Watch "KAI GREENE - I GOT A DREAM" on YouTube

http://bit.ly/uk2Gu0 Women like to lift to you know! Lift that junk ladies! LUNKET .. Sound the Alarm | Workout & Weight Lifting TSHIRTS - Activewear

http://bit.ly/uk2Gu0 Women like to lift to you know! Lift that junk ladies! LUNKET .. Sound the Alarm | Workout & Weight Lifting TSHIRTS - Activewear

Todays Lies

Just got done working Calves and biceps. Do it for you, stop the lies, change with truth. Do you honestly believe video games & TV are helping you? Try a cup of endorphins, that's were relaxation is. Don't let that junk define your life. Face the truth. What was/is your plan of attack today?

Going For Big

Going for BIG! Test boosters in route, Hello BULK, bye bye ABS. Putting on some pounds until February then Ill start leaning out. #GETBIG #johndcowart

Where's My SixPack |

Looking for a Natural Fiber? Check out my post on Shakeology Fiber vs Metamucil. Winner: Shakeology Fiber Where's My SixPack |

TODAYS INSPIRATION

Get inspired.. then "PUMP IT UP!"

Todays Workout

P90x Legs/Back with Squats! Legs like rubber Done! Talk about glycogen depletion. Now its time for the Saints to BRING IT in the dome! Who Dat!

Todays Motivation

Get those workouts in people. Walk, Crawl, Push, Sprint, Pull, Lift, Run, Explode & Commit. 1 more than last time! What is/was your workout?

Tonight's Fit Club Results

Free P90X Kenpo Workout Tonight @ Mobile Alabama Fit Club. Burned 512 cals. Come by & sweat for free.

Todays Fit Club

Heading to Mobile Alabama Fit Club to get my free workout on!

Todays Message

Happy Friday Everyone! Love Life, Love Family, Workout, BE YOU ,and MOST importantly BE POSITIVE in LIFE!

Todays Illness

More P90X Hybrid work while fighting off a chest cold. Seems to help. Cut cardio until chest gets well. Lat Day! And your workout is/was?

Shakeology Fiber

I use this stuff religiously. Taste gpod just by itself. I figure since it price compares to other fiber and I can add it to my daily Shakeology it was a win win. Plus I have a feeling its a good bit cleaner than other fiber.

Worrkout Update

Im still working out daily, more so than ever before. Going for bulking now bit this time I want to not gain so much fat so quick. Ill use a zig-zag/carb cycling approach with one day of cheat meals or excess calories. Taking this week off from counting calories for mental break.

This Weeks Nutrition

This Weeks Nutrtion: This is an experiment week combining zig zag calories and carb cycling. Not seeing much change in size so mixing it up with food. Using the zig zag calories from "Better than Steroids" and the carb cycling article by Twin Peaks over at Bodybuilding. com

Bodybuilding.com - Carbohydrate Cycling: What You Need To Know!

This is a good read about carb cycling without counting a ton of macro nutrients. Bodybuilding.com - Carbohydrate Cycling: What You Need To Know!

Todays Nutrition

Taking a 2 day free day after my first  6 day keto run (no carbs). Results were not what I wanted. I miss sequence my cardio/hiit to maximize fat burn. I also had 2 3 hour eating windows. Should had had none since cardio/hiit was not right.  Will be better next time. Failures=Long Term Success.

Todays Workout

Todays Workouts - No P90X today just MOBILE ALABAMA FIT CLUB. Not sure what cardio. Need 300 cals worth since thats what Im planning on. Started my 3 day Keto Run. I say three but work will dictate the third day if Im feeling stupid from lack of carbs. What was/is your workout today?

Todays Workout & Nutrtion

Light workout today. Getn ready for another 3 day Keto Run(no carb). Maybe not monday iff energy is up. Cant have low energy at work.My job requires lots of thinking. Keti runs can make you temporarily dumb. Ill use P90x for glycogen depletion. What was/is your workout today?

Todays Workout

P90X Toning/Mass Hybrid workout. Sorry to push off signup date. Family,Work,workouts comes 1st. Will try to finish documents this weekend. What was/is your workout?

Todays Workout

Did a glycogen depletion today after my high carb day. P90x is great for that. Back on two more days low carb. Then a free day to replenish glycogen. Taking measurements in the a.m. What was/is your workout?

Todays Paperwork

Today Workout - Paperwork. I am currently creating the user docs for my P90X Toning/Mass gaining Hybrid. Wow! Lots of written workout and Nutrtion plan notes to transfer. Sorry for the delay.

Todays Workout

Todays Workout- final P90X Toning/Hybrid workout. Regiatration will start this week. Ill have the process ready tonight or by tomorrow. What was/is your workout?

Todays Workout

P90X Toning/Mass Hybrid testing. Think I got it ready for next weeks sign ups. Believe in you & change will come. What was/is your workout?

Todays Workout

More P90X toning/mass building today. Low carb week. 60% fat 34% prot 5%<carb Whew that can wipe u out. What was/is your workout today?

This Week Meals - 6 day keto run

http://bit.ly/oWONHI Tomorrow is day 1 of a 6 day Keto Run. <5% carbs, 60% fat, and 35% protein. Carbs high for tomorrow from nuts. First day is always tough. I'll reduce carbs as the week progresses. Have to tone back my workouts this week. Last time I did a week like this (actually a low carb week with 1 high carb day) I lost 1% body fat and gained about .75lbs of muscle. I know I'll loose body fat but I am going to take two measurements this week to make sure I maintain my same muscle mass

Weekly Measurements

Weekly Measurement. Bodyfat down .94% Lean Muscle up 1.2lbs! Could be all the glycogen from yesterdays high calorie day but this seems to be working.

Todays Workout

P90X Toning/Mass Hybrid work today and lifting. Hybrid will have have beginers/intermediate/advanced programs. What is/was your workout?

