Hey there!  John here and I’m back with a post that means a lot to me so I want you to read it cover to cover.  As many of you know, I’ll be participating in our Pushups for Charity Challenge taking place this Saturday at our San Jose bootcamp and personal training studio, Fast Action Training.  Seeing what awesome support we’ve received from so many of you and other friends, family and sponsors, has been incredible.  The fact that we will be able to make such an impact and donate a considerable amount to The Boot Campaign and aid our armed services men and women that need our help is a great feeling.  Another little factoid about our PUC campaign is that our primary slogan is “What do you PUSH for?”

So the question is my faithful reader….what do YOU push for?

I’ve been thinking a lot about that and about what it means to me to be giving back to such a great non-profit like the Boot Campaign.  After you read this, I’d love for you to share a bit about what YOU push for in the comment section below.

I’ll tell you that I PUSH for a lot of things in my life.  I push for family.  I push for friends.  I push for our awesome clients at Fast Action Training.  I push to make a difference in the world and in people’s lives.  I push for fitness and health.  I push for love and respect.  I push for being in control of your own destiny and creating and living the life you want to live.

And none of this would be possible without the people that serve our country.  The people that put their lives on the line in the name of freedom.    The people that have given me the gift to live a wonderful life in a wonderful country where I feel safe.   The people that come home wounded both mentally and physically that believe in our country’s ideals.  The people that may never walk again, talk again, or might not even make it home.  These people that have the courage and bravery to allow me to continue to push for what I believe in.

And that’s what it is all about.  Paying respects to the people that fight for us and protect us is about continuing to PUSH for what we believe in.  This is how we show them that it’s all worth it and that we care.

If you’d like to help donate to our Pushups for Charity Challenge and benefit the Boot Campaign and all of the men and women that allow us something to PUSH for, you can go here:

www.crowdrise.com/fastactiontraining

Every little bit counts.  And if you’re around, come show your support by hanging out and having a good time (and maybe tossing in a few pushups at our event this Saturday, May 19^th from 9am-11am at our indoor bootcamp in San Jose.

So…..what do you PUSH for? Let me know in the comment section below and have a phenomenal rest of your week!

Dedicated to your success,

John Heringer

Now unlike the majority of crazy kids over at Kain Performance who did the Long Course (1.2 mile swim, 56 mi bike and 13.1 mile run) I just did the Olympic distance tri…. 0.93 mile swim, 24.8 mile bike and 6.2 mile run…which was enough for me this time around.   Thousands of people participated in the races this weekend and I saw everyone from 12 year olds to one gentlemen who I’m pretty sure was 79 years young.  Some people were in crazy shape, others in not so good shape but everyone was just out to finish and have a good time.

Ok so after a quick background, here are some of the things I learned at the 2012 Wildflower Triathlon…maybe you can relate to a few.

1) Camaraderie and support are “must haves” in sports and life

The genuine feeling of support and camaraderie was all over the Wildflower Tri.  People came to race, some just to support and EVERYONE would give you a big cheer or words of encouragement.  Absolutely awesome.  As a racer on Sunday, having hundreds of people yell my number or “Go Kain!” (as I was wearing their jersey) kept me motivated and kept me pushing at times when I might not have.  Do you have people supporting and cheering you on in your life?  To achieve your fitness goals and pretty much anything in life, this is a must have.  At our bootcamp in San Jose one of our chief aims is to motivate and encourage all of our members on a daily basis….but you need it outside of the workouts as well.  If there are any “debbie downers” in your life, get rid of them.

2) Challenges improve our mental toughness

Getting stronger and faster and more fit is great, but are you getting mentally tough too?  The athletes that performed the Long Course definitely had resiliency and mental toughness like no others.  I don’t care if some of these athletes have been training like rockstars and happen to be in incredible shape….the fact that they performed this triathlon and pushed themselves for 5-9 hours of activity is absolutely incredible.  Do you consider yourself mentally tough?  Can you push through when all you want to do is stop?  You don’t need to necessarily push the envelope every time you workout, but approaching that extreme level from time to time will not only make you incredibly fit, but it will increase your mental toughness.  It’s also important to note that your “push” might just be a 30 min jog or a bike ride or a 5K….but those challenges make you tougher.

