Although your genetics does play a role in your metabolism, Elite Miami Bootcamp believes there are several very effective ways to maximize your metabolism. According to Webster’s, metabolism is the chemical changes in living cells by which energy is provided for vital processes and activities. In other words, our metabolism is what gives us our energy. It is the engine that keeps us running. As with a car, proper gas and regular maintenance is required to keep the engine running smoothly. This same effect goes for our metabolism. Your diet and exercise habits are essential to keep your engine maximized. A higher metabolism means you are expending more energy and therefore burning more calories.

First, let’s talk about exercise. Elite Miami Bootcamp knows that exercise is a must to increase your metabolism. There are no magic pills or potions. There are two components to exercise that are crucial to boosting and then maintaining your metabolism. These two components include strength training and high-intensity cardiovascular exercise. Strength training is essential to build muscle. The more muscle tissue you have, the more active your metabolism is. Muscle is metabolically active, so it requires calories even at rest. In fact, adding just one pound of muscle can burn an extra 30-40 calories per day. Just think if you add 10 pounds of muscle, you could be burning an extra 300-400 calories a day a rest. You are also burning calories during your strength training session as well as up to 4 hours after your workout. All of this extra calorie burning for only 30-45 minutes of weight training 3-5 times a week, is well worth it. In addition to boosting metabolism, strength training will make weight control easier as we get older, decrease body fat, and increase lean muscle tissue. Metabolism begins to slow slightly after age 25 for men and women. It declines around 4 percent per year if you are active compared to 10 percent if you are sedentary. In women, there can be a notable drop in metabolism due to a decrease in estrogen around 40-50. Following the recommended 3-5 cardio sessions per week and 3 strength training sessions, will help slow this effect tremendously.

The second component of exercise that Elite Miami Bootcamp feels is essential to boosting metabolism is high-intensity cardio. Like strength training, cardiovascular exercise, preferably high-intense cardio, not only burns calories during exercise as well as allowing your body to burn calories for several hours after exercising. The combination of high-intensity cardio intervals and a strength training routine gives your body an even bigger post-work-out metabolic boost. Interval cardio training is very effective for maximizing metabolism, so make sure to alternate the intensity of your cardio program. This prevents your body from adapting to the same exercise routine and keeps your muscles tuned to taking on different workloads. Of course, the hour you spend in the gym is not the only time you should be moving. Make a constant effort to stay active throughout the day by walking whenever possible, doing yard work, playing with children, etc.

Although exercise is crucial, attention must be paid to diet and nutrition. That does not mean to “go on a diet”. The word “diet” often implies cutting back on calories. This can actually backfire on people in two ways. First people cut back too much and that sets them up to binge the next day, which can damage your metabolism. The second problem with cutting back calories is that your body reacts to this decrease in calories by slowing its metabolism in order to conserve energy stores. The key to a diet that will increase your metabolism is to determine how many calories you should be consuming and then pay attention to the type of calories consumed. Despite what many nutritionists think, all calories are not created equal. The calorie-is-a-calories theory only takes in to account the total energy in food, and does not account for the energy that is required to process it. For example, up to 30 percent of calories from protein are burned through the digestive process, compared to just 8 percent of carbohydrates, and 2 percent of fats. This is known as the thermic effect of food. The key is to eat complex carbohydrates such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. It takes more energy for the body to digest and process calories and nutrients from healthy foods than sugary and refined foods. By eating a low-fat healthy diet, you are asking the body to work harder and burn more calories to turn food into energy, the process of metabolism. Avoid processed and refined foods, as they are the culprit to our obesity epidemic. Just remember that processed food has already been processed and that does not leave any work for your body and metabolism, and so they are just stored as fat almost immediately unless they are burned off.

It is not only important to eat the right type of foods, but also at the right time. To start the day, it is essential that you eat breakfast. This gets your engine started for the day and without breakfast, your metabolism will be in slow motion all day. Throughout the day, it is essential you eat small meals every 3-4 hours. Eating three large meals a day is terrible for your metabolism because you have three peaks in your blood sugar/insulin response and the rest of the time you are in a valley that is not good for your insulin response. The key is to make sure each meal is well balanced and contains the right amount of protein, carbohydrates, and a small amount of fat. It is also essential to drink at least 8-10 glasses of water everyday, possibly more if you work out intensely and/or drink caffeinated beverages. Elite Miami Bootcamp’s final recommendation that is crucial for maximizing your metabolism is to get enough sleep. Only you know how much sleep your body requires, but not getting enough sleep will drain you and in turn slow your metabolism.

