’t crazy enough, I had training sessions with Carmin and the coworker that tweeted her that very day!

IMG_0563The awesomeness didn’t stop there. Today we had one of our best ETT Group Training sessions. The weather was perfect once again and we had the largest group of individuals take part in the workout since it’s inception. I am still reeling a little bit about all the good fortunate that has been heaped upon ETT this week. It has made me realize that ETT is growing into the productive community that I hoped it would. I understand that the positive events that took place this week will most likely not be the norm. I will continue to stay humble and driven to provide everyone with a fitness community that supports them in their quest to live a healthier, happier life. Thanks to all the current members of the ETT community for their continued support and stay tuned for bigger and better things coming from ETT in the near future.

ETT Exercise of the Week Ep. 3

IT’S BACK! The ETT exercise of the week is back and better than ever. We just purchased a brand new Mac desktop here at the ETT compound to assist in all our video production so expect more ETT videos coming your way on a regular basis. This video is a great ETT exercise, which for all you newcomers combines a striking technique with a body weight exercise. ETT exercises are total body exercises that allow you to perfect your striking techniques while you build strength and burn calories. I love incorporating these exercises into my HIIT workouts and they are an essential part of all ETT group training sessions. If you live or are visiting the Tampa Bay Area, you can attend a FREE ETT group training session next Sunday, April 26th. Check out the ETT group training event page on Facebook for more details.

Cannonball with a handle

My favorite piece of workout equipment has to be the kettlebell. Unlike a dumbbell or barbell, the kettlebell’s center of mass is away from the handle which increases the need for coordination by the user. Also, one kettlebell exercise can work multiple muscle groups simultaneously. Even though it is a great piece of workout equipment it can be difficult to master. Check out this article to learn a few tips on how to start training with a kettlebell properly.

Fitness Product Review: DDP Yoga

I really enjoy yoga. Every aspect of it. The holding of poses, the breathing, and dare I say the spirituality of it. The benefits it can provide anyone, even strength athletes, makes it the perfect complement to any workout plan. Yoga and workouts that are centered around yoga can vary in poses, tempo, and even environment (i.e. hot yoga). One variation that I’ve been practicing lately is DDP Yoga, which was created by former pro wrestler Diamond Dallas Page. Unlike the more “traditional” yoga classes I’ve participated in, DDP yoga incorporates more movement into its workouts. It contains a few explosive exercises like punches and knee strikes, but the majority of the movements are slow and deliberate. Page instructs users to employ “dynamic resistance” which involves contracting certain muscles groups while you perform a specific movement. You are essentially working against the resistance created by your own muscles to complete the workout. I enjoy using DDP yoga on my active rest days because it allows me to improve my flexibility and is a great stress reliever. DDP Yoga exercises will most likely not be new to anyone that has participated in yoga before, but it is a great introduction to anyone who is new to the discipline. The best aspect of DDP Yoga is that Page coaches you through all the workouts. He provides modifications to all the exercises for any fitness level and is a great workout instructor. He is able to motivate you to work hard while simultaneously conveying the importance of adjusting the workout to meet your fitness level. I would definitely recommend DDP Yoga to anyone that is interested in incorporating yoga into their current workout plan or someone who has taken a hiatus from exercise and is looking for a workout routine that will help them regain their physical fitness. Check out what Men’s Journal thought about DDP Yoga and let me know what exercises you’re performing on your active rest days. IMG_0492

Too Good to be True

In December, I wrote a post on the ETT Facebook page about the article “Tilapia is worse than Bacon” from eatthis.com. After reading the article, I suggested to followers of the ETT FB page that they avoid farmed raised tilapia and spend their hard-earned dough on quality seafood at the supermarket. Upon further review of several other articles, including one from Berkeley Wellness, it appears that farmed raised tilapia may NOT be as bad as eatthis.com made it out to be. Farmed raised tilapia contains much less omega 3 fatty acids than say wild caught salmon or wild caught tilapia for that matter, but it is still a great source of protein (26 g in a 3.5 oz serving). Also, tilapia farms in the U.S., Canada, and even Central America use sustainable aquaculture practices (which are certified by a third party) unlike some of the Asian farms highlighted in the eatthis.com article, which means you don’t have to worry about dining on a fish that may have been dining on animal waste. The eatthis.com article contains factual data but it appears they may have slanted their reporting of the facts in order to entice bacon lovers like myself. Check out both articles and let know if you plan on purchasing farm raised tilapia the next time you visit the supermarket. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go call my mother and tell her it’s ok to buy tilapia again. . fish-market-marketplace-people-3713

There’s Always Enough Time

Happy Easter everyone! Hope you all are enjoying your holiday. Shannon and I are hosting her parents for Easter brunch, which means we had to do a lot of prep work yesterday in order to get ready. Shannon took on the cooking responsibilities while I tackled the cleaning. By the time we finished all the grocery shopping Saturday afternoon, it was 5pm before we could get to our respective duties. In addition to our late start, I realized I had yet to complete my daily workout. I decided to employ my multitasking abilities and incorporate my workout into cleaning the house. Here’s how I accomplished both tasks simultaneously:

The Clean Sweep Workout (2mins of cleaning followed by an exercise for specified # of reps; repeat till house is clean)

  • Sweep floors/Knee Strikes (50)
  • Vacuum carpets & rugs/Push-ups (25)
  • Swifter floors/Prisoner Squats (25)
  • Clean bathrooms/Jab+Cross (50)

Even though I stopped every 2 minutes to perform an exercise, I was able to complete my cleaning in less than an hour and a half. I also burned 416 calories in the process! That means a few extra cadbury eggs today for yours truly. Hopefully this post helps you realize that you always have opportunities to burn a few extra calories, you just have to look a little harder to find them. Speaking of looking a little harder, I’ve got some eggs to find. Enjoy your holiday!

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Coffee Concoction

The paleo movement has given us many things. It has given us a reason to cook & eat bacon on a regular basis. It has revitalized the career of the sweet potato and has popularized the idea of making your coffee bulletproof.

Coffee that is impervious to bullets? Tell me more!

Bulletproof coffee is a coffee cocktail that claims to burn fat while providing more of an energetic boost with less of the crash associated with regular coffee. What is in this magical drink you ask? The three main ingredients are: high-quality coffee, grass-fed butter and MCT (medium-chain triglycerides) oil. That’s right. It’s coffee with butter and oil in it. I’m sure all the old school coffee drinkers have just stopped reading this post. The Lean Muscle Project analyzed the claims made by bulletproof coffee promoters and found some truly interesting results. They discovered that bulletproof coffee may provide more of a sustained energy boost than regular coffee. Also, it can help people lose weight by acting as a substitute for a calorie dense breakfast, but it will not miraculously burn fat. I personally have no problem with bulletproof coffee. Heck, I’m drinking a version of it right now! However, I do not use it to help me lose weight, I do not drink it every morning and I use a much smaller amount of butter and oil recommended by the bulletproof believers. The recommended recipe for bulletproof coffee can contain up to 52 grams of saturated fat in one cup which is more saturated fat than a 16 oz T-bone steak (cooked) and 5 whole avocados combined.

Hopefully I haven’t discouraged you from drinking bulletproof coffee. If you haven’t drank it yet, give it a try and let me know what you think. Also, if you drink it on a regular bases, I’d love to hear what benefits it provides you. Oh, almost forgot to mention that this product WILL NOT actually stop bullets, in case you were wondering.

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