Working out while your out of town or on the road!

Well let's face it, most of us have to travel for work. Unfortuanetly, traveling means alot of fast food and very little working out. However, as with anything, if you try to implement a routine then your chances of success are higher than if you just try to play everything out on the fly. So here are some tips from my own experiences that may help you on your traveling fitness journey.


1) COOK
     If you can stay at a hotel with a kitchen and cook your own meals then you will probably eat a 
     little healthier than if you are relying on eating out.

 2) HEALTHIER FAST FOOD OPTIONS
     If you do have to eat out, atleast try some of the healthier options. Sweetgreen, Roti, Chiptole, are all some of the spots I visit as opposed to Burger King, Popeyes, etc... I understand that salads do get boring but if you do decide on a burger than don't feel obligated to get the fries and a drink. Even small changes count!

3) SODAS ARE A HIDDEN CALORIE NIGHTMARE
    Skip the sodas where possible. Opt for Water instead. Drink as much water as possible. It will help with the hunger pains as well and keep you from craving as many snacks. Additionally, if you're like me and you just need something sweet. Go for green teas, or natural vegetable/fruit juices. And don't fall for the "DIET", "half the calorie" advertising!!! The artificial sweetners they are made with are nothing more than POISON.

4) TIMING
    Eat your heaviest meals in the morning. The saying goes something like this, "Eat like a Prince in the morning, a Pauper in the evening and a Peasant at night." Your body will only store the energy that it doesn't use as fat so eat your biggest meals when your body can actually use the energy. Try to drink a glass of water before your meal and see if that helps alleviate that FAMISH, STARVING FEELING.

5) JUNKFOOD!!!
  Do I really need to say anything about this? Don't give yourself any temptation! If you bring it into the room, you are going to eat it!!! If you're going to do it, do it in the morning! Not at night!
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So now that we have the food and eating stuff out of the way, let's talk WORKING OUT and ROUTINES.

Fitness level makes a difference but if you are in pretty good shape then I recommend a few different alternatives.
1) JUMP ROPE or JUMPING JACKS
 Speaking for myself, I don't always feel like putting in any mileage. And though I love to sprint, sometimes it's just impractical. I would love to sprint back and forth up and down the hallway but I'm pretty sure that might get me kicked out of somebody's hotel. Consequently, if you have a jump rope, make sure you pack it up and use it. 15-20mins of jumping rope will torch a ton of calories and in someways it provides a better form of cardiovascular exercise than simply running at steady state. If you don't have a jumprope, don't fret! Jumping jacks are just as good. Both provide a full body workout and the plyometric component is excellent for gaining strength in your legs. My suggested routine is a tabata type circuit of BEGINNERS-20secs on 40secs
 INTERMEDIATE- 30secs on 30secs off, BEACOUPFIT- 40 secs on 20secs off

2) CALISTENICS AND BODYWEIGHT EXERCISES
  If your hotel doesn't have a gym or you don't have access to one then you can still get in a good muscle-building, fat-torching workout. There are tons and tons of exercises you can do but If I had to pick a set of 4 to include in my circuit I would include a) pushups b) bodysquats c) crunches d) dips
From here I would do a set of let's say 20. (20 pushups, 20 body squats, 20 dips, 20 crunches) If you take very little recovery between sets then this workout will become very taxing and can be completed within 20mins.  For an even faster workout, that is just as intense you can try my 7minutes of hell! Basically, the routine is to perform as many good BURPEES as possible in 7 minutes! Talk about a workout from hell! You will literally be sweating like you just made it out if you attempt this one.

3) WORKOUT VIDEOS
 Nowadays, with youtube and videos such as P90X, Insanity, etc... there really isn't a good excuse not to workout. These videos are entertaining and youtube is a treasure trove of people posting workouts, giving workout tips etc..If you are a morning person then workout first thing in the morning when your fresh. If you are a night owl then do it then when you are up and at em'

Well, I guess you get the picture by now. I haven't even mentioned running the stairs or hell walking the stairs for that matter. Personally that is one of my favorite exercises to do though. I am getting at one thing, if it is something you really want to do you can and will make time to do it. Prioritize your schedule so that no matter what that will be your me time.  In the long run your body will thank you for it and you will feel so much better you did. You have been provided with both dietary and workout tips here so stop putting off and start taking control of your life today!