As you can see, the ways to increase metabolism is through diet and exercise. Just like an engine, the better we take care of our metabolic engine through proper diet and exercise, the better our metabolism will run; keeping us healthy and looking good.

Elite Miami Bootcamp undestands that with the lifestyles most Americans lead today, exercise and healthy eating habits are harder to achieve than ever. The benefits of a proper diet and exercise program are better than ever in today’s stressful society. These habits are certainly achievable when armed with the correct knowledge and will to see results. Even many professionals occasionally lose track of their goals and slip into patterns of unhealthy eating and a sedentary lifestyle. But the key is to have a plan of action to achieve your goals as well as a maintenance plan for when your fitness and nutrition goals are met. Here are 10 tips that Elite Miami Bootcamp uses and that will help you avoid setbacks that keep you from reaching you fitness and nutrition goals.

1. Accept Responsibility- Learn to take charge of your own behavior. Remember that you are the only person that can achieve the results you want. Realize that there is no magic pill and it will take effort on your part.

2. Develop an Action Plan- Identify your problems as develop specific solutions to solve the problems. If a solution is not working, reevaluate and develop another solution until you find one that works for you.

3. Practice Forgiving Yourself- Think positive and don’t let negative thoughts enter your mind. Don’t ever think that a bad breakfast or lunch, etc has blown the whole day. Always remember that the next meal is a new meal and it does not have to be until tomorrow to be a new day. Remember, mistakes will happen and learn to refocus on the long-term goal.

4. Find Accountability- The best way to succeed is to hold yourself accountable to another person. Enlist the help of a friend, family member, personal trainer, or nutrition consultant that you can rely on to help you when you are weak. Support from others will help keep you on track.

5. Learn How to Cope with Stress- In today’s society, everyone has stress, and the healthiest people are those that know how to deal with their stress. Exercise is an excellent way to get your frustrations out. Going on a walk or lifting weights can work wonders on your mental state.

6. Keep a Food and Activity Journal- “That which you wish to improve must be measured”. It is so important to establish the habit of tracking everything you eat as well as all the physical activity you do. You will find that when you are able to see your progress, you will be less likely to fall off the wagon.

7. Enjoy Every Bite- Pay attention to everything you eat and enjoy the moment. It should take you at least 20 minutes to eat a meal. Slow down and savor every bite. Also, establish ways to prevent mindless eating such as staying away from the TV or a magazine while eating.

8. Avoid Tempting Situations- At least until you are comfortable with your healthy lifestyle, it may be best to try to avoid situations that could sabotage your goals. Whether it is all you can eat buffets, certain restaurants, parties, etc, avoid the situation until you can learn to control your eating behaviors at these establishments.

9. Wait it Out- If and when a temptation arises, first ask yourself if you are actually hungry. Chances are you are not even hungry, and more than likely you are thirsty for some good ole’ water. If it is a craving, establish ways that you can talk yourself out of it. Try to distract yourself by taking a walk (with or without a dog), calling a friend, or doing some housework or other work. If the craving is still there, consider a piece of fruit or a healthier version of whatever you are craving.

10. Perform Regular Assessments- Every 6-8 weeks, review your goals and what you have achieved. It is important to have a baseline at the beginning to track your achievements. Remember, healthy weight-loss takes time. Plan to lose 1-2 pounds per week. Set realistic goals that you can achieve within 6-8 weeks so you do not get discouraged. Then reset your goals with each assessment.

Follow these 10 tips from Elite Miami Bootcamp and you will be on your way to losing weight once and for all. Just remember to learn from your past mistakes and try to avoid making the same ones in the future. Achieving weight loss goals requires time and effort, but the payoff is well worth it. Even small weight losses will reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, arthritis, as well as many other diseases. Always remember to eat a balanced diet with lots of vegetables, fruits, protein, complex carbohydrates, as well as a small amount of fat. Stay motivated and fight the battle against obesity in America.

