...thank you!!!

Yesterday, for my birthday, I got up at 4am, worked out from 5-6am with my trainer, Jeff Jimmo, and went to work, which started a typical day for me. A few of my clients asked me why was I working, or was I going to do anything special for my birthday. When I had a mid morning break, I sat back at my desk and pondered these questions for a few minutes. While at my desk, I heard a loud noise. I looked out of the window, and saw two men repelling down the side of the high-rise office building that I was in. They stopped repelling when they were level with the set of windows on my floor. Each of them had a large suction cup, tied to their waist, that they threw against the windows. The suction cup anchored them to the window, so the wind didn't blow them to far side to side. They were washing the building windows one window at a time. They had started at the top, and they were working their way down the building. It took them between 5-7 minutes to clean one window, depending on the wind gusts. At that moment, I realized two things. The first...I'm soooo grateful that their are people who love washing windows, and anyone that thinks these two men didn't love their job, didn't see them working. The second...I was working on my birthday because it's who I am and what I love being...a person who helps people help themselves. I'm so thankful and grateful that I get to be who I love to be and do what I love to do on my birthday! Thank you to everybody reading this for this...took off early to go out for a small birthday celebration with some friends!

My birthday celebration even turned into an opportunity for me to do what I love to do. The sports bar we ate at had some great tasting, not so great for you, food/beverages and a punching bag machine. My buddies coaxed me into hitting it a few times. While hitting the bag, the lovely young lady, in the video below, approached me. "Will you please teach me how to do it?", she said. "Of course"... was my reply...

enjoy the video...thank you for tuning in...have an Epic Day :)!!!

29 Simple Ways To Be Fit

Far too often fitness is presented as complicated and confusing.

Nothing could be farther from the truth.
Remember, to reach your ultimate destiny it's not what you do;  it's who you become!

Being fit comes from living the following simple everyday practices:

1. Throw out your big dinner plates. Using small plates at home effortlessly reduces calorie intake and promotes weight loss.
2. Make exercise a regular part of your life. Create a network of accountability with workout partners or by working with me, your local fitness expert.
3. Know what you want to accomplish. Visualize the end result of your hard work.  To get what you want, you must first know what you want.
4. Believe in You!  I know that You CAN Arrive at your Destination!  You must know it too!  
5. Don't be a wimp. Keep the intensity high during your workouts. Remember that you don't want to kill time; you want to burn calories and strengthen your body through intense exercise.
6. Drink water all day long.
7. Know when to ask for help.  
8. Incorporate High Intensity Interval Training into your routine by doing bursts of high intensity rather than exercising at a single steady pace.
9. Maintain your metabolism by eating a healthy snack or meal every three hours. This food should be unprocessed, low in fat and high in fiber.
10. Forget will-power; it's all about WHY-power!  Will-power has failed you before!  Ever said to yourself I will lose 5, 10, 15, or 20lbs.  A couple of days or weeks into the process, when the going got tough, what's the first question you asked yourself before you quit...WHY am I doing this???  Know your WHY, and Success will come!
11. Never eat processed foods. These items are high in empty calories and contain a plethora of chemicals that are harmful to your health.
12. Fat contains twice the caloric density of carbohydrates and protein, so limit the amount of it that you eat. Fill your diet with lean protein and carbohydrates from leafy plants and whole grains.
13. It's OK to be a skeptic. Watch out for products that are labeled as ‘health food'. Always read the nutrition labels and make your own informed opinion.
14. Don't talk about it...BE about it!  Talk is cheap. Act now and get the job done.
15. Exercise with people that are in better shape than you. This will encourage you to push your limits.
16. Use positive self-talk!  Build yourself up!  What you constantly think about...you will become!
17. Don't drink calories.
18. Pay attention to and track everything that you eat.
19. Stay consistent. Exercise at least three or four times each week.  If you fall off the wagon, brush yourself off, and get back on!
20. Expect more from yourself than anyone else.
21. Never eat High Fructose Corn Syrup. It spikes your blood sugar levels and encourages your body to store fat.
22. Eat plenty of whole plant foods. Vegetables, fruits and whole grains are filled with fiber and antioxidants, great for good health and weight loss.
23. Do your cardiovascular exercise after weight training to encourage more fat burn. Your stored sugars(glycogen levels) will be depleted during the weight training then your body will rely on fat stores to get you through the cardio workout.
24. Breakfast should be a balance of carbohydrates, protein and fat to get your metabolism going strong.
25. If you know that you deserve better...then go get it.  Be Better!
26. Challenge yourself during each workout. Try something new and exciting.
27. Set specific, measurable goals and track your progress.
28. Even if it says whole grain, a cracker box is still a cracker box. Processed Carbohydrates are quickly stored as fat. Stick with natural goodies like fruits and vegetables!
29. Put an end to your struggle to get and stay fit. Call or email me today to get started on a proven fitness program that will change your life and transform your physique forever.