3) Most of us have it pretty damn good

By far the most inspiring thing of the entire weekend was watching, cheering and applauding the Challenged Athletes that participated in the triathlon and relays.  Athletes that were missing an arm, or a leg, completed these races; not to mention one woman was actually blind and did the entire triathlon with her mother at her side….un-freaking-believable.  Chances are that most of you reading this right now have the complete use of everything on your body and are not missing any limbs.  Now perhaps triathlons are not “your thing” but isn’t it amazing that these Challenged Athletes participated?! Amazing that they had the mental fortitude to say “I don’t care if I’m missing an (arm or leg) I’m going to do this damn triathlon anyway!”  Food for thought for all of us that think we don’t have what it takes at sometimes.

4) Step out of the impossible and into the possible

Although there were many “racing” athletes out to break their personal records and push to the max, there were a lot of other athletes out to just finish.  People that may have never, ever thought they would ever complete a sprint, olympic or long course triathlon….and they did it.  Now maybe for you the start is a 3K or a 5K or a swim event, or just going on a bike ride.  The point is that you’ve got to STOP thinking about why you can’t do it!  Don’t create unnecessary roadblocks and obstacles that don’t even exist yet!  Focus on the solution and the attainment of your goals in bite-sized pieces.

And one thing remains for certain.  Step out of the “impossible” mindset and into the “possible.”

If you want to lose 30 pounds, do it.

Run a 5K, do it.

Finish a 10K, do it.

rock an Ironman….do it.

If you have a plan of action, train smart, and remember the 4 things above that I learned at the 2012 Wildflower Triathlon, anything is possible.

Action items! Your action item is one of the following:

#1: Stop procrastinating or excusing the lack of achievement of a particular goal (whether it be weight loss, starting an exercise program etc) and just do it.

or #2: Step outside your comfort zones and plan your next exercise related activity to challenge yourself physically and mentally.

Remember that we’re always here to help you out along the way so call us anytime (408) 371-1212.

Until next time, keep kickin ass and takin names! Oh and I’d love to hear your comments below by submitting a reply or using the Facebook plug-in. Thanks!

Dedicated to your success,

John Heringer

P.S. Special shout-outs to some awesome triathletes I had the pleasure to cheer on or share the battlefield with: Tim, Jody, Bastian, Jackson, Ryan, Reza, Lehon (sp), Dean, Ashley, Rob, Sid, Julia, Ashley F, and Danielle.  Apologies if I missed anyone and congrats to you all.

P.P.S. If you want to dabble in some triathlons I highly recommend Kain Performance to help you train specifically for all events.  Combine that with some great cross-training at our workouts and you’re set to jet.  And if you haven’t tried us out yet, click here for a trial workout.

P.P.P.S. Time to go take an ice bath for my hammies.

Consider the following quotes.  The first from Dr. Maxwell Maltz from his book “Psycho-Cybernetics.”

“The self-image sets the boundaries of individual accomplishment.  It defines what you can and cannot do.  Expand the self-image and you expand the areas of the possible.”

The second from Lee Milteer’s book “Success is an Inside Job.”

“No matter how great your ability, how large your genius, or how extensive your education, your achievement will never rise higher than the confidence you have in yourself.”    

It’s your conscious mind that helps direct your thoughts and make decisions and that understands right from wrong.  However, it’s your subconscious mind that is like the biggest hard drive ever that takes in ALL data and records it.  It doesn’t know right from wrong it just receives data and files it away and does exactly what the conscious mind tells it to do.

Therefore, whatever data you take in, both good and bad becomes programmed into your subconscious mind, is what you believe to be true and becomes your self-image.  So what kind of data and information are you allowing into your computer?  If you feed it positive language and images you will help strengthen your self-image, your resolve to get things done and be successful.  (This is one of the main reasons we send out these Monday Motivators as aim to be a positive beacon as your bootcamp in San Jose.)  However, daily negative thoughts, negative energy, bad relationships and negative self-talk will yield ONLY negative outcomes.

