(Excerpts from April Newsletter)

MESSAGE FROM TODD
Wow!  How time is flying by.  I am less than four weeks away from having our Fitness Quest 10 expansion complete and I am getting pumped up about it.  The infrared saunas were actually installed yesterday, so I was able to finish my day with a nice 20 minute sauna.  It was awesome.  You should see how the place is shaping up-I am thrilled with just how it is all coming together.

Things have been extremely busy.  Between all the logistics of the expansion, an increasing number of clients, many of my NFL guys going full steam ahead, and traveling to present at workshops and conferences, the past month has been a blur.  I have been writing quite a bit for all of the marketing material for our new place.  It is going to absolutely blow you away with what we are doing.  I am so excited I can't contain myself.  I'll share a little bit in this addition of the TD Times and I'll reveal our entire program next month.

In addition to Fitness Quest 10 growing, I am creating a program that is not yet being done in the fitness industry.  Besides having limited, exclusive memberships in the new sports performance facility, we are creating an entire program to transform people's lives and inspire them to reach greatness in their lives.  Not only will we be positively influencing people in San Diego, we will also be able to work with people from all over the country.  I will be creating monthly teleseminars, annual mind/body/health retreats at Four Star Resorts, Success Coaching, mastermind groups for individuals looking to get to the next level in their personal or business life and a whole lot more.  It will truly be a world-class facility and program that connects and serves people from all over.   Tune in next month for more details ...

In preparing for all the growth and positive transformation of the business, we had a "Purge Party" last week.  Read the Feature article on what this is all about and use a "purge" to help you and your business get to the next level also.

That's it for now.  By the time you read the next newsletter, I will have traveled to Chicago, Ocean City, MD, and will have the "soft-opening" of the new place.  I am trying to live in the moment but so excited about what the future holds.  In the meantime, stay focused, dream big, take risks, and create your own success.

Peace and Health,
Todd Durkin

FEATURED ARTICLE: TIME FOR A PURGE PARTY?
By Todd Durkin
It is said that “Cleanliness is next to Godliness.”  It is easy to say, but many of us have a difficult time staying neat, organized and clutter-free. Yes, admit it, some of us really are pack rats.  The truth is that clutter does build up in our lives and, if we don’t get rid of, it will affect our overall performance.  What I discovered this past week was how to make a major improvement in my business and personal life that will drastically change the way I act, think, and perform.  If you want to “go for greatness,” I have a great technique for you.

I was doing a bodywork/massage last week on a dear client and mentor.  His name is Mont Dickinson and he has run large companies for the better part of 40 years.  We were talking about business and he shared an experience he did with his companies every year that made a huge difference in the workmanship, organization, and performance of his teams.  He told me that every year they had their entire team (Sometimes in the thousands!) take part in an annual “Purge Party” where everyone on the team was responsible for cleaning out the entire business and starting fresh.  Mont said it was a powerful way to clean shop, keep it safe, and keep your customers with a good impression.  Furthermore, he pointed out that if you want to run a solid organization, it must be run like a tight ship and one thing that was important was “organization.”  And one of the best ways to get organized and keep things clean was to have a “Purge Party.”  

A light bulb went off .  I said, “Boy, do we need to do that with our team”.  It has been seven years since I’ve opened my business, and I’ve never had a “Purge Party.”  In the fitness industry, we don’t like to use the word “purge.”  But for this one day, I’m going to use it in a different context.  A purge is nothing more than a good old-fashion spring cleaning or cleanse.  I was so excited that I organized the event that night to take make it happen two days later, on Good Friday.

I figured what a great time to clean out your life.  Easter weekend.  A time for new beginnings.  Cleanliness, organization, greater clarity, purity, and just a great feeling of starting fresh  -- a rebirth.  

So that’s what the Fitness Quest 10 Team did on Good Friday afternoon.  We had a “Purge Party” and what a party we had.

Here is how I organized it:

I divided our office up into five zones
I created five teams and assigned a leader to each; they were responsible for assigning the specific responsibilities to their team-mates.
The only instructions I gave them was to purge our office and clean it out as best we could.  We would create two large piles on the front deck.  One pile for garbage.  One pile for “I don’t know what the heck this is and we need to go through it and find out if it’s garbage or where it belongs.”
I told them the team that had the cleanest zone would earn a FREE MASSAGE for each of its members.
 
This “Apprentice” style competition had our team members hustling and working hard for a greater good.  I saw people doing things to our business that I never envisioned.  I shared with them the expected end-result, gave them the autonomy to get there, and was astounded by how they did it.