 

Elite Miami Bootcamp knows it’s very hard to eat healthy when we are constantly busy, traveling, or on a vacation and have to eat out. How can we eat healthy when we have to eat out frequently? It is very difficult for sure to eat healthy when going out to eat. On average, people eat 300 more calories, 19 more grams of fat, and 400 more milligrams of sodium per meal than if they had eaten at home.

When you eat out, there are some simple things we can do to eat healthy and prevent overeating.

First thing is to order water right away since our bodies can confuse thirst with hunger.

Your choices are very important if you want to eat healthy when eating out. Choose whole grains, brown or wild rice, fresh fruits and vegetables, lean meats, skinless poultry and fish, and simply prepared entrees. You want your food prepared in a simple manner. For example, dry broiled, dry grilled, baked or broiled on a rack, steamed, poached or boiled.

Sometimes you can have your food prepared just the way you want it or order something that is not on the menu, for example, baked fish, steamed vegetables, skim milk, broth or vegetable-based soups, a plate of fresh fruit with a scoop of cottage cheese, a grilled steak (no butter) and plain baked potato and a dinner salad with dressing to the side.

Before you order the main dish, order a salad or soup. Finish eating your soup or salad before you eat your main dish. This can keep you from eating too much. When eating a salad, you should have it without salad dressing or use lemon or vinegar instead. If you must have dressing, order it on the side. You can dip your fork in it first then into your salad. This way you get the taste of the dressing without all the calories.

Portion control is very important nowadays. Restaurants serve much bigger portions than in the past. Many years ago, plates used to be 8 to 9 inches in diameter and now they are 12 inches in diameter on average. Make it a habit of asking for a to go box so you can take some of your food with you so it can keep you from eating too much. You can also split a plate of food with another person. Make sure you give the server a bigger tip and let them know this too.

Elite Miami Bootcamp understands that there are times when you are weak. So if you have to eat dessert, split it or eat some of it, take it with you, and eat it another day or give it to someone else who doesn’t need to lose weight!

Don’t worry about asking restaurants exactly what you want. Most restaurant owners are glad to do this and if they don’t maybe you should eat somewhere else! Remember you are the customer!

Alcohol is another thing that you want to take in moderation. Remember alcohol is extra calories and dehydrates you. For every alcoholic beverage, drink 1 glass of water.

Make sure you look at the nutrition information of your food if it’s available. Sometimes what they say is healthy really isn’t. Go for a variety of colors on your plate. You want a variety of fruits and vegetables, grains, meats, legumes, etc….

When traveling by plane, you can sometimes order your meal ahead of time and have it specially prepared for you. Most airlines won’t even charge you extra for this.

Elite Miami Bootcamp knows that eating healthy doesn’t have to be complicated. Eat smaller portions, drink water, extras on the side, etc… The information here will help you in making better decisions on eating healthy when you have to eat out.

Happy 4^th of July!!!

We are open on July 4th. For those of you who want to work out before pigging out at your 4^th of July celebration, we have two bootcamp classes available at 8am and 9am.

We look forward to seeing you there.

Please be safe during the holiday.

Elite Miami Bootcamp

One Month Unlimited Boot Camp

(Living Social price: $25 for One Month of Unlimited Boot Camp)

I purchased One month of unlimited boot camp, when should I call to schedule my first boot camp workout?
Appointments may be done any time from 48 hours after purchase. The coupon must be redeemed by January 4, 2012. Since Elite Miami Boot Camp will not have all names until 48 hours after purchase, please don’t call earlier than that. Please call us to schedule your first workout. Please do not show up without calling.

 

For my first workout, Can I just show up, or do I have to call before I start with Elite Miami Boot Camp?

Please call to schedule your first workout. Please do not just show up without calling us at 305-859-2345.

What is included in the Living Social purchase?
Your Living Social purchase includes One Month of Unlimited boot camp which includes our bootcamp workouts Powered by “Combine Training” and Box 360 workouts. Space is limited, so call to schedule your workout.

How do I book my class once I’ve bought the Living Social Deal?
Please call Elite Miami Bootcamp at 305-859-2345 to book your class. Please do not show up without calling first. Also, be sure to have your Living Social voucher number handy. To view our bootcamp schedule, CLICK HERE.

Where is Elite Miami Bootcamp located?

