MESSAGE FROM TODD
I can't believe how time is flying by.  Our new facility is open, our limited memberships have begun, our NFL athletes are in full stride with their training, and our new website was just launched 2 days ago.  I have been traveling a ton, and I just returned from teaching a great group of trainers in Chicago over last weekend.  I am excited to be in San Diego for the next 7 weeks since I don't have to travel until the end of July.  It's going to be nice to be home with my family for that length of time without flying on a plane.

I wanted to start off this month's issue with a story.  I recently came across a woman who inspired me.  She came up to me after one of my corporate programs and told me she has lost 111 lbs, decreased her blood pressure over 50 points, cut her blood sugar levels in half, and is off all medications for her health all in the last year.  I gave the woman a big high 5 and hug and asked her how she did it.  Never having seen her before, I was curious as to what triggered her change of life.  She proceeded to tell me that she was one of about 300 women that I spoke to the previous year and that she intently listened to the message.  She committed to daily conditioning, got a workout partner, drastically improved her diet, and believed she could change her life.

I left there scratching my head, so proud of this woman who has transformed her physical life.  I didn't even remember her from the previous year but realized how powerful our words can be.  I was so excited and happy for this woman's success and realized that every time we open our mouths to speak, we don't know how it's going to affect someone.

Make this week a special one.  Make an effort to say "Thank you" to a colleague or family member that you take for granted, go out of your way to help someone out, or write a letter of encouragement to someone that needs a "lift" in life.  Most of all, give someone the gift of hope and let them flap their wings.  It feels so good to make a difference in someone else's life!

God Bless,
Todd Durkin

FEATURED ARTICLE: RECIPES FOR SUCCESS IN GROWING A BUSINESS (PART II)
By Todd Durkin
It is said that you either “grow or die.”  I absolutely love to study how we as individuals, organizations, and businesses continue to grow.  I am as much into facilitating personal growth as I am business growth.  Growth to me is something that as we continue to evolve and attempt to improve the quality of our lives, will inevitably allow us to achieve our life’s mission.  Along the way, there are many lessons to be discovered and experiences awaiting. 

Recently I had the opportunity to stop and think about the “growth” that my company, Fitness Quest 10, is going through and the positive transformation that is happening to our business and the many people involved in helping to create its success.  Fitness Quest 10 has grown quite a bit since its inception as a one-man 2,000 sq foot personal training and massage therapy studio in 2000.  

Our new facility is now open; a state of the art 5,000 sq. foot training facility with many services and amenities.  Not only will our additional facility allow us to continue offering all the services we currently offer, it is going to allow us to offer even more services to better serve our customers.  In addition to personal training, massage and bodywork, Pilates, yoga, and nutrition, our new facility will allow us to touch people in the following new ways:

-Teleseminars
-Annual Mind, Body, Health, Retreats
-Life Success Coaching
-Executive Roundtable Mastermind Groups
-Metabolic Testing
-Limited Memberships to include using the facility on people’s own time
-Executive locker room with infrared saunas, country club lockers, and full shower facilities

June 1 is when we officially opened.  This process has been just an awesome experience.  I have learned many things and am proud of the many people that have contributed to our growth.  I would like to share a few of the items I have found to be extremely valuable in creating a successful venture.  In doing so, maybe you can apply some of the same lessons I learned to your life or business as well.

Negotiate your Deal
If your growth involves purchasing a building, negotiating a lease, or another party, it will probably require negotiation.  For me, my most recent transaction required me to go through a lengthy 6 month negotiation to get the deal that I was comfortable settling with.  The negotiation could involve tenant improvement dollars, length of lease, rental or purchase price, triple net (NNN) fees or common area fees, and many other intricacies that definitely should be reviewed by a real estate attorney.   Being sure my lease had addendums for things like:

-Moisture level higher than a 5 rating would require landlord to completely seal the concrete with a company that I chose
-Fixing the rent with specific increases at select years increases instead of tying it to an arbitrary, non-related CPI (Consumer Price Index) that is “customary”
-Rent abatement for select period of time
-Option years with their terms so you can predict your future expenses

These are just a few of the dozens of things that will end up saving me a lot of money over the course of my terms.  Remember, that it is a business and both sides need to “win”.  Both sides need to make money.  I just wanted to make sure that we got the best deal possible as we work to hard to “recover” money that was left on the negotiation table.  My landlord ended up saying that he had been through hundreds of negotiations before and never has he gone through one like the one he did with me.  Now while there were times that it didn’t look good that we were going to get the deal, I was ultimately fighting for the best deal so that I could see if I could take the next step in becoming “successful.”