Print this list and place it somewhere that you'll see every day.  BE FIT!!!

13 Reasons to Exercise

Let's face it, some days you just don't feel like exercising.

You get too busy, too stressed and quite simply too tired.

Here's a list of 13 of the top reasons to exercise. Pull out this list and read it when you're having one of those days.

1. To Prevent Disease
Exercise has been proven to reduce the risk of just about every single health problem known to man, from stroke to heart disease to cancer and osteoporosis. Exercise is also a great defense against type 2 diabetes, which is one of the most widely growing diseases of our time.

2. To Look Great
Exercise firms your body, improves posture and even makes your skin glow. Looking your best is a wonderful result of regular exercise.

3. To Lose Weight and Keep It Off
Exercise burns fat and prevents future fat storage. If you want to have a thinner, healthier body, exercise is the answer.

4. To Have More Energy
Anyone who exercises regularly will tell you that they are more energetic, less easily irritated and are more peaceful.

5. To Sleep Better
Exercise boosts energy levels, but also wears you out. It makes you feel more vibrant during the day and sleep better at night.

6. To Age Slower
Exercise is one of the most effective ways to fight aging. When you age your body loses muscle and bone, while the loss of both are drastically reduced with regular exercise. Exercise also helps reduce inflammation.

7. To Relieve Back Pain
In most cases, the best thing that you can do for back pain is to move and strengthen those muscles. Consult your physician or physical therapist for guidance.

8. To Ease Depression
Exercise has been proven to reduce depression – sometimes even as effectively as medication. Just chalk this up as yet another amazing benefit to exercise.

9. To Reduce Aches and Pains
By strengthening muscles around your damaged joints you're able to use exercise to reduce joint pain and overall aches. Always consult your physician before starting an exercise program, especially if you have chronic joint pain.

10. To Stay Mentally Sharp
Exercise has been shown to improve memory and other cognitive functions, and seems to have a protective effect against dementia. A Harvard University researcher called exercise "Miracle-Gro for the brain."

11. To Enjoy Your Lifestyle
Whatever it is that you love in life – your kids, travel, sports, fashion - it is all more enjoyable when experienced in a fit and healthy body. Exercise so that you are able to enjoy all the great things in life.

12. To Reduce Sick Days
People who exercise regularly are 50% less likely to call in sick to work. A regular exercise program reduces colds and upper respiratory infections.

13. To Boost Confidence
Being fit, feeling healthy and having energy are all building blocks to having great confidence. There is no better confidence booster than sticking with a regular exercise program.

Regular exercise gives you so many amazing benefits, as you've seen from the above list.  If you want a happier life then learn to appreciate yourself and others. An attitude of gratitude transcends every aspect of your life, making it brighter and richer. You'll even learn to enjoy the time you spend exercising.


Have an Epic Day :)!!!


Kirk Huggins Rogers
Physique Transformation Specialist
Heroic Fitness Experience Contributor