Stretching and recovery

Stretching and recovery

Whether you are working out to improve your performance or just to look better there is one component that should always be included. What am I talking about? Stretching and recovery.

Stretching is so crucial to having a healthy fit body. I must admit this is even one of the major areas I slack off in. Personally, I feel that stretching is boring however after I finish a session my body feels great. In my opinion, it is not healthy to be overly muscular but super stiff.  Tight muscles are a sure sign of an upcoming injury especially if you compete in sports. I do not condone YOGA, however, serious participants of yoga are a good example of our body's capability to be strong, flexible, and toned.

Working out is not what builds the muscle. The recovery is when this happens. That is why it is so important to feed your body the right nutrients so that when you are sleeping, the body can GROW!

Working out is what tears the muscles down, it tells your body that we need more muscle in order to accomplish a certain task. As these broken down fibers repair, additional muscle is created.

MARK where are you?

So, I wrote this whole article on why you should squat, the benefits etc... Had a few computer hiccups and before you know it, I was sitting here looking at a blank screen. Talk about took the wind out of my sales. Thus, I didn't publish my article and as you can see the blog has been rather stagnant lately.

Why aren't you writing more articles? Are you atleast working out? Training anyone right now?

Well, my other line of work has kept me pretty busy lately. I've been doing a bunch of flying in and out of town and frankly, I've just been a little lazy when it comes to writing. Especially, when you finally do take the time to write an article but it doesn't save properly so you lose it before publishing it. As far as working out, come on, you know good and well I'm working out. My eating habits however are hit and miss. As I always say, hats off to bodybuilders because the level of will power necessary to shred to those lower single digit bodyfat numbers is something I'm presently lacking. 

Am I training anyone right now? Yes, and No. I have a couple of colleagues and close friends I give pointers to and workouts here and there but I haven't been meeting anyone for one on one sessions or group sessions. I miss it though and soon as I get free time again, you best believe "Embrace the pain University" will be back in full effect. Until then, check out my clips on youtube or instagram to keep up with the going ons and what nots. 

In the mean time, if you're not already doing so ADD SQUATS TO YOUR ROUTINE! Yeah they hurt, but your body needs them. 

-Mark BFitness

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Bullnox Androrush Pre-workout Review

What's up fit people! Today, I tried the Bullnox Andro-rush preworkout formula! It was pretty cool.

Check out my review! As always, I'd love to know what you think!

Coke and other soft drink products! Let's talk.

 WHAT ARE YOU DRINKING?
 

I'm not pointing out one specific brand of cola or soft drink or whatever you want to call it. The manufacturing process is the same I'm sure. You love em', I love em' but we really need to reconsider what we are putting into our bodies. Let's face it, the saying is we are what we eat correct so "Junk in, Junk out. I've put together a few videos that really give you a VISUAL as to what you are putting into your body when you decide to drink that 20oz bottle of coke. And I know for a fact some people don't drink any water but will drink 3-4 bottles of coke a day! Can you imagine all of the sugar and build up that is accumulating inside of your systems. And we wonder why our bodies are not working properly, why we can't have kids, why we are suffering with diabetes, etc... If you are one of the people I just mentioned, do your self a favor and try to back off atleast one or two sodas a day and substitute them for a bottle of water atleast! Rome wasn't built in a day however it was built one brick at a time (assuming they used bricks but you get the picture lol.)

The VIDEOS

This first video comes from the Russian Hacker, I love his videos. He has all kinds of useful life hacks and interesting experiments that one would probably not think of ordinarily. In this video he does an experiment where he boils a bottle of 20oz soda. What is left after the water burns off is the accumulation of sugar/corn syrup that was added to make that 20oz soda taste exactly how you like it. And I want you to imagine this build up in your body and think about how long it takes your body to break this down and the effect that this probably has on your system!

 

Batteries Corroded?

The next video shows something we have all heard about growing up. The acidity of coke can actually clean copper pennies and in this case battery cables. Once again, if this stuff is capable of cleaning rust and battery acid then what is it doing inside of your arteries and how does this affect your pearly white teeth!? Probably breaks them down and turns that white to hmm...something a little more unattractive.

