• Get in better shape?
• Improve your nutrition?
• Achieve long-lasting results in health and wellness?
• Stay motivated so you can create the life of your dreams?

• Busy executives with "no time to exercise"
• "Housemoms" trying to juggle dozens of responsibilities
• Baby Boomers who feels the signs of aging
• Recreational athletes who want to improve performance
• Fitness enthusiasts looking for ways to boost your program

---Jeanie Callen Barat "Workout of the Month"

Now there's a faster and easier way to support yourself in Fitness and Life without spending hours you don't have - PLUS, have a top trainer motivating you the entire time! Jeanie has created an audio system where she guides you step-by-step. It centers around a new workout delivered to you each month, set to upbeat music and ready for you to play on your CD or MP3 player.

If you want a great way to workout on your own time and need some motivation from a world-class fitness trainer, you MUST check out this program. I highly recommend Jeanie and love the way how she combines a short, high-intensity workout in not a ton of time and blends in a great meditation to start your day, everyday. Don't miss out!

Click Here for more information!!!

 

 

---The TRX is for EVERYONE!!!

 

I wholeheartedly still consider the TRX one of my top fitness finds over the past few years. If you are looking for a highly effective, inexpensive, and simple tool to work out on at home or at the gym, check out the TRX. I use it with all of my clients and it is awesome. It involves "Suspension Training" and therefore is not only great for building muscle strength, but also positively affects the core and stabilizing muscles of the body. I often will do a quick 20 minute routine when short on time just on the TRX or I'll infuse it as part of my overall workout. They did a great job with the educational support material and their product has withstood the test of time. I highly recommend it as one of my top pieces of "equipment" used for ALL my clients.

Click Here for more information!!!

 

 

---Looking for a Virtual Assistant???

 

Let me reveal a little secret in how I get a lot done in short amounts of time. Besides surroundng myself with a great administrative staff at Fitness Quest 10, I utilize the services of a virtual assistant. My VA is Donna Toothaker and she is located all the way across the country in Massachusetts. If you would like to find out how a virtual assistant might be able to help you, Click Here to check it out.

 

 

---Calling all trainers and fitness professionals. Are you looking to make more passive revenue?

If you want to increase your passive income streams, affiliate programs allow you opportunities to create revenue by selling other people's programs. You do this by becoming affiliates of programs and products you believe in.

 

 

It is for this reason that I invite you to become an affiliate of any of Todd's products or programs so that you can make money by selling them yourself.

Click Here to become an affiliate today!

Announcements

---Todd Durkin's Personal Trainer Mastermind Group Goes to Lake Tahoe, CA!!

Todd's Personal Trainer Mastermind Group met this past weekend for a special retreat in Lake Tahoe, CA, at the exclusive resort, Squaw Creek (www.squawcreek.com). We had an unbelievably productive weekend at the beautiful resort as we made great strides working on our busineses and personal development.

 

A special shout-out goes out to my entire Trainer Mastermind Group as they are committed health & fitness professionals and doing amazing things with their clients all over the country. A special thanks goes out to Mastermind Member and trainer extra-ordinaire Troy Fontanta (www.FontanaFitness.com) for hosting us at his facility in Sparks/Renoe on Friday and organizing the logistics for this great weekend in Tahoe.

 

--- Are you on Facebook?

 

If so, we would love to have you in our network so become a fan of Fitness Quest 10 today! Go to www.facebook.com and search "Todd Durkin." We look forward to hearing from you!

Fitness Quest 10 athlete Ryan Deehan is a true freshman Tight End at the University of Colorado and he just made history! His 1-yard touchdown reception in the third quarter in Colorado's 2nd game of the seaon, made him the first CU freshman tight end to record a TD receiving in 25 years. Congratulations Ryan!

 

Ryan, who graduated from Poway High School last year, impressed the coaches enough in camp this August for them to decide not to redshirt him and include him in the active rotation. In the Buff's first game, Ryan's first collegiate contest ever, Ryan played a significant amount on offense and special teams in a 38-17 win over their rivals from Colorado State.

 

Success on the football field is not new to Mr. Deehan. Ryan, who trained at Fitness Quest 10 this summer with Coach Ryan Burgess, received a plethora of accolades throughout his prep career. As a senior, he earned PrepStar All-America status, as well as numerous All-State, All-County, and All-Area honors. A three-year letterman in football and team captain as a senior, he made 19 receptions for 300 yards and five touchdowns at the tight end position in a year when he was asked to showcase more of his blocking skills (and was rewarded as he earned the All-North County honor as an offensive lineman). Defensively, he played outside linebacker, posting 30 tackles, including two quarterback sacks, a forced fumble and an interception.