Todays Supplement Sampler

Todays Supplement Sampler - Optimum Nutrition 100% Oats & Whey Milk Choc. http://twitpic.com/6glmzx Tastes like whey & oats. Taste kinda lacking but effective. Probably not bad for people on a rush and want the oats absorbed quicker.

Todays Nutrtion

Low Carb Day = 60% fat 35% protein 5% carbs. Tomorrows a free eating day. So cant wait! For the week Im down about 2lbs body fat and added about a pound of muscle. Pretty good so far.

Todays Workout & day 2 of low carb

P90X Hybrid Work today. 2nd day low carb. See how it effects performance this morning. Shouldnt since I supplment.
Yesterday was rough on the first day of low carb. After today its a high carb followed by 2 days of low carb.
Starting to really see the bottom set of abs clearly! What was/is your workout?

Todays Preworkout Supplement

Giving a different flavor NO Explode a try - Blue Raz. I tried Fruit Punch bit was way to acidic tasting. Great pumps though.

Cat Bag

At Academy getting a new gym bag. Cat decided to spray my gym bag last night.

Todays Workout

Todays workout - P90x toning/mass soulders arms hybrid &  moving a friend. What was/is your workout today?

Todays workouts

Todays workouts - A.M. weight lifting, Chalean Extreme @ Fit Club, Tread Mill tonight, moving a friend. What was/is your workout today?

Today Workout/Saying

P90x Back & Bicep w/ toning/mass twist today. It doesnt have to be perfect to start...just start. Perfection is a process. What was/is your workout today?

Todays Workout

Rev Abs Power Intervals & P90x hybrid Weight Lifting technique work. What did u do to move forward today?

Todays Workout

p90x chest, back, bicep, & weight training. Merging in some weightlifting routinrles for toning/mass hybrid. What was/is your workout today?

Todays Dilemma

Already drank my pre-workout supplement and sitting in my car waiting for the gym to open LATE and its going to be 20 more minutes. Lol! I guess I need to find something in my car to lift while I wait. I alrwady feel my cheeks tingling. lol

Todays Supplement

Todays Supplement. Trying this for about a week now for my bicipital tendinitis as well as 6 days of weight lifting. Scivasion Xtend Fruit Punch.
Its BCAA for muscle repair. I put in four scoops and sip it through the day. Seems to really help my recovery. I also take some big gulps post workout. Thumbs up. Got it from Bodybuilding.com

Todays Workout

TGIF! We made it. Weight Lifting/Turbo Fire HIIT 20 for me. P90X Mass/Toning  Hybrid coming along nicely. What was/is your workout today?

Today's Thought

"Between stimulas and Response is a space. In that space lies our freedom and power to choose our Response. In those choices lie our growth and our happiness."

Scivation Novem Pre-Workout Supplement

Yesterday I tried this. Scivations Novem Pre-Workout Supplement Fruit Punch. I did the recommended 2 scoops with 16oz. Tasted pretty good. Got a pretty good pump but 16oz was to much liquid for me preworkout. I tried it today with 3 scoops and less water. Really nice pump with 3 scoops but less water wasn't a good option. Tasted really tart. Try again tomorrow. I still like Musclepharm Assault better. Will see.

Better Than Steroids by Dr. Warren Willey

Got this yesterday. Better Than Steroids by Dr. Warren Willey. Finally a book about nutrition and fitness written by someone in shape. Yeah, that's him on the cover.

Scivation Novem Preworkout Fruit Punch

http://t.co/QG2gd5D Trying this today - Scivation Novem Preworkout Fruit Punch

No Explode Fruit Punch

I got some sample packs from one of my bodybulding.com orders. I like the pump bit very much disliked the flavor and the post crash was exhausting. This is my third time using the samples.

Today

P90X Shoulders/Arms Turbo Fire HIIT 20 this evening. Dont let others emotions dictate yours. Breathe.  What is/was your workout today?

Mobile Alabama Fit Club is live

Mobile Alabama Fit Club is going down. Join us every Saturday evening for Free P90X, P90X+, Insanity, Turbo Fire, Rev Abs. Free Shakeology and P90X Recovery samples.

Saturdays 6pm cst
Calvary Assembly
6800 Three Notch Road
Mobile, AL 36691

Contact Me if you have any questions. Hope to see you there.

Todays Workout

Chest/Back this AM. Rev Abs - Fire Your Abs & Merciless Abs lunch/evening. See & feel your end goal. What was/is your workout today?

http://myemail.constantcontact.com/Coach-John-Cowart-Team-Sixpack.html?soid=1106162798765&aid=cBVJS1OETGM

http://myemail.constantcontact.com/Coach-John-Cowart-Team-Sixpack.html?soid=1106162798765&aid=cBVJS1OETGM

7 Day 40g a day sugar challenge Day 3

7 Day 40g a day sugar challenge - Day 3: <40g yesterday again! Was tired yesterday but that was from lack of sleep. If you want to see what Im eating check out my food diary: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/diary/johncowart

7 day low sugar intake marathon

Today starts my 7 day sugar experiment. Reducing intake to 40g or less. I want to see how it effects body fat, foods I eat, energy, etc. Ill fb, tweet, blog on my site the starting and ending results as well as some daily blogs here and there.

One of the reasons I love the weekends

One of the reasons why I love the weekends. I have time to make this. One packet Chocolate Shakeology, One scoop Optimum Nutrtition Cookies & Cream Whey protein, 1/2 tbsp raw peanut buttet, 1/4 cup oats, 1 cup watermelon, 1 cup strawberries,  1/4 cup fat free milk, 1-2 cups coffee, 5g gnc glutamine and two handfuls of ice. It makes enough for two shakers. I drink one before my morning Saturday Interval sprints and the rest afterwards which I add some ice and blind it again or I save it before I go to my local Mobile Alabama Fit Club where we do P90X, Insanity, Turbo Fire and/or Rev Abs. I think I workout just so I can drink a ton of this stuff.