TOILET CLEANING

Lastly, in the same vein as the last video, this one shows coca-cola being used to clean a toilet. Don't have bleach!? No problem. Crack open the fridge and pour some soda in the toilet!

Works pretty good eh!

 

I've said it time and again. Some of the worst things for you taste good, feel good, etc... I know not all people are extreme enough to cut certain things out of their diets for good but atleast try to adjust your intake to give your body a fighting chance. I haven't even addressed the weight gain associated with drinking these coke products. And please don't think "DIET" is any better. Hell, with the artificial sweetners they are actually worse! Anyway, as the Hodgetwins always say," This is just advice! DO WHATEVER THE %$#  YOU WANNA DO!

 

Thanks for reading!

-Mark B Fitness

 

Also be sure to hit up www.facebook.com/beaucoupfit.com

www.instagram.com/markbfitness

and show some support.



 

Crossfit: Love it or Hate it?

CROSSFIT: Love it or hate it?

Crossfit at first glance is awesome! I will admit, I love to watch the competitions on ESPN.
These competitors are serious Athletes and I respect that. However, as Crossfit is gaining popularity many non-athletes are finding out the hard way that Crossfit can do more harm than good. Now, I would go into a long break down of the pros and cons etc...but I read this article and though I disagree with a few points here and there, this article Why I dont do Crossfit
summarizes my feelings in a nutshell.  In short, I've posted some videos that I thought were pretty hilarious. They show the result of poor coaching, poor techniques, or people letting their egos keep them from making common sense decisions. So do you Crossfit?

Happy BDAY to me and more!!!

 WHAT'S NEW!?

Well it's April 27th, 2014! I'm sitting here in my hotel room looking at the walls thinking it's time to get back with the program. I went from working out atleast 4-5 times a week to barely getting in my 1 or 2 a week over the last 2 weeks. As a fitness professional I  know I need to do better however my other profession demands alot of my schedule and the 10-12 hour days take a toll on you sometimes.

I had a birthday this month which means I am one year closer to dying lol. I know that sounds grim but it is a truth of life. With that being said, I believe eating a good diet and exercising will keep you from aging and I know I look just as good or better than some of the 20 y.o folk I see from day to day. If I could only find a solution for these gray hairs though. :o)

When I am not personal training sometimes I travel the country and work long hours. I am no stranger to living out of my suitcase and spending more nights than I care to remember in the hotel. Sometimes your hotel has a good selection of gym equipment and other times, not so much!
But there are still plenty things you can do to stay active. Run the stairs. Use the office chair to do ab rollouts. Use the sofa to do dips. Don't forget you can always drop down and give me 20!!!

So for the many of you who work long hours and have minimal time to workout I do relate. But I believe in leading by example so if I can do it you can too. Sometimes you just have to make it a
priority that get in atleast 20 minutes of physical activity. Everybody has 20mins right!?

Examples of things you can do include the following: (Kind of redundant but you don't care, right!?)

1) Stairs
2) Jumping jacks
3) Jump rope
4) Pushups, abs, and body squats
5) Intervals of burpees
6) plyometrics
7) etc...
the possiblities are really endless if you are creative and the good thing about creative is that it keeps your body guessing.
 You could always do these as well!!!

The weather is beautiful today so I think I will enjoy some of this weather with a little jog/walk around the Nation's Capitol.

What are you going to do today?

The 300lb phenom! Inspiration of the week! D-300.

Hello again my fit family! The blog has been quiet for a while as I have been extremely busy and frankly just haven't been up to keeping it updated. I do apologize and hopefully, I can start doing better again. This entry is an easy way out for me today! It's always easy to find people that are inspirational and this guy inspires me to no end! Sure, CT Fletcher and those guys are mad impressive but I always have had a deeper respect for the mastering of your own bodyweight. The guy in the video below calls himself D 300. Yep, the brother was 300lbs and controlling his body like a light weight. This shows you the power of sticking to a system and just being consistent. It doesn't matter how big or how small, just keep working at your goals and you can achieve them. I hope you enjoy the video and I look forward to your comments!  If you're in New Orleans, HAPPY MARDI GRAS and DON'T EAT TOO MUCH KING CAKE!!!

Live a better life in 2014!!!