But John, how can I change my bad habits and affect my self-image in a positive way?

You can start by getting rid of the negative people in your life.  You can stop watching the news and listening to the radio when it starts talking about chaos, rising debt and murders.  You can cease the negative self-talk about “why you are the way you are.”  Another quite I enjoyed from Lee is that harsh but true is that, “there are no victims, only volunteers.”  Stop volunteering yourself to stay the way you are. (and if you want help creating some positive affirmations, click here and read all about it.)

Start seeing yourself as the person you want to be that is in prime physical health, has a great physique, healthy relationships and loves life.  The more you work on this, the greater a reality it will become.

Have a great start to your week and stay positive!!

And don’t forget to share this with some friends and leave a comment below!

Dedicated to your success,

John Heringer

Well besides the increase in energy, lower bodyfat, decreased weight, lower cholesterol, improved mood and sleep and overall better physique, there is also a recently found hormone in town you need to know about.

It’s called Irisin and it has been studied in mice and the same hormone can be found in humans.  Exercise triggers muscle cells to produce PGC1-x which then results in the secretion of irisin….a hormone that transforms subcutaneous white fat cells into brown fat cells (1).  Why are brown fat cells important?  Because while white fat is used to store energy, brown fat is linked with burning it!  Not only does it help improve your metabolism but it also helps with glucose tolerance and insulin resistance.  This could make it extremely important in the fight against diabetes.

Now for part 2 of this post…..

What does 1lb of weight loss do for your achy knees?

It unloads 4lbs of joint stress.  That’s right 4lbs!  In fact, it’s been suggested that people who lose 10lbs would enjoy 48,000 less pounds of pressure for every mile walked (2).  Did you get that?  Go ahead and re-read that last statement again por favor.  What does this mean to you if you’re suffering from some achy knees or even mild osteoarthritis?  It means that all of the hard work you’re doing with strenuous workouts and calorie control is making a huge impact on the health of your knees (3).  Can you imagine losing 20, 30 or even 40 pounds and respectively taking 80, 120 or a whopping 160lbs of stress off of your knees??!!!

Pick up 160 lbs of weight at one time if you can and you’ll have a great idea of just how happy your knees will be.

Moral of the stories….keep on truckin!  All the hard work you put in comes with such great benefits such as these and many more so keep at it.

And be sure to leave a comment below if you enjoyed the post!

Till next time!

Dedicated to your success,

John Heringer

“You must do the things you think you cannot do.”

Have you ever stopped and thought about how many times you use negative language in your every day speech?  Things like “I can’t” or “I won’t” or even the grey area of “I’ll try?”  Why pigeonhole yourself?  Why limit yourself like that?

Usually it’s because you are afraid of failure.  It’s because you would rather stay where you are and not come up empty-handed.  However, if you thought this way all the time where would you be in life?  You might have never landed that job or gone in for that first kiss or finished that race.  Yet you went for it anyway!

Your fitness is no different.  You’ve just got to go for it.  Don’t over think it, and do not create unnecessary roadblocks for yourself.  Having a plan is important but what is more important is TAKING ACTION!  Most of what we do not achieve in relation to our fitness goals is because of these self-limiting thoughts.  Get rid of the negative language and step into the positive.

Notice that I did not say to remove the word “no” from your everyday conversations.  You have to have the ability to set boundaries where needed in order to achieve your health and fitness goals and train the way you need.  If you do not, people will walk all over you.

In fact, I’m reminded of a conversation I had recently with a member who said that if it were not for work she would be at our san jose bootcamp more often.  We talked more about it and she joked saying that maybe she should get a note from her trainer (me).  I mentioned that even better would be a note from her doctor and an open, candid conversation with her manager that she needs to leave the office at “X” time (already a full shift) in order to take care of her health.  The doctor’s note is just for some extra “oomph” if you will.