Here are some of the highlights of the 2.5 hour cleanse with over 15 Fitness Quest 10 team-members “purging” our place.

A team working together to clean out things that had not been touched in years.
We had people scrubbing floors, toilets, under treadmills, cleaning fans with Q-tips, cleaning dumbbell racks with toothbrushes, teams scrubbing marks off the wall to make it cleaner, shredding and organizing files.
Our offices were cleaned out of old magazines, papers, clothes, notes and post-its that had accumulated in drawers and cabinets.  I’m talking brand new like we were just moving in.
Old-equipment and apparatuses that we hadn’t used in a while that were ready to be donated away.
 
I don’t know if I’ve ever seen more transformation of a business in a 2.5-hour time period. TEAMWORK, LEADERSHIP, AND COMMUNICATION were very apparent.  It was a powerful team-building experience and one that we will use again.

I was so impressed by the RESULTS.  My wife Melanie came up to the office that late afternoon and was shocked.  Clients came in over the weekend and noticed something “different”.  I was so excited about the results that I went home and started purging my home office, my garage, and everything.  Melanie was wondering what the heck was going on and I told her “No, I am not nesting and we are not pregnant.  I am doing some purging and celebrating this Easter weekend with some serious spring cleaning.”  More important, my mind is fresh, there is less “clutter” in my life, and that will allow me to further see and attain my vision.

“Cleanliness is next to Godliness”.  On the high season of the Christian calendar, it is nice to celebrate Easter and a purge at the same time.  As we expand into our new facility in just a few weeks, it feels good that we have gotten rid of so much clutter.  Increased energy, increased organization, improved impressions, and a clean breath of fresh, uncluttered air—ah, it feels good.  Thanks Mont.

I leave you with this assignment:
Schedule an annual purge.  Purge your home, your desk, and your office.
Commit to doing this within the next two weeks and watch the clarity of your vision and watch how much more effective you are in getting things accomplished.
Report back to me and let me know your experiences.  Whether you run a one-man show, are part of a small team, or part of a large organization,  let me know how it affects your “mind-set” and if you mysteriously improve your results, profitability, and attaining your goals after completing this exercise. 
 
A few reminders in regards to purging:
1.  If you purge papers, be sure to shred the important documents that have name, information, banking information, etc.

2.  Accounting records should be held on to for 7 years.

3.  Have plenty of cleaning supplies on hand (garbage bags, scrub brushes, mops, cleansers, etc.)

4.  Have a garbage pile, and an “I don’t know file.”  Have the entire team go through the “I don’t know file.” and discard if not valuable.

5.   If in doubt, throw it out!

6.  Smile and enjoy the new found space in your life!

P.S.  All of our team members that participated in this event ended up earning a massage.  I couldn’t pick a “winning” team and was so impressed with everyone’s passion, willingness to help, and desire to get the business looking clean.  What a team!

GUEST ARTICLE: SOLE SURVIVAL
By Shari Fishel, HHP
We never really think about how important our feet are until they cause us pain.  Our feet are the foundation of our posture and have a very demanding job given their size in relation to their responsibility.  As a massage therapist, my feet serve a particularly important function in my life.
 
It was not until recently that I realized the absolute importance of proper foot care. After having bilateral foot surgery and spending two months in a wheelchair, I had to learn how to walk again. During rehabilitation I found that any deviation from proper foot alignment caused me pain in other areas of my body. I knew that if I didn't relearn to walk in the correct manner it would cause prolonged overall body dysfunction.

In his book, Pain Free, Pete Egoscue tells us that "any pattern of foot strike that deviates from heel-ball-toe is a symptom of dysfunction in the load-bearing joints. The structures of the foot are not designed to handle alternatives." Supination, pronation, abduction (duck-toed) and adduction (pigeon-toed) are all actions of the feet that hinder correct movement. I've been working very hard to develop proper foot mechanics following my surgery and have asked myself many times what can be done to prevent foot pain and possible deviation from correct form. This is what I've learned:

Work on having strong feet and proper alignment. Don't grow dependent on your shoes to provide you the support you need. Work in the gym or with your trainer to increase balance and strength across both longitudinal and lateral arches.
Loosen tight and overstressed muscles, tendons and connective tissue. Soak your feet and receive therapeutic foot massage or reflexology to support their function.
Don't forget about your load-bearing joints (ankles, knees and hips) and their affect on proper foot alignment. Work on flexibility and strength through stretches, strength training and bodywork.
Your body is a system of joints working together to create movement and stability. Improper movement at any joint, especially those of the feet, affects the function of the entire body.
Back on my feet, massaging again, I'm working very hard to maintain good foot health. This experience has led to a greater understanding of the structure and mobility of our feet which benefits both me and my clients.  Feet serve a very important function in everyone's life, so don't take them for granted!