Believe in Yourself and your Teammates    
I recently read of a parable of a man named Philippe in Martin Rooney’s book, “Train to Win.”   Philippe wanted to be the best tight-rope walker to ever live so he decided to make an impression; he was going to push his wheelbarrow across Niagara Falls with 100 kg in it.  With a huge audience that consisted of his family, friends, interested bystanders, and international press present, Philippe amazingly pushed his wheelbarrow across Niagara Falls.  When he finished, he told the reporters that he BELIEVED he was the best tight rope walker and that he was willing to do what it took to get there:  hard work, perseverance, focus, sacrifice, perfect practice, and all the little things it took to be great.  By walking across the Falls, he proved he was the best.

When Philippe was done only one reporter remained and Philippe asked the reporter this time, “If I had to do it all over again one more time, with no one looking on but you, do you think I could it all over again.”  The reporter said “Of course I think you can”.  Philippe replied, “You think I can or you believe I will.”  The reporter said, “I believe you could do it.”  Philippe picked up his wheelbarrow, walked it over to the line and set it up for the feat to be repeated.  He than took out the 100 kg weight and said to the reporter, “OK, hop in the wheelbarrow, let’s go!”

Ahhhh…………………now that’s faith.  Do you believe in yourself?  Do you believe in your teammates or colleagues?  The story of Philippe is one that says it all, “Believe in yourself and your teammates.”  Would you let me push you in a wheelbarrow?  Would you let your teammate push you?  As Yoga Berra said, “Ya gotta believe, baby.”

Develop a System & Train the System
Regardless of your occupation, it is imperative to have a system to success.  A system is a blueprint on how to create success in your operation.  The system is the “how to do” aspect of business.  Some examples would be:

-How do you create great customer service?
-How do you answer the phones in your business?
-How do you hire and fire someone?

I can’t believe how many people still just “wing” their business, hoping it works.  It’s like they’ll throw it against a wall and see if it sticks.  Systemization will help produce success!

Regardless of your business, every aspect of your business should have a written system that is developed into an operations manual.  This allows your employees to understand how to get things done so that you can create what I call “Fabled Service”.  The system needs to be trained to all new employees and the system needs to be monitored and measured for all employees.  

If you are an entrepreneur, business owner, or developing your own product, write down the “proven 3 step formula” to help develop your system

-What am I doing?
-Where am I going?
-How do I get there?

If you are not a good writer, hire a company or invest in software to help you with this process.  “Do what you do best and hire the rest” is a motto I have learned along my growth path.   You can not afford to not systemize your business.  As my good friend and mentor, Wayne Cotton told me 7 years ago, “Build your business like you are going to build 500 of them.  If you build only 1 or 2 of them, that’s O.K.  Your business will be so much more efficient, organized and profitable.”  Thanks Wayne, you are right.

Enjoy the “Process” 
If you don’t love what you’re doing, it may be time to examine what you’re doing.  That is not to say that life or business is always going to be easy or great, because it’s not.  As a matter of fact, it will be full of obstacles, challenges, and decisions that can often be stressful.  One thing that even I realize in my recent growth process is to stop and enjoy the process of growing.  Nurture the process, enjoy the process, and watch the fruits of your labor grow.

I have two young boys, ages 4 and 2.  My two boys are growing like weeds.  While they do drink special “Daddy” shakes and eat nothing but clean food like fruits, vegetables, chicken, whole grain pasta (yeah right!), it seems like they are growing up before my very eyes.  Those of you with kids can understand.  Whenever I travel, which has been a lot lately, I will typically be gone for 3-4 days at a time.  It seems like every time I come home, they have grown some more.

I don’t want to miss out on the process of “growing” if I’m too consumed on the end product.  In business, your business today will probably look a lot different today than it will 6 months from now.  Enjoy the process of growth.  Take a deep breath, it’s OK if things do get done tomorrow and not today and keep your eyes wide open to all the neat things happening all around you.