You have got to remember that without your health and wellness, where are you?  A shorter life span?  Moving less comfortably?  Embarrassed about the summer season when it arrives?  Take care of you FIRST because there is only one of you and you need to appreciate that.  You ARE worth it.

So start using that positive language and begin the journey to a healthier, happy, you.

And if you ever need more help with any of this, any of us at Fast Action Training are here for you.

I’d love to hear your comment below and what POSITIVE thoughts and phrases you use on a daily basis!

Have a great start to your week!

Dedicated to your success,

John Heringer and the F.A.T. Team

Special guest blogger David Haas has shared a great article depicting the importance of maintaining a fitness program when undergoing cancer treatments as well as post treatment.  The benefits of exercise are countless and David outlines some great ones for all of us to be aware of and to share with friends or family that might be in this situation currently.

Enjoy and please leave a comment below or share the article with a loved one you think you could benefit.

Multiple Benefits for Cancer Patients Who Exercise

by David Haas

Struggling with a serious illness like cancer can be extremely daunting. Even if you are following your doctor’s recommended treatment plan, you may find yourself facing extreme fatigue, anxiety, and or depression. These side effects can, in turn, hamper your recovery and negatively impact your quality of life. Fortunately, there is one way to improve each of these situations, and that way is exercise.

Although exercise may seem to be the very last thing on your mind, it should actually be one of the first. We know from the latest scientific research that exercise conveys multiple benefits, even to patients with serious cancers like mesothelioma. Taking up an exercise routine can help you by increasing your energy levels and reducing symptoms of anxiety and depression.

How does exercise increase energy levels?

Some people mistakenly believe that exercise can only be draining with no immediate benefits; however, that is not the case. Of course after you finish a strenuous workout session, there is a period of fatigue. However over time, exercise can increase your energy levels by boosting your metabolism, increasing your stamina and adding to muscle mass that may have diminished from treatment.

If you choose to exercise in the form of resistance training, you will not only burn energy and fat during the exercise, but after as well. Resistance training builds muscle and muscles burn energy, even when you are at rest. So this particular form of exercise continues to pay off in terms of energy and weight loss, even hours after your workout.

How does exercise help lower anxiety and depression?

Exercise can help lower anxiety and depression by increasing levels of bodily chemicals like endorphins; endorphins are brain chemicals that affect mood. The phenomenon of the “runners high” is related to endorphin release from physical exercise. This chemical fosters feelings of mental well being and functions as the body’s own pain killers. The effect lasts hours and has no side effects like many narcotic pain relievers do.

Exercise also has benefits in reducing anxiety and tension through lowering a body chemical known as cortisol. This chemical produces the “fight or flight” response. This feeling is helpful if you encounter a situation requiring a heightened physical response, but when it is ongoing, it can be harmful to mind and body. Exercise lowers cortisol levels, inducing feeling of calm and contentment.

What type of exercise is right for me?

The type of exercise you choose to partake in depends upon your present fitness level and where you are in your treatment progress. If you are very weak, you will need to start slowly and choose exercise that is not too demanding. Don’t worry. Every little bit of effort will pay off. You will be doing more in no time. As always, consult first with your doctor before undertaking anything that could impact your treatment.

To read more articles and posts by David you can click here.

John here again and I just wanted to thank David for a great guest post.  I hope you all enjoyed it and will use it as a reminder about the great benefits exercise helps us realize….in addition to all of the toning and tightening. And just remember, even if at times you feel like the ant in the picture to the left, all of that hard work will always pay off and we’re always here to support you!

Have a great rest of your day!

Till next time.

Dedicated to your success,

John Heringer

Below is a great poem that I really feel sums up my overall philosophy of maintaining a positive mindset and realizing how important your thought patterns are to your fitness success.

The Victor

by: C. W. Longenecker

If you think you are beaten, you are.
If you think you dare not, you don’t.
If you like to win but think you can’t,
It’s almost a cinch you won’t.
If you think you’ll lose, you’re lost.
For out in the world we find
Success begins with a fellow’s will.
It’s all in the state of mind.
If you think you are out classed, you are.
You’ve got to think high to rise.
You’ve got to be sure of your-self before
You can ever win the prize.
Life’s battles don’t always go
To the stronger or faster man.
But sooner or later, the man who wins
Is the man who thinks he can.