$25,000 Dollar Beachbody

Team Sixpack Has a New Hashtag #myteamsixpack

Where's My SixPack | P90X2 - Fall 2011 - Pre Order August through me

P90X:2

P90X2 is coming out this fall. Reserve your copy with me August so you dont miss out. Here are some FAQ I've gathered about it thus far:

 

• Are you a vegan? Vegetarian? Meat Eater? Don't you worry the P90X2 nutrition plan covers many different diet options!
  


• P90X2 is 5 Days a Week! It will include 3 Phases: Foundation, Strength, and Performance.


• Face Book: http://www.facebook.com/p90x2Fitness & http://www.facebook.com/p90x2 


• Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/P90X2Fitness

Developed by the original P90X^® creator, Tony Horton

Currently in development, P90X2™ is the sequel to Beachbody's best-selling workout program, P90X. With P90X2 workout, P90X grads can get even stronger, more flexible, and more ripped. This program is designed for maximum intensity and efficiency. In fact, this completely new 90-day program features cutting-edge workouts so intense, we only let you do them 
5 days a week.

Watch for more exciting details and the upcoming release date. Be one of the first to experience the long-awaited follow-up to P90X.

Muscle Confusion™ 2
If you doubt your muscles could feel any more confused than the first time you did P90X—you ain't seen nothin' yet! P90X2 is going to up the ante with movements, sets, supersets, and complexes that are going to have your muscles so baffled, they won't know which way is up.

Less is More 
As intensity increases, training volume needs to decrease to allow more time for recovery, so in P90X2, you'll only be training 5 days per week. Remember what you learned in P90X: The body can only grow stronger at rest. This time around, you're earning more of it. Hard training is all about efficiency, and P90X2 has evolved to the point where less really is more.

P90X2 Workout

The P90X2 program is made up of three phases, each focusing on a different aspect of your fitness: Foundation, Strength, and Performance, that will help your body evolve in ways you never imagined. You'll begin by improving your foundation, where instability plays a large role. Then you'll build strength and, finally, power, which all translates to improved performance.

Expanding on the original program, P90X2 workout embraces the latest research in applied science to keep your muscles "confused" even longer. The end result is a program that everyone from 5K aspirants to professional athletes can benefit from.

What gives P90X2 its edge?

Dr. Marcus Elliott and the Peak Performance Project.
In order to take P90X2 to the next level, we enlisted the services of Dr. Marcus Elliott. One of the most sought-after trainers in the world of sports, Dr. Elliott now presides over Beachbody's Scientific Advisory Board and has lent his expertise to the evolution that is P90X2. Until now, his groundbreaking training techniques have only been available to world-class athletes. With P90X2, now you can take them home.

 

Where's My SixPack | Active Military – Your or your spouse can sign up FREE! With no monthly fees

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NEEDS YOU

You’re just moments away from becoming a more physically and financially fit you.

Normally you sign up today and you’ll get the Business Starter Kit for only $39.95. (but yours is FREE when you join Team Sixpack)

New Tropical Shakeology Announced - Pre Order

Taste the tropics. Transform your health.

Introducing Shakeology Tropical

Made with natural tropical fruits like tart camu-camu, lusclous papaya, acerola cherry, tangy pineapple, and smooth banana. Shakeology Tropical nourishes your body, yet tastes like an exotic island getaway.

From the highest mountains of Peru to the deepes jungles of Costa Rica, we've found only the healthiest sources , purest ingredients for our new Shakeology Tropical Flavor. 
We took no shortcuts in creating a flavor that's as exciting as the around-the-world journey it takes to find the best ingredients.

Pre Order Sample Packs Here:  http://on.fb.me/j1XfyL

Processed Foods, Metabolism, and your digestion - Part 2

So here are the foods that I got on sale:

Sweet Potatoes(.79lb) 3 large
bagels(2 for 1 bag)
arnold whole wheat bread (2 for 1 loaf),
turkey meat (2 for 1 packs)
blueberry sale (1lb)
fat free organic milk (2.99 gallon)
split breast chicken (2 for 1 packs - 3 breasts each)
pure protein bars(10 @ $1 a piece - regular $1.39-$1.49)
tomato(from my garden- having a surplus at the moment) 

     For me this is a good savings, I support my food with my beachbody business so I an afford of few extras, but this would still be low or what I consider a good deal.

Ok, let's break this down into categories that will be helpful in planning.

Starchy Complex Carbohydrates Not Processed:
Sweet Potatoes(.79lb) 3 large

Starchy Complex Carbohydrates Processed:
bagels(2 for 1 bag)
arnold whole wheat bread (2 for 1 loaf),

Fibrous Complex Carbohydrates:
tomato(from my garden- having a surplus at the moment)

Proteins Processed:
turkey meat (2 for 1 packs)

Simple Carbohydrates:
blueberry sale (1lb)
split breast chicken (2 for 1 packs - 3 breasts each)

Milk:
fat free organic milk (2.99 gallon)

Carb/Protein:
pure protein bars(10 @ $1 a piece - regular $1.39-$1.49)

      Now lets talk about my favorite subject, digestion. The goal for maximum nutrition and fat loss is to have things moving smoothly in your digestive tract. When your digestive track is slowed or blocked you are not getting the nutrition you need that will give you the energy to complete workouts or just do your daily job. You will fatique. This will slow that wonderful metabolism down causing the fat burning process to come to a screaching halt. This is why you see people working out like crazy, go wreck their nutrition with tons of processed foods and it kills their metabolism thus killing their fat burning machines, thus no weight loss or muscle gains.