GUEST ARTICLE: METABOLISM-IN THE NEWS AND ON OUR MINDS
By Sharon Hill, ACE certified trainer
Oprah caused quite the stir a couple of weeks ago when she had her metabolism tested on air - while visiting a health spa.  Always ahead of the crowd when it comes to fitness and nutrition, Oprah generated a lot of interest on the subject of metabolism and metabolic testing.  Numerous clients have asked for clarification and we decided to address this topic in the newsletter with input from several of my fellow trainers.

Let's start with some basics:  Metabolism simply is the process of converting food to fuel for the body.  Metabolic rate is the number of calories used to fuel the body.  An average adult consumes nearly a million calories over the course of 1 year.  If you expend the same amount of calories that you consume, you are in a state of "energy balance", where your weight would remain stable.  Some people natural burn a lot of calories, so they can eat more without putting on weight- most of us know someone like this, who can apparently eat almost anything and maintain a stable body weight.  Unfortunatly this is not the case for most of us- and there's the rub.

As amazing as it may seem, we burn between 65-70% of all caloric intake while at rest.  Our resting metabolism provides the energy our bodies need for pumping blood, breathing, maintaining body temperature, rebuilding cells, etc.  Our body also uses calories in the digestive process and can account for another 5-10% of our caloric needs.  The remaining calories are used to fuel our physical activity and can account for another 20-30%.  Are you starting to get the picture?  You can see why Oprah was interested in finding out what her metabolic rate was at rest, as well as when she was exercising.  The technology is now available for most people to take these relatively simple tests and learn important information that can be incorporated into a more effective weight loss and/or training program.

I asked two of our trainers at Fitness Quest 10 who are involved in the Metabolic Testing program to answer some of the questions that we are most frequently asked.  Anna Renderer is an Exercise Physiologist with experience in exercise VO2 testing for healthy and unhealthy populations.  Cara Regas is a Kinesiologist with experience in resting and exercise VO2 testing for athletic and moderately active populations.  Both are excited to carry their clinical experiences into the fitness industry.

How do you measure your Resting Metabolic Rate?
Anna:  “The procedure is rather simple.  You would need to fast for 8-12 hours, preferably overnight.  During the test you are asked to sit comfortably and breathe normally through your mouth.  You will be wearing a mask that will allow air in and out through an air tube extending from the mouth opening.  This allows us to measure with a gas analyzer all the oxygen you breathe in and carbon dioxide you exhale.  These gas measurements determine your resting metabolic rate as well as your caloric requirements for daily living.  RMR is the foundation of weight management.”

If my metabolism is low, can I increase it?
Cara:   “Several things will boost your resting metabolic rate.  The most dramatic boost is seen when you increase your lean (muscle) body mass.  This is accomplished through a weight training program.  Muscles burn about 10-20 times the calories per pound each day than fat does.  This boost in metabolism is constant – and will help offset what is perceived as an inevitable result of aging.  Some experts believe that each one pound of added muscle will result in an increase of 50 calories expended each day.  If you do the math, that equates to a 5 lb. per year weight loss. 

It is also true that your metabolism is higher following exercise for a period of some time.  It would make sense to exercise more frequently to reap these benefits.  This also applies to eating because we see an upturn in metabolism following a meal.  This provides yet another benefit to eating smaller meals more frequently throughout the day.  Increase the amount of protein in your diet.  Most researchers agree that protein helps to stabilize the secretion of insulin into your blood stream – a process that can affect metabolism.  The average person would benefit from a protein intake of a minimum of 70 grams or higher each day.  It also helps to get adequate sleep.  Some studies have shown that people who are sleep deprived have slower metabolisms – and many are susceptible to late-night munchies.”

Do people have very different Resting Metabolic Rates?
Anna:  “You bet they do!  Your RMR is as unique as your fingerprint.  If you are unable to get a metabolic test, there are “calculators” you can access that will estimate your RMR based on your height, weight and age using population norms.  However, we’ve had the chance to compare the results of individual tests results conducted at our facility with these tables (or calculators) and the difference is significant for many people.  This helps explain why some people have such a hard time achieving and maintaining their optimal weight.  One of our clients had struggled for several years trying to loose weight and had been estimating his daily caloric needs based on these standards.  After being tested, he learned that his metabolism was in fact slower than the norm.  He actually required 300 calories a day less than the norm!”