 

Ryan credits his training at Fitness Quest over the summer for preparing him to be ready to compete at the Division I level. Ryan was introduced to the gym by long time mentor and current Atlanta Falcons Tight End Justin Peelle, who himself trains at Fitness Quest. "The training at Fitness Quest 10 this summer is what really helped set me apart from the other freshmen. I couldn't have achieved the success I've had thus far without their help" said Deehan. "Coach Burgess constantly pushing me harder and not letting up is what allowed me to battle through my entire camp, and it's why I'll be playing this year instead of standing on the sidelines."

Newest FQ10 Family Member - Gabrielle Grace Fishel!

 

Fitness Quest 10 massage therapist Shari Fishel and her husband Oleg welcomed their baby girl Gabby into the world on August 13, 2008 at 1:05 p.m. She weighed in at 7 lbs. 7 oz. and was 20 inches long.

Congratulations Shari and Oleg--what a sweeheart!

Athlete Corner: "Conditioning Young Athletes - Tired vs. Trained" By Brett Klika, CSCS, Fitness Quest 10 Director of Athletics

 

As another summer comes to a close, it's time for many Fitness Quest 10 athletes to head back to their teams. They've spent the summer learning and practicing skills to make them better for their sport. They've mastered efficient movement, established effective strength and stability, and developed the appropriate energy systems to keep them injury free and performing at their best. Our coaches look forward to watching these youngsters perform throughout the school year. As these youngsters (and not-so-youngsters) leave our care however, I would be lying if I said we didn't have our apprehensions about what they are heading into. We are completely confident that our athletes are armed with the necessary skills to excel at the physical demands placed on them by their sport. Our confidence waivers unfortunately, when we consider their adeptness in dealing with the physical demands placed on them by their coaches. It would seem that the demands of the game and the demands of the coach should naturally be in line, but unfortunately, it doesn't always work that way.

I truly believe it is never a coach’s intention to purposefully hurt or ineffectively train an athlete. Additionally, I believe that coaches at every level train their athletes with what they believe are the best, most effective means based on the available information. In some of the ineffective and downright injurious programs I have seen, the culprit lies somewhere between lack of available quality information, and a resistance or inability to attain it. As you can see, I’m not pointing the finger at coach’s character flaws, more the lack of good information. It’s my career passion to be proactive to this conundrum, and make information more accessable and applicable. If coaches chose not to use the information, I point the finger at their character flaws.

When designing an athletic conditioning program, it’s important to remember that athletic success is a culmination of properly executed athletic skills. The better these skills are developed, the better the athlete will perform. These skills can be general, like running technique, deceleration, acceleration, jumping, hand-eye coordination, etc., or they can be specific to the sport, such as shooting in soccer, throwing in baseball, and blocking in football. Development of general skills lay a foundation for the development of specific skills. When working with youngsters, it is essential to develop these general skills. This is done through specific drills designed to improve the efficiency of athletic movement. Warm-up and conditioning periods during sports practice are ideal times to implement these drills. Unfortunately with many teams however, warm-ups are often spent sitting around in a circle, doing toe-touches. Conditioning times are spent doing gassers or “gauntlets” until the athletes puke or fall down. The criteria for inclusion of a drill has more to do with how hard it is, rather than how it will reinforce skills that are important to the game. I am sorry to be honest here, but based on my experience, youth football is the worst.

Youth football coaches are given an unprecedented amount of time to focus solely on conditioning their athletes. They are required to spend the first 2 weeks of their practices focusing on this aspect of the game. During the summer we work with many youth football athletes. We spend a majority of our time teaching them movement skill, in addition to overall conditioning. They leave us and show up to football conditioning to do twenty 40’s, 100’s of up downs, then stairs, then, well, whatever the coach can think of. Within a week, all skill work is gone, favoring, “just trudge through it” movement. Truth be told, our athletes are unprepared for this. Don’t get me wrong, conditioning should present a significant element of fatigue, but once fatigue has become such a factor that the athlete’s movement does not at least approximate the rate or pattern that is seen in a game, it is no longer worthwhile. In addition, the young athlete is practicing slow, poorly executed movement, at a high volume.

We have youngsters coming in telling us about hellish “gauntlets” their coach puts them through. We assess them to find out they can’t skip, do a proper push-up, bodyweight squat, or lunge. These are the fundamental movement patterns that establish the skill sets for speed, agility, strength, power, balance, flexibility, and coordination. I have to ask then, what’s the point of these “gauntlets”? “Mental toughness” is a cop-out answer. James Smith, the strength and conditioning coach for University of Pittsburg, makes a great point in a recent article I read. He suggests that merely doing what your coach says over and over again has little to do with mental toughness. Mental toughness manifests in what you do on your own, your recovery, your off-field activities, the life choices you make. This is the truly tough work. No one is there to make you do it. If you want to instill true “mental toughness” in youngsters, get them to bring their post-workout nutrition to practice, make them sign a contract not to eat fast food 5 days before a game, swear off soda for the season, or participate in a charity activity ( of their own design). When the game is on the line, true personal conviction is the mental toughness you want.