     Rob your muscles of nutritients when they want it and watch how fast they rebel. It's a chain effect. If you aren't feeding your muscles adiquatly because you are eating to much digestive blocking foods close together, the muscle may look elsewhere for muscle building proteins. Guess where it looks? Itself. Muscle will canabolize itself for the proteins it needs to survive. This in turn will slow your metabolism even slower. The more lean muscle you have the faster your metabolism will be, thus burning fat.
     The goal in this blog is to analyze the food so that all the slow digesting/processed foods are eatin in such a way as to reduce the slowness that may occur from eating it. This goes hand in hand with budgeting for food. Many processed foods are on sale.That is why many people are over weight. What I want to show is how to eat some of those things and still reduce body fat.
     This blog is not intended to promote processed foods and would advice to reduce all of your processed food intake and only eat whole foods. That would be my goal. These are steps to help mitigate the intake when you get the two for one turkey meat. 

Quick lesson on macro nutrients:

Carbohydrates: fuel for your body
Protein: slow burning fuel used for repairing your bodyFat: The glue that holds both carbohydrates and proteins together

Starchy Carbohydrates: high powered fuel
Non-Starchy Carbohydrates: normal fuel

Some definitions
Non-Processed: not run through a machine, picked from a plant,  it walked, it flew, it swam and went straight to our plate. chicken breasts, carrots, etc.
Processed: it was run through some sort of machine, it's has wrapper on it, you don't see it in nature. breads, protein bars, candy bars, luncheon meats, etc.     

      Now that we have some definitions that match my grocery list lets talk about the overal plan.

Rules:
     You want to reduce the number of processed foods you eat back to back OR the amounts. If I have bread(processed ) in the morning, then I dont have a processed food for my next snack. Spread them out.
     If you have two processed foods a day then try to eat more fiborous foods with or in between your processed food meals. Preferably with. You should acutally eat a good amount of fiborous foods anyway, but especialy on high processed food days.
   
Part 3: I'll talk more about how to use the carbohydrates as fuel and combining that with processed foods and how it travels through the digestive track.

Coach John 

Coach John Cowart
Independent Emerald Beachbody Coach
http://www.wheresmysixpack.com
Social Networks:
P90X/Fitness Thread: http://bit.ly/fYMa7x 
Facebook - http://bit.ly/ajpH1I

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Eating on a budget and understanding your food Part 1

This weeks sale items: Sweet Potatoes(.79lb),bagels(2 for 1 bag), arnold whole wheat bread (2 for 1 loaf), turkey meat (2 for 1 packs), blueberry sale, fat free organic milk (2.99 gallon), split breast chicken (2 for 1 packs -  3 breasts each), pure protein bars(10 @ $1 a piece - regular $1.39-$1.49), tomato(from my garden- having a surplus at the moment)

We all like to save money. Finding healthy foods or somewhat healthy foods on sale or cheap can be hard to come by. For almost two years now I've reasearching food and my body. I'm learning how my body can handle certain combinations of foods over time.

 

What I have learned is how to combine foods in combination with proper supplimentation to aid in boosting my metabolism, vitamin absorption,  digestion, growth and healing.

 

Over the next few days Ill be sharing this with you and how I combine the above foods for maximum food results to help mazimize your work outs and fat burning body!

 

Bring It!

Coach John

Coach John Cowart
Independent Emerald Beachbody Coach
http://www.wheresmysixpack.com
Social Networks:
P90X/Fitness Thread: http://bit.ly/fYMa7x 
Facebook - http://bit.ly/ajpH1I

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Connect with me:  Facebook  Blogger  Flickr  YouTube

Latest tweet: This is how your scare a #Shakeology user. #bestmealoftheday http://twitpic.com/5b82fe Follow @johndcowart  Reply  Retweet   18:54 Jun-13

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My Week With Lean Ground Beef - how I prevailed

Last week was week of ground beef week.  Yeah, wife bought it and her and the kids had to go out of town and I couldn't let that food go to waste. If I didn't understand my body and nutrition I would not have eaten it. I learned how to combine foods for certain results within my body. 


Try and read a little about nutrition each day. If you google nutrition for just a little each day, over time you will have an arsenal of nutritional knowledge that will blow you away. Its the same thing we do in P90X. We start with one pull up and build from there. Each week we add one more. By the end of 90 days we are doing 100's of pull ups in an entire session. Learning and adding a little at a time is fundamental. You can't build a house in one day but you can lay a brick.

I countered the lean ground beef by reducing processed foods, adding in fiber and faster digesting foods. This helps  to keep things moving in the digestive department for met. I use Shakeology and fibrous vegetables to help in that departments. Shakeology has a ton of prebiotics and probiotics that help with digestion. 
Ground beef processes really slow. Slow processing food will hold back other food you will need to fuel your workouts, your metabolism and vitamins your body needs to repair. 


How I know I was successful in keeping things moving was that my overall body weight did not go up during this time. If I didn't understand what was going on then I may think I was gaining fat instead of food weight. Typically the beef would have held up other foods causing more food weight during the week and thus my overall weight, not body fat, would have increased. Since I took action to counter that it didn't happen.


At the end of this week my body fat decreased like I wanted and keeping weight roughly the same as I wanted. I'm going slow with the weight loss so my calories are a little under my LBM (Lean Body Mass) calorie needs. I did my LBM calculation yesterday and now will lower my calories by 100 to stay on target with 10% body fat loss. 


It's Memorial day weekend. PORTION CONTROL is the tool to use this weekend and remember your goals. Show good examples to others but do it in a non-confrontational way. When people see you eating healthy they sometimes want you to eat more. Not because they want you to fail but because that is what they are used to just like we were.

Shakeology And Casein Attack!