1783 S.W. 3^rd Ave, Miami, FL 33129 (Coral Way near Brickell).

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Is there parking?
There is lots of free parking in the shopping center parking lot.

Age Requirements.

You must be at least 18 years of age.

 

We are celebrating Independence Day early with a Freedom Sale.

Get One month of Unlimited Bootcamp for Just $150. That’s less than $7 a workout.

And if you take advantage of this sale, we’ll lock you in at this special rate of $150.

Give us a call at (305) 859-2345 to get started today.

Hurry this offer expires on July 27, 2011.

5 Ways Elite Miami Bootcamp Members are Mastering their Fitness

You will need to master your habits to finally master your fitness to win the war on fat!

In order to succeed with your fitness and nutrition plan, you’ll need to devote effort to changing your habits.  It’s your habits that will ultimately determine the level of success you achieve, and how well you are able to maintain those results, and make fitness a permanent part of your lifestyle.  If you aim for mediocrity, your results will often be less than mediocre.  I am going to provide you five steps to help you fully master your program and experience life-changing fitness and fat loss results.

Set Clear Goals

Set your compass (or your GPS nowadays, I guess)!  Get clear on where you’re going and your path will also become clearer.  It’s important to have both short and long-term checkpoints along the way.  Hold your desired outcome in your mind, but focus on the next step and you’ll get there faster.  My best advice is not to be vague, but to be really specific about exactly what it is that you want as this will empower you to act on it.

Plan & Prepare

Fit people are always thinking ahead…where they’re going be…what they need to bring with them to eat. The reason most nutrition plans break down is because of convenience.  What’s convenient is not usually the most supportive option, unless you make a point of knowing how your day or week will unfold and commit to preparing food and snacks to bring with you (or, if eating out, knowing in advance what and where are the most supportive options).  This is the only foolproof strategy I’ve seen for sticking to your plan, and perhaps the single biggest trait that separates the ultra-fit from the unfit, in my experience.

Keep a Journal

Our Elite Miami Bootcamp members who have transformed their bodies and life all keep a journal.  If you don’t know your current eating and exercise patterns, how can you change them?  Keeping a journal of your nutrition and exercise empowers you to know EXACTLY what you are doing so you can make any necessary corrections.  In a recent study, this one habit DOUBLED the speed of the participants’ weight loss results.  My best advice for getting the most out of this strategy is to be as detailed as possible every day with your entries, keep your journal where you’re most likely to fill it out, and show it to a coach or workout partner to ramp up the accountability factor.

Always Eat Protein

Try to eat some protein with every meal and snack.  All of our Elite Miami Bootcamp members know that protein stimulates your metabolism because your body expends more energy in digesting it.  This means you burn more calories!  Also, protein is the primary building block of muscle, and how much lean muscle you have is mainly what determines your resting metabolic rate.  Again, this means you burn more calories!!  That makes adding a bit of protein to each meal a “no-brainer.” 

Time You’re Eating

Eat for what you are about to do, not what you just did!!  Your body works on a use-as-you-go basis, and calories are burned off that way too.  I overhear people all the time saying that they need to workout because they have a “big night” ahead, from which I infer they plan to eat and drink – a lot.  But they have it backwards!  Starving yourself before a night out will also backfire.  The calories you save or burn in either case will already have been exceeded by your first glass of wine and the appetizers. Eating late, or eating your biggest meal of the day at dinner is probably the #1 reason most people gain weight.  Spread your calories through the day more, when you need them, and eat less before going to sleep.

Use all five of these strategies daily and you will be astounded at how quickly your body changes.  Focus on changing your behavior – on developing new, supportive habits to replace your old, unsupportive ones – and the rest will take care of itself.  Good luck!!

Want Real Change, Then Here Are Three Things You Must Do

1. You don’t get what you want; you get what you commit to.

To get real results in anything you have to COMMIT to it.  Most people never really commit, they’re more into “trying”.  Sure, they want change, but because they’re merely interested (not committed, BIG difference) they make only the simplest and most convenient changes.  Doing it this way ensures that the results you get are almost not worth the effort.  When they finally give up, they reassure themselves by saying “at least I tried.” 

People who are committed (not merely interested) are willing to do not just what’s convenient, but what it actually takes to succeed.  It starts by taking a firm decision, “this is how it will be”!  We all have that power, most of us are afraid to use it.