Awesome right?!  Think about it.  How often have you challenged yourself with something only to have consistent nagging self-doubt?  Perhaps you’re already telling yourself you will not complete it or not achieve it?  That you don’t have it in you?  If you have this type of mindset you most certainly will NOT achieve anything.  You will stay where you are with your fitness and health and things really will not improve.

It all starts with your mindset and at our San Jose bootcamps we try to be pillars of constant motivation and positive reinforcement.  In a world filled with negativity, violence and stress, you need all you can get.  So what do you do to add more positivity to your life?

I recommend surrounding yourself with positive people that will help you achieve your goals.  People that will help lift you up, not drag you down.  I also recommend keeping a log of your achievements and having some positive affirmations that you can recite daily!  (You can check out another post I did on creating affirmation by clicking here).  In fact, I had mentioned that I have my affirmations on a digital recorder that I keep in my car and listen from time to time…sometimes daily.  Don’t’ believe me?! Just ask me and I’ll get it from my car and play it for you.

Having been a personal trainer in San Jose and Campbell for almost a decade I know there are stressors in life for all of our clients but just remember that as King Solomon said: “This too shall pass.”  I remind myself of that quote all the time because it is true.  Some things might get you down from time to time but they shouldn’t keep you there.

Success with your fitness and life goals all starts up top.  Just as Longenecker said, “sooner or later the man [or woman ] who wins, is the one who thinks he [she] can.”

Now go apply ALL of this and let’s make it happen!  Heck, you might even want to print out this poem and post it somewhere you can see it daily.

I’d love to hear your comments below on the poem and post!

Have an awesome start to your week.

Dedicated to your success,

John Heringer

ooohhh, these look good!

Caught!!!

So does it surprise you to see that I’m human?   Yes I love me some good ol cupcakes from time to time.  In fact I’ll bet you didn’t know that I used to be a chubby middle school kid that would buy a 2 Liter of Coke and a Tub of icing before school some days.  Or that my “snack” at 1st recess was habitually a Coke and Chile Picante Corn Nuts.  Ahhh, I was the epitome of health back then, lol!

Ok, so back to my scandalous pics.  I was having a grand ol time at our friends Chris and Kelly’s engagement party while secretly my “good friend” Bryan and my lovely fiance Sara (in the pic) apparently had the whole thing staged and knew that I would give in to my sugar craving.  And I’ll tell you what, they were delicious.  In fact I’m pretty sure I had two.

Behind the scenes…

Now what you do not see in the pictures is what I had achieved that day for exercise.  As some of you may know, Sara and I are training for a triathlon coming up in May and Saturdays tend to be our long exercise days.  Earlier that morning I swam over 3200 yards (about 128 laps), biked 40 miles and then ran for 20 minutes.  Basically about a gazillion calories burned.  In addition, I only had 1 meal in between the exercise and the party and perhaps a few grazing items like an apple or pear.  Knowing that I would be snacking on some cheese and crackers, a little wine and ultimately some cupcakes, I had planned my day out!  Fitness strategy is what it’s all about ladies and gents!  I was able to maintain weight and bodyfat based on the exercise I performed and the good choices I made before the party.

What it means for you…

Just like any sports game, business deal, or even cleaning out the garage, planning and strategy is essential to achieve and maintain your physique.  What can you do to plan out and strategize for your fitness success?  Check it out.

1) Break out your calendar

Yes, you need to schedule your workouts, when they are going to be, where, how long, etc.  You need to do this EACH and EVERY week.  Use a daily planner, outlook, google calendar, whatever, but do it.  Or perhaps you could use the F.A.T. online scheduler without fail…now there is a novel concept.   I know, I know….your schedule changes.  Ok, well if that’s the case, how do you make time to go to the bathroom, run other errands, make it to the doctor’s office, pick up the kids, etc.  You know exactly how…you MAKE the time.  Your exercise is no different.   I know work can get in the way sometimes but can you work if you’re sick because you were not taking care of your health in the first place?  Nope, didn’t think so.