As I said before, I want to be pro-active, offer accessible information. My suggestion for coaches is to evaluate the skill needs for your athletes based on the developmental level of the team. Educate yourself as to basic drills for improving movement skills for athletes at this level. Great authors in regards to these skills are Todd Durkin, Brian Grasso, Martin Rooney, Vern Gambetta, Mike Boyle, Lee Taft, and Mark Verstigan, to name a few. In addition, I will be making many of our youth development drills available on Fitness Quest 10’s video gallery (http://www.fitnessquest10.com/sports-performance-gallery.php). If you’re not comfortable implementing these yourself, hire a professional. Most athletic development professionals can work with a team a couple of times, and provide a program that will be effective. The cost for something like this is generally minimal when divided amongst a large team or an organization. This will pay dividends as your athletes develop skills that will improve their performance, and minimize injury.

Use your warm-up and conditioning time to giving these athletes what they need to take their game, and their life, to the next level.

Recommendations & Tips from FQ10 Staff

Fighting Fatigue: Tips for Runners

by Anna Renderer, MS

 

Whether you are running to lose weight or compete in a road race, it's important to learn about how to get the most from your running workout. It can be frustrating to hit a wall halfway through your goal distance, or feel like a ton of bricks on your first lap around the track. Feeling sore and tired for a few days after a run can also be unmotivating. Some simple facts can help you learn how to help that muscle fatigue and soreness to improve your endurance and keep you going strong!

Lactate threshold, around 85% Max Heart Rate is the best predictor of your running endurance. This physiological variable will tell you your fastest sustainable aerobic speed. In other words, how long you can run without hitting that wall where your legs feel like lead and just need to stop. Trial and error can get you in the appropriate training zone but if you want to start getting results right away your lactate threshold can be measured with VO2 Metabolic Testing (www.fitnessquest10.com). Staying within your lactate threshold will allow you to continue running for longer distances which is vital when training for a road race and important when trying to lose weight.

For runners who start a race/run off too fast (> 85% MHR), it is almost impossible to keep that same pace the entire time and you will hit a wall shortly into it. Run a Negative Split: Begin at the pace you can maintain the entire race/run and then for the second half of the race/run try to run the same pace or faster.

It is imperative to eat, drink, and rest correctly before and after running. This has the greatest effect on muscle fatigue and soreness. You’ve all heard the myth, “I’m sore because of the lactic acid in my muscles”. Lactic acid does not cause fatigue or soreness! Lactic Acid is simply a byproduct of muscle working in an anaerobic state (oxygen supply doesn’t meet the muscles oxygen demand). Soreness is causes by muscle tears and inflammation from exercise along with some important physiological changes such as dehydration, glycogen depletion, acidosis, and metabolic byproducts such as H, K, and ADP. The way you fuel and rest your body will influence many of these physiological changes. Remember: Adaptations to training occur during recovery not during training itself. After the workout your body is weaker, not stronger than it was coming in. The hours following exercise, your body adapts and physiologically overcompensates so that the same exercise intensity will not cause the same degree of muscle fatigue or soreness. In short, your fitness has improved.

Dehydration is among the most common nutritional cause of performance decline. Being hydrated will make a huge difference during your run and post recovery. It is most important to drink water when not working out because if you are dehydrated before your run it is impossible to reverse those effects during your workout. During exercise, the average athlete requires ½ - 1 liter of water and 200-1000 mg of sodium each hour of training or racing. Remember to drink at least ½ your body weight in fluid ounces per day.

Carbohydrate is your friend: Endurance exercise is strongly influenced by pre-glycogen stores in the muscle and liver. Intense exercise decreases these glycogen stores and is directly related to fatigue. Eating a balance of carbohydrates and protein will help give you a better workout and prevent you from losing energy during a run.

Between workouts, low glycemic foods are optimal. This yields a better recovery for the muscles and promotes fat burn during exercise. For information on glycemic index, visit www.glycemicindex.com. Deep color fruits and vegetables contain phytonutrients that provide anti-inflammatory benefit to the muscles. Including these foods in your diet will help reduce soreness.

Long Distance Runners: Before a long run lasting over 2 hours, carbo-loading can be helpful. For the best results, increase carbohydrates to 55-60% of daily intake for the 2-3 weeks before a long run. Then increase carbohydrate concentration by 25% while maintaining a caloric balance for the final 3 days leading up to the race. Popular carbohydrate foods include pasta, potato, cereal, energy bars, bananas, fruit juice, pretzels, rice, and low-fat yogurt.
The pre-race meal is critical to prevent low blood sugars and early fatigue. A good balance is to include up to 25 grams of protein (2 eggs with toast), 20 grams of fat (2 Tbsp of nut butter) and at least 50-70 grams of carbohydrates about 2 hours leading up to the race.