2. Expand your comfort zone, enrich your life.

Everything you want is right at the edge of your comfort zone.  By expanding your comfort zone, you can bring amazing things into your life!  If you would have told me 10 years ago I’d be doing half the stuff I do on a daily basis now, I probably would have freaked out big time!  The problem is, most of us let fear stop us from going after the things we want in our life. 

The way to overcome that is to just take small steps.  When new members start at Elite Miami Bootcamp, they are sometimes overwhelmed with the new exercises and how hard some of the exercises can be.  But when do what you can and you are not afraid to fail and give it your all, you with always get better.  Week by week, our members grow stronger and more confident, to where they get excited by, and embrace new combine challenges of continuing on this path to getting in the best shape of their life.  Sometimes you’ve got to take that leap of faith and “just freakin’ do it”!  Doing breeds confidence, making it easier to do even more.  As many Elite Miami Bootcamp members become believers pretty quickly…that was because of the small steps they took in the beginning.

3. Look for solutions instead of problems.

Most people will start something, and at the first sign of difficulty they’ll falsely assume it’s not working, or it’s not for them somehow.  As an Elite  Miami Bootcamp coach, one of the biggest revelations I see with our members is when they have a “real conversation” around their eating habits.  Often times the problem is not the problem.  What I mean is that the real problem is the habit most people have of focusing on their problems! I’m just guessing, but I think if you try and you’re not afraid of change then you will find a lot more solutions!  Will they always be obvious?  Of course not!  But the point is that making the lifestyle changes necessary to weight loss is a big adjustment.  You’re going to have to play with it a bit to find what works for you. 

Bonus Tip: Accountability works!

Elite Miami Bootcamp members often tell me that one of the things that kept them going was that they weren’t just committing to themselves, they were committing to us, and to our Elite Miami training program.

It’s way too easy to rationalize and get away with stuff when we’re accountable only to ourselves!  Just knowing that someone else is committed to your success like the 10 other bootcampers and your bootcamp coach, can make all the difference.  You can effectively shorten your learning curve from years, or even half a lifetime, into just a few months, just as many of our members have proven. 

Why prolong the pain?  If you’re ready for change, you owe it to yourself to take a look at our programs.  What one person can do, another can do.  You have the power!  Call us at 305-859-2345 and get started today.

At Elite Miami Bootcamp, we provide the training to get you in great shape, but you also need to eat clean and healthy. A few weeks ago, I posted a list of foods that are staples in my diet which help me to eat clean and keep me on track to success.

Elite Miami Bootcamp strives to helping you get closer to reaching your goals. These foods will help you do just that. There not only clean, quick and easy to prepare, but very affordable.

Greek Yogurt:   0% is the way to go. Do not buy the ones with fruit in them. I have talked about this before.  This is simple and easy.  The nutritional value of Greek yogurt makes this a perfect snack for women.  Men over 180lbs should try putting a scoop of their favorite protein and mixing it in. Don’t worry, it tastes great.

Eggs whites: I love egg whites. It’s one of the best proteins you can eat.  I eat egg whites daily.   I do not think 1 week has gone by in the last 10 years where I have not eaten egg whites.  I never really understand when members say: I’m sick of egg whites or I don’t like the taste.  You can mix egg whites with black beans, fat free cheese, salsa, garlic powder, or any spice you want. Just use your imagination.  I guess I’m just lucky. And it’s cheap! A dozen eggs are less than 2 dollars.  What a deal!!!

 Tuna in a bag:   You should have several bags of tuna in your fridge. This is such a great idea. Why did it take someone so long to invent this?  I wish they had this when I was in college. I lived on tuna fish. And I always hated draining the can and opening it with a can opener.   You just dump the tuna in the bowl and mix greens or peas and brown rice and you have a great meal.  It’s cheap, fast and “clean.”

Instant Oatmeal:  Truth is, old fashion oats is the best oatmeal for you.  But if you’re in a rush, this is a great second choice.  BUT remember to cook with water and add a scoop of protein to it.

Boca Burgers:  This is a soy protein product that’s low in fat.  Soy is a great protein to add to your your diet.  YOU can put them in the microwave and it’s ready in 90 seconds.  Add some Kraft nonfat cheese on top and a little ketchup.  Remember No bun!!!