Shout-Outs: Sara ran all 1096 steps of the Republic Plaza in 13:08. Still awaiting Crystal's results. Cindy Churchill started boot camp 9 classes ago. Last week she had 4 people ask her what she is doing for exercise as she looks SO different!
Upcoming Events: Barbell Workshop: Sunday, March 4th and 18th, Ski/Snowboard day: Friday March 9th and Tuesday, March 20th. The next Nutrition Challenge begins Sunday, April 1st. No joke! Check out the Events page for details!

I cannot stress enough how critical GOOD FORM is for the movements you perform in your workouts. Taking the time to DO EACH MOVEMENT WELL is the difference between getting stronger and lifting more weight faster or hurting yourself and not being able to boot camp (or anything else in your life).  We are not in a hurry. Take the time. Listen to your coach, even if she sounds like Charlie Brown's Mom: wha wha wha wha wha ...

Christie and her air squats. Chest tall, knees tracking toes, weight on heels, hip crease at or below knees, eyes looking forward...

Jerri - on the pull portion of sumo deadlift high pull: weight on heels, wide (sumo) stance, arms in between legs, bar centered, shoulder over the bar, back straight, neck in line with spine, eyes looking forward....

Then there is the agility ladder.. silly fun warm-up.

Shout- Outs: (they are getting more and more frequent as you guys just keep uppin' your game in boot camp and in your LIFE!)  Vanessa and Kristen: ran half a mile up a hill and down in the cold, the wind and the dark. For the first time. Without stopping. Crystal: registered for the Flight For Air stair run. She had never done anything like this before. First she runs 2.54 miles without stopping, then will register for a 3k, and now this.....! I know alot of you are also up to something big. Share it!!!

 Amy just found out she is pregnant. With TWINS        Vanessa - lookin good after her hill run           

Jenny - workin hard - sandbag box step up.

Happy Birthday this week to Vanessa (we celebrated today with Fight Gone Bad - Tabata style. (NOT my idea - she PICKED IT for God's sake), Brenda on Tuesday and Sue on Wednesday.  We have a fun, celebratory week ahead of us!

 Happy 30th Vanessa!!  Great looking Sumo deadlift high pull with 33#! You are constantly getting stronger and leaner every time you come in!

 Cathy - Shout-Out to you for your 53# push press!

 Jerri - rockin as usual - 53# sumo deadlift high pull!

Lisa - Shout-Out ot you for your 53# push press.

You keep uppin' your game each time you walk in the door!

OH MY GOSH - who are you all and what was up with you today??!!!  So many Shout-Outs: Lisa T., Charlotte, Erin, Deborah and Alisha: 113# deadlift !(previous weight 85#). Kristen, Alyssa, Vicki, Janet and Jennifer: 85# deadlift! Handstand pushups using a band only for assistance: Dawn, Janet, Sonia, Lisa F., Cara, Jennifer and Pamela! Pamela: 1st double under! Alyssa: 5 unassisted pullups! Vicki: pullups with no band assistance!If I have missed anyone, give me Shout-Out so I can acknowledge you as well!

Shout-Outs: JJ - movin' up to a 20" box jump height! Crystal - ran the 2.54 miles without stopping. A 5k is next! Kendra - has lost 2 pant sizes in 6 weeks! Alyssa - 10 chinups, no box, no band! Shannon - has lost 35# so far; in 12 weeks! Jen - 33# push press! Lauren - 43# overhead squat
Thought for the Day: Marcie (6:30 class) told us that in Togo, South Africa, there is no word for "tomorrow". The people there practice "living in the moment". They can describe what tomorrow is, but do not have a need for the word. Hmmm...today I am being aware of how often I am "living in the moment". So far, not very often.....

 Shannon - continuing to come to boot camp 2x week, lose weight, bodyfat and inches while getting stronger and leaner. We are honored to be a part of her life changing journey.

 Alyssa - 10 chinups - no box, no band. Just her bodyweight!

 Crystal - celebrating 2.54 miles continuous running-

 Jen - 33# barbell push press

Lauren - 43# overhead squat

Today's Shout-Outs: Shannon - 6# wall ball to 10" target, Jen Muzar - swingin' a 26# kettlebell, Christie Myers, Lisa Folks - handstand pushups using a band (not a box). Debbie Rock -handstand pushups on the wall!!

I have had lots of questions regarding the Paleo diet and what foods are to be avoided and why. Here is an article that answers your questions..

Happy Birthday Alisha!!!  Thanks for wanting "KettleHELL" as your birthday workout...

Debbie - handstand against the wall! YAY for wanting to "up your game" this morning!

Jen  - "upped her game" to a 26# kettlebell!