WELCOME BACK!!! 
2013 was a rough year for me. There was much more death than I am comfortable with in my circle.
I lost an old classmate (30something years old), my grandfather, my wife's grandfather and my wife's father! Talk about crazy! The weirdest thing about it was that those deaths were always right before or after holidays. Not to mention, the week of Christmas my wife's father succumb to his battle with Leukemia. Talk about a sucky way to end the year.

I didn't even mention the fact that I caught a nasty stomach virus the week of Christmas so I spent the first part of the week either hovering over the toilet vomitting or sitting on the toilet with EXPLOSIVE DIARHEA!!! Ah well, out with the old in with the New right!!! Today, I finally made it back into the gym. It's been about 2 weeks since my last lifting session. Matter of fact, the last day I lifted weights was the day I came home sick with the EXPLOSIVE VOMITING!!! At first, I thought I lifted too hard and had a problem with my pre-workout mix. However, after 3 different sessions over the toilet I realized this was something different, something more, SOMETHING CRUCIAL lol… Ah well, about 5 days later and lbs lighter I began my recuperation.

http://share.food.com/community/gailanng/style.esi?member_id=1072593

Being that it was holiday time and once again I re-iterate I am from New Orleans, bad food grabbed a hold of me.  Talk about an epic plunge, YES I WENT HEAD FIRST or should I say Mouth first!!! See my Moms is a really good cook! And my brother has MASTERED the recipe for his OOEY GOOEY CAKE.  Hell, I call it "CRACK CAKE!!! Seriously, it is DELICIOUS! Lol, it's so addictive that he can't just bring one pan to a party but he has to bring certain family members whole pans so they can eat it by themselves. Now, personally, I don't recommend anyone eat a whole OOEY GOOEY CAKE! That seems like a recipe for DIABETES, or OBESITY at the least lol. But like I said, it is tasty so I understand.

www.pumpjunkies.com

With that being said, today was time to atone for my holiday sins! The plan was to murder legs today however, it didn't quite workout that way. This was more like "attempted murder", I say that because my workout lacked a little. First my battery on my phone died prematurely! That means no music which means I lost a little of my AMP! Second, everything felt heavier than normal! Even 185lbs on the smith machine felt like a mountain.  Not to mention my endurance felt nonexistent, I could only muster about 8 reps before I had to give in. This was a far cry from my last BEASTMODE session 2 weeks ago. But once again, I understand I am rebuilding.

Thus, I went through my rounds did my best and pushed it as hard as I could. Smith Machine Squats, Free Squats, Single Leg Curls followed by Double Leg Curls, Single Leg Extensions followed by Double leg extensions and walking lunges to finish everything off. I can't wait until I feel like "ME" again but sometimes you have days like this. The important thing is to keep it moving, never give up and keep fighting! 

In essence that is the way we are supposed to live this life. When things aren't going your way, keep pushing and eventually things will go back to normal or even get better. As I will bury my father in law tomorrow, I challenge you to LIVE! Live hard! Don't just exist! Challenge yourself. It will hurt but so what, pulling muscles and not being fit hurts worse in the long run. My son reaps the benefits of having a fit dad everyday!


The next step is to get my body back on the Alkaline side of the Acidic/Alkaline Ph battle. You see, cancer can not survive in an alkaline environment. Acidic foods reap havoc inside of your body. And according to Dr. Sebi,  http://www.drsebiproducts.com the other hazard to our body is Mucus build up so that is the other issue I will try to get in order. I suggest anyone that has not heard of his teaching to look him up. He has done with modern medicine has failed to do…help the body heal itself, not just manage a condition. In the coming weeks and months, I will aim to not just post about exercise and workouts but also about healing the body and proper nutrition to help aid the body in healing itself. The more I learn, the more I realize a lot of the "healthy"foods we were taught may not be the healthiest for our bodies. Life is truly like the "MATRIX"



To my clients-
Sorry to have gone AWOL.
Like I told you, I was sick as a dog for a week and trying to plan this funeral the next week.
But, I'm ready to start working you back into shape. 2014 is here let's get it!
If you want a better breakdown of the workout feel free to message me or email me.

Here's to a productive, fruitful New Year!!!  CHEERS!
-Mark B Fitness