Hey Team!.
Decided to Split my Shakeology with casein to up the proteins. I like having Shakeology twice daily. Trying 1/2 a pack/scoop with the 1/2 scoop casein. One for preworkout and one for 2nd snack. I found Shakeology to be a great preworkout drink. It has proteins for repair, carbs for fule, and vitamins for fuel/repair. The casein absorbs slower. Tracking my meals on myfitnesspal: http://bit.ly/kBduVC

People that track their food have a 80% better chance of reaching their weight goals. You probably can find this app or another one to help make it easier. My phone has a bar code scanner so I can just scan my food in. Super easy. Worth the work.

Motivation - never give up - give yourself a chance to win!

Happy Thursday morning team! I hope everyones weekend was great. My weekend was absolutely fantastic. It was the final weekend for my girls soccer. My youngest daughter won their championship and my eldest daughters team went to a three way tie for first and beat the undefeated team. Then some really fun after soccer parties. I had the pleasure of helping on both teams as a support role and a coach. It was wonderful.

When I think about where my kids teams were during the season and applied it to life things began to become apparent. It is pretty simple. If you give up you will never know what you could accomplish. Both my kids teams did just that. Through some early loses they prevailed to be real champs. My eldest daughters team wasn't one of those teams that everyone was talking championship about, but because they never gave up they defeated the undefeated. Victory!

This got me to thinking. If you never try and are willing to fail at it then try again then you will never know what you could accomplish. By sticking to the same thing day in and day out and never changing a thing you will never know what you could accomplish. It takes change to know what you can accomplish. What is failure? Failure is simply the road to success. Ask me how many times I fell on my face doing push ups, ask me how many times I had a few days of bad eating. I failed and that to me was a success. Why you ask? Because when I fail I know that I am trying. By setting a goal I can account for failure. If I don't have a goal I can determine failure. Pick a goal and start failing with me. Edison invented the light bulb not because he got it right the first time, Edison invented the light bulb because he failed at it thousands of times. What if he wasn't willing to change and fail? Don't look at failure as a negative. Look at failure as the road to success.
Let failure build you, let failure excite your, let failure make you stronger!

When I hear the words,"I tried coach" I get goose pimples. Why? Because I know that person will succeed as long as the words "try" are there. Start "trying" with me, Start "trying" with this team. There are so many of us going through the same things. Join one of my many groups on the web and open up some dialog. Thats what teams are for.

CHANGE, TRY, AND CHANGE YOUR WAY TO SUCCESS!

Turbo Fire Fire 30 and Stretch 10 Class in 20 minutes!

Doing Turbo Fire - Fire 30 & Stretch 10 Class in WOWY( http://bit.ly/gSher3)  Super Gym in 20 min. All are welcome to join. #turbofire #hiit

Workout and Win!

Log in for your chance to win cash and other great prizes!

You can win cash and other prizes just for logging your workouts into WOWY SuperGym^®, including:

• $300 cash or electronic items like iPods^®, digital cameras, and portable DVD players, every day.
• And once a week, you could win $1,000—just for working out!

It's easy to enter.

As a Team Beachbody^® Club member, you'll be automatically entered in the Daily Sweepstakes every day you log your workout into WOWY SuperGym.

Free members can also enter the Daily Sweepstakes. Click here to complete the alternate entry sweepstakes form and enter for a chance to win in the Daily Sweepstakes. Just complete and submit the sweepstakes entry form by 11:59 PM (PT) each day you log your workout into WOWY SuperGym.

Water Fluctuations and Your Weight

27 October, 2008
Water Fluctuations and Your Weight

Water Fluctuations and Your Weight
By Bob Greene, BFA, MFA
Glee Contributor

Be forewarned that when you first become active or increase the amount and intensity of your exercise, you will retain extra water.

Gaining this extra water weight can be disheartening and has caused many people to give up their exercise programs. The truth is that gaining this extra water weight is a very good sign.

As you become more active and drink more water, your muscles will act like sponges and will immediately become more fully hydrated. In addition, you may also add a little new muscle, which in turn will store even more water.

The more active you are, the more glycogen (a stored carbohydrate) your muscles will retain. Each gram of glycogen stores an additional 2.5 to 3 grams of water.

Finally, the better shape you're in, the more water is stored within your bloodstream. This additional water weight can be significant and is most pronounced when you increase your level of fitness.

This explains why physically fit individuals store considerably more water within their bodies than unfit individuals. This also explains how a very fit person can weigh much more than their appearance would suggest.

When you exercise regularly, you're sending the message to your body that water needs to be stored in relatively large quantities. Your body responds by finding creative ways to store this additional water. The fitter you become, the higher your percentage of water weight will be, and the lower your percentage of body fat.

Don't let this additional water weight frustrate you. It's a good sign! It means that your metabolism is increasing as well as your potential to burn fat. That's why I especially like to see my new clients put on this initial water weight; it usually means that good things are about to happen -- that is, as long as they remain patient through the first four to six weeks.

The water cycles

In addition to the initial water weight gain that you'll experience when you become more active, your body has various water cycles that influence the retention and release of water weight.

These are daily, weekly, monthly and even seasonal water cycles. These cycles occur for a variety of complex reasons, and they are not all fully understood. There are also times when these cycles converge to reach their respective highs, at which time you'll experience a significant increase in your water weight and, consequently, your total weight.

It's at these times that you must reassure yourself that as long as you are consistently "on the program," there will be a gradual reduction in your body fat -- even if the scale doesn't confirm it! By the same token, there will be times the various water cycles converge at a low point, resulting in your body retaining less water. This will lead to a decrease in your total body weight. This is also somewhat of an illusion and should not cause you to become overconfident.

It all comes down to trust -- trust in yourself! As long as you are patient and believe you are doing the best thing for yourself and that you deserve the results your desire, those good results will happen!

Water weight gain is commonly responsible for the scale not budging -- or even moving higher. Remember that each time you improve your level of fitness your body holds more water. Don't worry about it. Water fluctuations happen to everyone and are nothing to be concerned about unless you let them affect your emotions.
If you suspect you're retaining water, just examine how your clothes fit. If, despite an increase in your weight, your clothes fit about the same or even more loosely, water is probably to blame.

When you lose weight the right way -- by being active -- the rules change a bit. It's very common to be losing fat but gaining weight. As frustrating as this can be, my advice is to simply focus on how good you feel, how your clothes fit, and the other positive changes that are happening to you.

How I wake up in the morning - my wake up shake!

This is how I love to wake up every morning! I drink this pre-workout also. On weight days I mix it with coffee and 2 tbsp of honey and drink it about 45 minutes to an hour before. The proteins, vitamins and caffeine help me get through the workout and add the zing I like. If you haven't tried it and you and I am coaching your please send me an email and I will send you some samples. You can also buy bigger sample packs from my shakeology page here: Weight Loss Simplified. This stuff is FANTASTIC! It has made the biggest impact on my workouts and nutrition.

Gaining Mass with P90X

I sent this article out to a friend and though I should share it.
Gaining Mass with P90X: http://bit.ly/hG7RD5
I also like to cycle between strength and hypertrophy(getting the muscles BIG!). I do 12 rep maxes one week then the next week 8 rep maxs. The 12 rep max helps build endurance/strength and the 8 rep maxes help with hypertrophy/strength. The 12 reps helps to set up the 8 reps the following week. You will vary the weight. So on the 12 reps you go lower weight and the 8 reps you go higher. So if your doing 10lbs on the 12reps, try 15lbs on the 8 reps. I found that this help keep my gains much smoother and lessoned possible injury by laying a foundation for strength and endurance while still going for hypertrophy.

Hope this helps. Let me know how it goes.

Coach John

Coach John Cowart
Independent Emerald Beachbody Coach
http://www.wheresmysixpack.com

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Where's My SixPack |

6 Ways to Fire Up Your Metabolism

By Monica Ciociola  

     It can be discouraging when your results don't seem to match the efforts you're putting into getting in shape. But instead of giving up on your fitness program, or worse, diving into the Twinkies^® (trust me, you'll regret it!), try making just a few easy changes to your diet and your lifestyle. Sometimes the smallest things—like getting more protein in the morning or enough rest at night—can lead to the biggest weight loss surprises.

1. Don't skip breakfast. Eating lean protein in the morning will help get your metabolism revved up for the day ahead. Protein from egg whites, for instance, will help stabilize your blood sugar, make you feel fuller, and keep you from overeating later in the day.


2. Resistance training. Working out with some form of resistance—resistance bands, weights, or a stability ball—helps build your muscles. And because one pound of muscle burns way more calories than a pound of fat does, the more muscle you have on your body, the higher your metabolic rate will be.


3. Interval training. Short 10-minute explosive cardio sessions followed by less intense cardio for the same amount of time will rev up your metabolism. For some of the best interval training workouts, check out INSANITY^® or TurboFire^®.


4. Get your beauty rest. Human growth hormone works directly on cells to increase your metabolic rate by 15 to 20 percent and can only be produced during the hours of deep sleep. So make sure you get a good night's sleep!


5. The magic mix. At mealtime, try consuming lean proteins from chicken and white fish along with complex carbohydrates from fruits and veggies. This magical combination will speed up your metabolic rate as food is transformed into usable nutrients, and you'll build muscle and burn fat during the digestive process.


6. ¡Ay, caliente! Studies show that hot peppers, spices, green teas, and caffeine can give your metabolism a sudden surge by stimulating the release of stress hormones. If jalapeño and cayenne make you wince, turn to our all-natural Slimming Formula supplement, which contains green tea, for the same metabolism-boosting effect.

Twinkies is a registered trademark of Hostess Brands, Inc.

 Questions about your workout program, diet, the latest newsletter, or anything wellness related? Feel free to email me directly johncowart@teambeachbodycoach.com.

Where's My SixPack |

6 Ways to Fire Up Your Metabolism

By Monica Ciociola  

     It can be discouraging when your results don't seem to match the efforts you're putting into getting in shape. But instead of giving up on your fitness program, or worse, diving into the Twinkies^® (trust me, you'll regret it!), try making just a few easy changes to your diet and your lifestyle. Sometimes the smallest things—like getting more protein in the morning or enough rest at night—can lead to the biggest weight loss surprises.

1. Don't skip breakfast. Eating lean protein in the morning will help get your metabolism revved up for the day ahead. Protein from egg whites, for instance, will help stabilize your blood sugar, make you feel fuller, and keep you from overeating later in the day.


2. Resistance training. Working out with some form of resistance—resistance bands, weights, or a stability ball—helps build your muscles. And because one pound of muscle burns way more calories than a pound of fat does, the more muscle you have on your body, the higher your metabolic rate will be.


3. Interval training. Short 10-minute explosive cardio sessions followed by less intense cardio for the same amount of time will rev up your metabolism. For some of the best interval training workouts, check out INSANITY^® or TurboFire^®.


4. Get your beauty rest. Human growth hormone works directly on cells to increase your metabolic rate by 15 to 20 percent and can only be produced during the hours of deep sleep. So make sure you get a good night's sleep!


5. The magic mix. At mealtime, try consuming lean proteins from chicken and white fish along with complex carbohydrates from fruits and veggies. This magical combination will speed up your metabolic rate as food is transformed into usable nutrients, and you'll build muscle and burn fat during the digestive process.


6. ¡Ay, caliente! Studies show that hot peppers, spices, green teas, and caffeine can give your metabolism a sudden surge by stimulating the release of stress hormones. If jalapeño and cayenne make you wince, turn to our all-natural Slimming Formula supplement, which contains green tea, for the same metabolism-boosting effect.