2) Plan and Prepare

Each week when you plan out your exercise you need to plan what you will cook/eat throughout the week.  Fill in corporate lunches and think about what you will do to be successful on those days.  So many people tell me, “oh they brought lunch,”…..ok, so bring your own too!  Or pack some veggies and only eat a teeny bit of the fat filled enchilada they are serving.  Plan your grocery list, shop for what you need (and not on an empty stomach), prepare some items for the week and you will be successful.

3) Be Aware of Higher Calorie Days and Do Something About It

Just as I did with the engagement party, if you have a b-day party, wedding or big event then be aware of it and DO something about it.  As I recently told participants in our 6 Week Body Transformation Contest, plan for some extra exercise that morning (1-2 hours), eat a light breakfast and lunch and then you’re set to have a great time at the party!

If you do the above 3 things it’s just a matter of time before you are fitting back into those skinny jeans….and if you do it right, you’ll fit into them forever.

And I’d love to hear your comments below!

Dedicated to your success,

John Heringer

It’s time to get your mind right and stay focused on achieving your health and fitness goals.  This is extremely important because one of the primary reasons that people do not achieve resolutions or fitness goals is “negative self-talk.”

You berate yourself for eating something bad or not exercising.  You listen to the negative talk of others and it brings you down more.  You feed off of the negative energy on the news or in the paper and it brings you down further.  You tell yourself you cannot do something or that you’ll never achieve this or that.  You delude yourself into thinking that the weight you’ve gained is just “the way it is.”  That you will never change.

That is pure BS.  Say it to your freaking computer right now!  THAT IS BULLSHIT!

I want you to refuse to go down this dark path.  Check out what Hellen Keller says and follow her lead:

“Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement.  Nothing can be done without hope or confidence.”

So if you need hope, confidence and optimism it is safe to assume that without those 3, your negative energy wins and you stay the same.

It’s all a choice that you have control of.  You can choose to make excuses for your circumstances or you can take charge!  I know I’ve said it before but it bears repeating….type of 3-5 positive affirmations for yourself and read them aloud 5x each in the morning when you wake up and the evening before you go to bed.

Slowly but surely it will influence your sub-conscious mind and without even realizing it you will become a more positive and successful person.  I still do this from time to time and went one step farther and recorded them on a mini recorder that I play to myself in the car! (don’t believe me?  Ask me and I’ll show it to you!

Stay optimistic, positive, hopeful, confident and nothing can stand in your way.  And catch yourself when you start being negative!  Don’t allow it to happen.

You are in control, you can make the necessary changes and you can have the physique and lifestyle you desire.  Just make it happen.

Have a great start to your week ladies and gents and be sure to leave a comment below!

Dedicated to your success,

John Heringer

And now for Natalya’s story.  Natalya had also been a member for quite some time with only about 1 lb of weight loss to her name.  As a Gold Member she was consistent with 2 workouts each week but she needed more workouts and calorie burn, a dialed in nutrition program and more accountability.  Check out her story of how she kicked ass during the program and continues to lose weight even now!

It’s videos like all of these that made me want to become a personal trainer and help change people’s lives!  Do you see how excited and happy they are?!  How pumped up and motivated?!  That’s what it’s all about.  So without further ado as I’m sure you’re thinking about how you can get involved in this sweet program….click the link below, check out the details and grab a spot.  Next 6 Week Body Transformation starts 1/16/12 and runs until 2/27-12.

Better hurry though as only 25 are reserved for new members.

New Members click here.

Current members, your links are below to get rockin and we’re only taking 25 as well. (If you don’t know what you are, just call us at (408) 371-1212 and Diana can hook you up. )

Gold Members (2x/week) Click Here

VIP Members (Unlimited) Click Here

I hope you’ll be able to join us in the upcoming 6 week program.  It could change your life.

And be sure to leave a comment below for Vicki and Natalya!

Dedicated to your success,

John Heringer and the F.A.T. Team