The only way to be a better runner is to run more! The amount of blood pumped by your heart per minute (cardiac output) and the muscles’ capillary and mitochondrial densities are ultimately responsible for your endurance and both improve by running. Adding a well balanced diet and staying hydrated will help to improve your endurance and recovery but it is with training that you will ultimately become a stronger and faster runner.

Anna Renderer earned her Bachelor and Master Degrees in Exercise Physiology from Northeastern University in Boston Massachusetts. She is an ACE certified Personal Trainer and VO2 Metabolic Testing Director at Fitness Quest 10. She is an educated leader and powerful motivator, specializing in functional fitness training and strength and conditioning to create programs that are innovative, fun, and effective. Prior to personal training, Anna’s clinical experience involved working in research at the Jean Mayer Health and Nutrition Research Center, conducting metabolic stress testing for pediatrics with congenital heart disease at Children’s Hospital, and working in Cardiac Rehabilitation. Anna’s experiences in preventative disease combined with her athletic background have earned her a remarkable reputation in the fitness industry.

Anna is involved with health and fitness education through presentations and DVD productions such as her very own “Lighten Up”: Ball and Sport Cord Workout DVD (www.fitnessquest10.com). She was an outstanding track and soccer athlete in high school, holding several records and post season medals. Continuing her quest for challenge, Anna has run in the Boston Half Marathon 2004, La Jolla Half Marathon 2007 and 2008, Carlsbad 5K 2008, and Scripps Ranch 10K 2008. Her positive and motivating attributes, as a leader and coach, earns her respect and commitment from her clients.

References
Karp, Jason R. (2008). Physiological Secrets of Distance Running. VO2 Max Distance Running Clinic, San Diego. www.RunCoachJason.com.

Mueller, Kim. (2008). Optimal Sports Nutrition for Endurance Athletes, Top 10 Tips for Peak Performance. This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Serenity Tune Up By Marilou Ramos, HHP

 

Sometimes we get so involved with our own lives & situations that we lose track of the bigger picture. A beautiful way to become more at peace with our inner world is to connect more with our outer world and this is the perfect time to do it. This has nothing to do with politics, healthcare or any of the daily grind issues. It's amazing to recognize that all over the world during this month of September we move through Equinox, the balanced state of planet Earth's rotation. It's happening naturally and inevitably so by connecting consciously to this shifting force, we enhance our own inner balance. Here is a daily mantra along with a suggested balanced breathing pattern that makes an instant shift within:

 

Breath: Inhale 4 counts
Pause 2 counts
Exhale 6 counts

 

Mantra: Just for today - I AM BALANCED. I joyously choose to flow with the natural rhythm of life.

Repeat the mantra silently with the breathing pattern for at least 5 minutes daily & flow into autumn in Balance!

Marilou Ramos is a licensed and nationally certified Holistic Health Practitioner & Massage Therapist through NCBTMB. Additionally, she is a Yoga Instructor and 2nd Degree Reiki Practitioner in the Usui System of Natural Healing. Her practice embraces whole body wellness with theory and expertise in techniques not only for the physical body, but for mental clarity and focus, emotional stability and spiritual connection as well. Her credentials include a BS degree in Business from San Diego State University, graduation from the 1000-hr Holistic Health Practitioner program at the School of Healing Arts in San Diego, completion of YogaFit's 200-hr teacher training program and Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) certification. As a Fitness Quest 10 employee for over five years, Marilou has spent another 500+ hrs to advance her education on a regular basis in various energy therapy workshops, hypnotherapy techniques & yoga practicum.

Cooking Corner:
Whole Wheat Pasta & Turkey Sausage
by Julie Wilcox, General Manager of Fitness Quest 10

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 lb. fresh sweet turkey sausage (Lean)
3 cloves minced garlic
1 sweet onion, chopped
1 tablespoon fennel seeds
2 tablespoon dried oregano
1 24 ounce can marinara sauce (I use Trader Joe's brand, good and low fat)
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoon freshly chopped basil (Garnish)
8oz of whole wheat pasta ( I use Trader Joe's pappardelle)

• In a large skillet, sauté the onions and garlic in olive oil over medium heat for about 5-10 minutes.
• Remove sausage from casing, chop and add to the onions and garlic, add fennel seeds and cook until sausage is just about cooked through, about 10 minutes.
• Add marinara sauce, lemon juice and oregano cook for another 10 minutes to combine flavors. In the meantime boil the pasta and cook as directed.
• When pasta is done, drain the noodles divide into 4 bowls and top with sauce.
  Garnish with lemon zest and basil.

---General Manager Julie Wilcox

"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! In her down time, Julie enjoys cooking for others and creating new recipes soon to be in her EBook.