Twinkies is a registered trademark of Hostess Brands, Inc.

 Questions about your workout program, diet, the latest newsletter, or anything wellness related? Feel free to email me directly johncowart@teambeachbodycoach.com.

Where's My SixPack | P90X Day 73 Round 4 - Shoulders & Arms & Ab Ripper X

Where's My SixPack P90X Day 73 Round 4 - Shoulders & Arms & Ab Ripper X Doing it with some friends at a local gym! Sweet! What was/is your workout today?

Where's My SixPack | P90X Day 72 Round 4 - Plyometrics!

P90X Day 72 Round 4 - Plyometrics - 686 calories burned! Nice! What is/was your workout? What are your fitness goals?

Where's My SixPack | P90X Day 68 Round 4 - Legs,Back and Modified Abx.

P90X Day 68 Round 4 - Legs,Back and Modified Abx. Tried the close grip pull ups with 10lb med ball. OUCH! What was/is yoru workout today?
Where's My SixPack | P90X Day 68 Round 4 - Legs,Back and Modified Abx.

Where's My SixPack | P90X Day 67 - Fountain of Youth

P90X Day 67 - Fountain of Youth - Today was YogaX. Decided to sub in a Tony One-On-One yoga. These are great! What was/is your workout?

P90X MORNING MOTIVATION 02/17/2011

MORNING MOTIVATION

Endure. To endure is to succeed. Through endurance you will achieve the things you always dreamed of. To endure it day in and day out, hour by hour you get closer to the prize. To endure is to build strength. Through endurance strengthens your will, your ability to climb and take that next step. To endure is to break the cycle of things past. To endure is to make change. Through endurance you break the chains that have held you back for so long.

TO ENDURE IS TO BE FREE! FREE YOURSELF!

John Cowart
Independent Beachbody Coach
http://www.wheresmysixpack.com
johncowart@hotmail.com
http://facebook.com/wheresmysixpack
Team SixPack Face Book Page:
http://on.fb.me/gjtZBO  (Join the conversation!)
251-348-0481

Where's My SixPack | MORNING MOTIVATION

MORNING MOTIVATION

- Today is the day you make that CHANGE. CHANGE that one thing that you fear the most. If putting down those chips makes you nervous then put them down and feel the fear and let it pass. Fear is what we have while running from a bear, I haven't seen a bear in a bag of chips in a long time. If it doesn't bite you then ENDURE the CHANGE and fear. When it passes you will know how STRONG you have always been. CHANGE that one habit you know is holding you back, the one habit that your fear. Face it. You are STRONGER than you can imagine. You are STRONG! MAKE THE STAND! Trying and CHANGING, trying and CHANGING breeds CHAMPIONS. That CHAMPION is there inside you and you know it. Never give up, keep trying and CHANGING over and over. FEEL YOUR STRENGTH it is there within you. LET IT SHINE! BRING IT OUT AND PUSH IT FORWARD! FEEL THE INTENSITY OF YOUR OWN STRENGTH!

BRING IT!

What I eat:
Many people have a really hard time planning and preparing their meals. This was very confusing to me at first because I wasn't used to doing it. I was used to not eating breakfast, starving, going to lunch and pigging out, getting tired, going home starving, pigging out and getting tired again. I just ate what was ever available. I didn't think of it as carbs, proteins or fat, I just saw it as something to stop my hunger. I never thought about what it really was or how it effected my body.
Now I see it as fuel. Fuel for the day, fuel for my workouts, and fuel that burns fat when I'm not working out. Google thermogenic effect of food. I was kinda lost when I first started. I now look at food in a totally different way after stumbling through it. I did what I preach. I first changed, then tried again. I then changed something then tried some more. I still change my nutrition because there is always more to learn about food and your body. I'm posting this as a guide. The intent is that you will see how I combined foods and begin to combine your own or make new ones. It's main purpose is to open your eyes to combinations and groupings. These are not recipes and are very basic meals. Spice them up as you go along, but understand the basics.
Also check out my post in the nutrition section on preparing meals for work here: Nutrition: Preparing For Work
I'm going to break this down into some basic steps to get your started.

** Disclaimer: I am probably on a much higher calorie nutrition program than most of you so if the portions see to be too much you need to just use less. So if it says 1 Cup, you need to try 1/2 or 1/4 a cup. Oh, I'm not a nutritionist either. I'm just a guy that is on a journey, read a good bit on nutrition, experimented with myself and learned as I go. These foods represent my basic "GO TO MEALS" as it were. I use some recipes but this is the foundation of my nutrition. From here I spice it up.

• How do I break down my meals?
  
  
  
  
  

  • The guide suggests 3 main meals and 2 snacks.
    
    
    • Snacks: I suggest you use the snacks as protein bars/protein powders or fruit. A combination of the two is also good if you are on a higher calorie nutrition program.
    • Meals: The main meals should make up the bulk of you calories. These should consist of a lean protein(fish, chicken, turkey), carbohydrate(veggies), and a fat (almonds, peanut butter,etc)
      
      
      • I make my breakfast the largest meal of the day and dinner the smallest.
      • I also eat more carbohydrates in the morning and less throughout the day. I don't cut them out, I just reduce them by a few 100 calories. If you workout at night you may want to experiment with this. You will need the carbohydrates to fuel your nightly workouts.
      • I also eat more protein toward the end of the day. I do this replace the carb calories I lose in the evening. Protein makes the body work harder to break it down so in the evening it makes the body burn more calories to process it. Good stuff.

  
  
• What Can I eat?
  
  
  
  
  

  • Nutrition Guide: If it's in the nutrition guide you can eat it. There is so much food in the guide you should be able to pick a ton of food from that.
  • My Food List: There are some name brand stuff in the list as well as stuff you will see from the nutrition guide.
  • Good Carbohydrates: I added some good carbohydrates to choose from here. You need carbohydrates to drive your workouts. Try and eat a starchy carbohydrate with a fibrous carbohydrate when you eat. Check it out.