Shannon - throwing an 6# wall ball to the 10" target !!!

Lisa - handstand pushups using the band!

Today's Shout-Outs go to: Katie and Marcie: jumping on a 20" high plyo box for the first time! Wendy: jumping up on a 12" box for the first time! Mary Jo and Cindy: decreasing their "100 burpees for time" workout by more than 2 minutes!! Charlotte won the nutrition challenge and shared that she had not worked out AT ALL for 3 months before coming to boot camp. Just goes to show you how far you can go with a little effort.

Just a taste of what goes on in boot camp:

 Erin doing her floor wipers using a 78# barbell. Whewww. She is frickin STRONG.

 Jen and Paula dueling ring dips.

 Cortnae adds a little flair to her handstand pushups.

 Christie working on box jump number 93.

 Jen working on wall ball number 100. She did 100 with a 10 pound ball and it drove her nuts because she always uses a 14# ball. So she had to do them all over using 14#. She is frickin CRAZY. 

 Lauren jumping up on a 20" high plyo box.

Wendy. Rowing.

Results for the "Winter Weight Off" Nutrition Challenge" !!!
1st Place : Charlotte Bassin - 68 total points. 8.4 pounds lost, 4% bodyfat and 6.75"!
2nd Place: Ruth Petrick - 50 points. 8.8 pounds lost, 3.5% bodyfat and 4.75"!
                  Lauren Morrisette - 50 points. 3 pounds lost, 3.9% bodyfat and 4.5"!
3rd Place:  Erin England - 48 points. 5.8 pounds lost, .8% bodyfat and 3"!
4th Place:  Lisa Folks - 47 points. 8.2 pounds lost, 2.3% bodyfat and 6.25"!
                  Jess Nichols - 47 points. 4.2 pounds, 2.8% bodyfat, 3.25"!
                  Katelyn Cowan - 47 points. 6.4 pounds lost, 1.9% bodyfat, 2.5"!
5th Place: Nicole Piasecki - 46 points. 9.4 pounds, 3.2% bodyfat and 5.75"!
                 Marcie Haeg - 46 points. 6 pounds, 1.1% bodyfat, 4.5"!
Honorable Mentions:
                  Vanessa Gonzales - 3.6 pounds, 1.3% bodyfat, 7.25"
                  Wendy Folger - 4.6#, 2.7% bodyfat, 5.5"
                   Shannon Perea - 7.6 pounds, 2.5% bodyfat
                   Erica Sandoval - 5.6 pounfds, 2% bodyfat, 4"
                   Brenda Cody - 8 pounds, 1.5% bodyfat, 3.5"
                   Caren Leaf - 1 pound, .6% bodyfat, 1.5"
                   Katie Miller - 2.2 pounds, 2.3% bodyfat, 8"
                   Annie Gorenstein - 2.8 pounds, 5% bodyfat and 3.75"
                   Paula Hendrickson - 9.4 pounds, 4".
                   Jeribeth Stevens - 3.4 pounds, .5% bodyfat and 4.5"

Congratulations to all of you !!!!  There were 38 women who started the Challenge and 19 who completed it. In just 28 days, all of the women who completed the challenge saw SIGNIFICANT results in terms of weight, bodyfat and inches lost as well as strength gains (determined by the increased number of pullups, pushups and situps completed in one minute). Points were also awarded for completing and turning in daily food journals and for workouts completed. Note: EVERY POSSIBLE POINT COUNTED FOR DETERMINING THE OVERALL WINNERS, not just for pounds, bodyfat and inches. Every completed daily food journal, every pullup, pushup and situp, every workout. These women gave everything they had for 28 days. And look what they got in return.........

     All KINDS of crazy things are happening at the gym this week, although I always hesitate to call our training facility a "gym" because it has no shiny white equipment, no treadmills and no mirrors. YOU are the equipment, the treadmill and the ever growing connection of your brain to your body, the mirror.  

What are we all training for?  We are training for LIFE. Our workouts train us to be better at what we do outside of the gym. And that is where it matters the most.

 Brenda went up to swinging an 18# kettlebell this week and ran most of the way up and down the hill of torture.She looks and acts stronger in every way, every day.

 Katie went up to swinging a 35# kettlebell this week. She is also showing amazing gymnastics skills which were always there but now get to blossom each time she works out.

 Shannon says that we have created a monster out of her. She has lost another 8 pounds this week and this morning she "accidently" ran a mile. She lowered her LDL, blood sugars and triglycerides so significantly that she got of 2 of her medications this week!

 Wendy ran 2 miles without stopping on Tuesday. She has not been able to do that for 2 years!

Sara is well on her way to jumping up on a 42" tall box by her April birthday. Tonight she made it to 39". Well, sort of.