What is involved with the Exercise Test – is it like a Stress Test?
Cara:  “There are some similarities – but they have very different purposes.  The Stress Test is a diagnostic tool used to determine cardiovascular disease.  It is conducted in a medical environment with the purpose of taking your heart to its maximum performance while looking for abnormal cardiovascular changes. For this reason, a physician is present. 

The Exercise Metabolic Test determines how efficiently you burn fat and carbohydrates during exercise.  EMR helps prescribe what exercise intensities are needed to utilize fat efficiently and improve cardiovascular fitness.  In addition, an EMR test will also measure how many calories are burned during a workout at every exercise heart rate level.  This information, along with a heart rate monitor can be used to calculate the precise amount of calories burned during a workout.  Through testing resting and exercise metabolic rates you can determine appropriate amounts of caloric intake and expenditure to manage weight loss/gain and achieve exercise goals.”

Anna:  “Another difference between a stress test and an EMR is that the goal is to discover both your aerobic and anaerobic markers.  Knowing your body’s functional ability to use oxygen at different heart rates will make your workouts more effective.”

In summary, these two tests will give you and your trainer (if you have one) a very important tool to help you reach your goals.  If weight loss is one of your primary concerns you will benefit from knowing your RMR (precisely how many calories you must consume) – not some estimate from “population” studies.  If you are engaged in a program with the goal of both weight loss/management and cardiovascular fitness, the Exercise Metabolic Test will provide the roadmap for you to follow.  If high-level performance is your goal – the EMT will provide you with information needed to optimize your training schedule and break through the ceiling you might be struggling with.

Where can I get tested?
 If you are in the San Diego area you are welcome to contact Fitness Quest 10 where our team uses the New Leaf system.  If you are out of the area you can go to their web site www.newleaffitness.com and enter your zip code to find a New Leaf location nearest you.  Lastly, you could Google your “city” and “metabolic testing” to find other providers of this service.

FITNESS QUEST 10 COMMUNITY OUTREACH
A team of 6 Fitness Quest 10 trainers and coaches recently volunteered their time and traveled over to the Jackie Robinson YMCA in Southeast San Diego to put 75 "challenged" kids through a "Boot Camp" Sports Conditioning workout and motivational program.  These 14-18 year olds kids have been either kicked out of high school, are in the court system, or trying to claw out of the depths of despair.  Out of the 75 kids, there were 16 different gangs represented in the group and over 40 gang members. 

It was a great experience for the FQ 10 team (Brett Klika, Vince Gabriele, Ryan Burgess, Cara Regas, Julie Wilcox and myself) to provide some motivation ad hope to these kids.  We put them through a one hour workout and then talked about the importance of physical conditioning in their lives, lifting weights, nutrition, setting goals, making good decisions, and how to commit to success in life.  It felt great to give back and see so many kids willingly participate in the 2 hour program.  Way to go team!

COOKING CORNER
By Julie Wilcox, GM of Fitness Quest 10
My dish for this month is Grilled Halibut with a Mango Salso. This is an awesome summer dish, and it's also a delicious way to add fish to your diet.  The salsa also tastes great over chicken or on turkey burgers.  Bon Appetit!

Mango Salsa
**Prepare the Mango Salsa at least one hour prior to the fish and leave out at room temperature
- 1 ripe mango (look for red, yellow,
  green in color and soft but not mushy
- 1 Serrano Chile, seeded and diced
- 1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
- 1/2 juice from lime or lemon
- 1/2 diced ripe but firm avocado
- 1 smashed, minced garlic clove
- 2 tablespoons fresh, chopped mint
- 2 tablespoons fresh, chopped parsley
- 4 tablespoons fresh, chopped cilantro
- Salt and Pepper to taste

Grilled Halibut
- 1 pound fresh halibut (or sea bass)
- 1/2 cup freshly squeezed orang juice with the zest
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 crushed garlic clove
- salt and pepper to taste

Wisk together the orange juice, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper.  Pour the mixture over the fish and marinate for about 20 minutes.

Prepare the barbecue and grill fish, being careful not to overcook, about 2-3 minutes per inch of thickness per side.  Top with the mango salsa and enjoy!!

"Cooking Corner" is a monthly contribution from Fitness Quest 10's very own General Manager Julie Wilcox.  Creating and cooking healthy and simple recipes is one of Julie's passions!

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 .