  
  
• How do I combine them for meals?
  
  
  • Breakfast:
    Do not think of cereal type things as the only thing I can eat for breakfast. Some people may argue with me but I eat any clean food for breakfast a lot of the time. If I only have chicken breasts, I'll eat that for breakfast. Your body will eat it and digest it and use it as fuel and nutrition. I see a lot of times where this is the smallest meal of the day. It really should be the largest. It is the one that is getting you ready for an entire day of activity. It's like filling up with 1/2 gallon and then trying to drive 1000 miles. Get the fuel! Get some good carbs in there. Your going to need them. Oh, drink a glass of water first thing.
    
    
    • Combinations:
    • 1 Cup Kashi, 1 Cup non-fat milk, 1/4 cup (blue berries, strawberries, raspberries, black berries), 1 Serving Whey Protein Powder
    • 3 egg whites, 2 eggs, wheat toast, 1 Cup carrots
    • 1/2 Cup Kashi Golean, 1/2 Cup Kashi Blueberry, 1 Cup non-fat milk, 1/4 cup (fruit), 1 Serving Protein Powder
    • 1 Serving Shakeology, 1 Banana, 1/2 Cups Oat, 1 tbs raw peanut butter
    • 4oz Top Sirloin, 4 egg whites, 1 wheat toast
    • 1 Kashi Golean instant cereal, 1 Cup melon(water melon, cantaloupe,etc), 1 cup non-fat milk
    • 2 Cups non-fat milk, 1 Serving Shakeology or 1 Serving Whey Protein Powder, 1 Cup Veggie(Carrots, Broccoli,etc), 1 tbs raw Peanut Butter
    • 1/2 Cup Oats, 1/4 Blue Berries, 2 Cups non-fat milk
  
  
  
  • Morning Snacks:
    
    
    • Protein Bar, Orange
    • Banana, 1/2 Cup oats
    • 1 Cup Carrots, 1 tbs raw peanut butter
    • 1 Serving Almonds, Protein Bar
    • 1/2 cup oats, blueberries, 1 Cup non-fat milk
    • Shakeology, Banana
    • 1 Serving Whey Protein, Orange
  
  
  
  • Lunch:
    
    
    • 6oz Chicken Breast, 1 Cup Celery, 6oz Sweet Potatoes, 1 tbs raw peanut butter
    • 4oz Lean Ground Beef(93/7), 1 Cup Carrots, 1 Cup Field Peas
    • 6oz Turkey Burger, 1 Cup Broccoli, 1/4 Cup Oats, 1/4 blue Berries, 1 tbs raw peanut butter
    • 6oz Chicken Breast, 1 Cup Cauliflower, 32g Whole Wheat Crackers, 1 Serving Almonds
    • 6oz Turkey Breast, 1 Cup Asparagus, 1/2 Cup Brown Rice, 1 Serving Almonds
    • 4oz Turkey Burger on wheat bun, 1 tbs Horseradish Mayo or Mustard, Lettuce, Tomato, Onion, 1 Cup Asparagus, 1 Serving Cashews
  
  
  
  • Evening Snacks:
    
    
    • Shake: 1 Serving Whey Protein, Orange, 1/4 Cup Oats, 1 Cup non-fat milk, 1 tbs Peanut Butter
    • Shake: 1 Serving Shakeology, 1/2 Cup Strawberries, 1/4 Cup Oats, 1 Cup non-fat milk. 1 serving almonds on the side
    • Shake: 1 Serving Shakeology, 1/2 Serving Whey Protein Powder, 1/2 Cup Oats, 1 tbs peanut butter, water
    • OR Morning Snake Combo
  
  
  
  • Dinner:
    
    
    • 6oz Fish, 1 Cup Green Beans, 1 tbs peanut butter
    • 4oz Lean Ground Beef(93/7), 1 Cup Asparagus, 1 Serving Cashews
    • 6oz Chicken Breast, 1 Cup Spinach, 1/2 Cup Lima beans, 1 serving almonds
    • 6oz Ground Turkey, 1 Cup Black eyed Peas, 1 Cup Cauliflower
    • 4oz Chicken Breast on wheat bun, Horseradish Mayo Spread, Onion, Lettuce, Tomato, 1 Cup Carrots

Recipe Lists from Thread Members:

• From Tracey(AKA Talligirl22)
  
  
  • Power Pita Pizza - from Power 90 Nutrition Guide
    
    Ingredients:
    Pita Pocket – whole wheat
    Marinara Sauce – low sugar
    2 oz. Grilled Chicken breast – sliced or chopped
    Shredded mozzarella – (I use the 2%)
    Veggies, veggies, veggies – onions, peppers, broccoli, mushrooms, spinach, banana peppers, really anything you want
    
    Directions:
    1. Preheat oven to 350
    2. Split whole wheat pita in half, spray inside lightly with olive oil Pam
    3. Toast the open faced pita very lightly – about 3 minutes.
    4. Remove pita and top with the Marina Sauce (about 2T. per pita side)
    5. Top with 1 oz. of chicken for each pita side.
    6. Top with shredded mozzarella.
    7. Bake in oven for 10 minutes.
    8. Enjoy
    
    I have also made variations:
    BBQ Chicken Pita Pizza
    - Replace the Marinara with your choice of BBQ sauce (a little goes a long way in flavor). And after placing the chicken and before adding the cheese, drizzle an additional teaspoon or so of bbq sauce per pita.
    
    Turkey Pepperoni Pita Pizza
    - Just replace the grilled chicken with Turkey Pepperoni
    
    I have also tried this with flat bread, sandwich thins and tortillas. I think the pitas work the best