Shari Fishel is a massage therapist at FQ10 and is available for therapeutic massage and structural bodywork sessions. Shari specializes in treating conditions of the back, hips and lower extremities through a mix of techniques that she has developed over her seven years as a massage therapist.

COOKING CORNER
By Julie Wilcox, GM of Fitness Quest 10

Orange Chipotle Scallops
Makes 4 Servings
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 ½ pounds large sea scallops
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon salt, divided
- ½ cup fresh orange juice with zest from rind
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped canned chipotle peppers in adobe sauce (very spicy); you can substitute with fresh diced tomatoes or red peppers
- ¼ cup chopped green onions
Heat a large skillet over med-high heat, add olive oil.  Sprinkle scallops with paprika and 1/8 teaspoon salt.  Add scallops to pan, cook 3 minutes on each side until browned.  Remove from pan, keep warm in foil.

Add orange juice and peppers to pan, scraping to loosen browned bits from scallops.  Bring to a boil, and cook until reduced to ¼ cup (about 1 minute).  Add remaining salt, stirring until smooth.

Plate the scallops, pour sauce over and sprinkle with green onions.

Amount per serving:
Calories:  218  
Protein 28.9g  
Carbs:  8.1g
Fat: 7.1g

Sugar Snap Pea Salad
Serves 4
- 1 pound sugar snap peas, trimmed
- 3 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
- 3 tablespoons rice-wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 1/2 cups fresh mint leaves, chopped
- salt and pepper to taste

Boil peas for 1 minute in lightly salted water, immediately remove from pan to an ice bath (bowl of ice in water)

Drain peas and place in a serving dish.

Combine shallots, vinegar, honey, mustard and oil. Whisk until smooth, pour over peas, season with salt and pepper and garnish with fresh mint and my favorite garnish lemon peel.

Serve with steamed brown rice or couscous!!!!

Add a steamed brown rice or couscous to compliment your scallops and salad, and you are set.  Bon Appetit!

"Cooking Corner" is a new addition to TD Times, contributed by Fitness Quest 10's very own General Manager Julie Wilcox.  Creating and cooking healthy and simple recipes is one of Julie's passions!

TD'S TIPS
-- As I stated in the feature article, spend 2 hours sometime within the next four weeks organizing and reducing clutter.  You'll be amazed with how much it will positively affect your everyday life!

-- The majority of strength movements for the lower body focus on front/back movement so don't forget to throw in some lateral moves to balance out your body.  Lateral lunges and step-ups, lateral jumps and bounds, and slide board work are all excellent additions to balance out any exercise program.  Ryan Rogers, MS, CSCS, Fitness Quest 10, Strength & Conditioning Coach and Personal Trainer

-- WORK SMARTER - NOT HARDER: If you don't think you are getting the results you should be getting from your cardio workouts, strap on a heart monitor.  A heart monitor will give you the feedback you need to make sure you are exercising safely and with the proper degree of difficulty.  Many things can affect heart rate - the weather, medications, a cold, the terrain.  Once you have determined your target heart rate you can adjust your effort accordingly.  It can make the difference! Sharon Hill, M.S., ACE-CPT, Fitness Quest 10 Veteran Personal Trainer

--When trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle, nutrition is one of the areas where people tend to trip up from time to time.  The most important thing to remember is that you are making lifestyle changes, so if you ever over-indulge for one meal or at one particular setting, take a step back from the situation and remind yourself that you are changing the way you live your life, which will help steer you back on track instead of letting you slide off!  Ryan Burgess, CSCS, Fitness Quest 10, Strength & Conditioning Coach, Personal Trainer

ABOUT TODD
Todd Durkin is a 2 Time Personal Trainer of the Year and Founder of Fitness Quest 10 & Todd Durkin Enterprises in San Diego, CA. He trains people from all walks of life, but is best known for the work he does with over 25 NFL Superstars. He trains the likes of LaDainian Tomlinson, Drew Brees, Reggie Bush, Alex Smith, and Donnie Edwards amongst others. His expert staff of 25 trainers, coaches, and massage therapist/bodyworkers perform over 400 weekly sessions and help educate, motivate, and inspire the world to greater levels of health & fitness. Todd has 14 DVD's on fitness & sports performance and has been featured in many national magazines and media outlets. His ezine newsletter "TD Times" is his way of connecting clients, trainers, coaches, colleagues, and friends from all over the world. He can be best reached through his website or by e-mailing him at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .