Lose Weight With Simple Changes

There are thousands of diets, and most of them are temporary change. While someone may see results on the latest fad diet, what really matters is if the results are sustainable. This is where we need to talk about the power of habits.

During the temporary environment of a diet, habits aren't being modified, it's more of just a vacation away from the choices that put the weight on in the first place. By developing new and lasting habits sustainable results are possible.

Here are some change strategies. Pick one where success is most likely. Spend a few weeks locking it in before adding another change.


Track Food Intake - Quantity does matter. Eat too much and the spare tire inflates. It doesn't matter if pen and paper are used or a smart phone app. What does matter is tracking increases awareness of what gets consumed. Often when someone starts tracking intake, better choices are made simply because who wants to put a box of cookies on the food log?

The second benefit is being able to see how many calories are eaten daily. With this information, calories can be adjusted to meet goals.

Remove Temptation - Get the junk out of the house. If it is there it's still part of your diet. Donate it or throw it out if possible. Better yet, don't bring it back in. Removing easy access will limit opportunity. If the craving persists then it also easier to have a controlled treat vs killing the whole tub of ice cream.

Limit Liquid Calories - These add up very quickly. A slight over pour can be lots of calories. Often the type of calories in beverages stick to the body very easily. Improving water intake can make it easier to drop the liquid calories, and many could use more water anyway. Calorie free drinks such as coffee and tea are also acceptable, as are lightly flavored water products.

Eat More Veggies - Veggies are low calorie and high nutrient, which can fill up the stomach decreasing some signs of hunger. This also makes them great for snacking. Other options are shredding veggies to add into other recipes.

Decrease Portion Size - Yes just eating a little less is on the list. Put less on the plate, often times people won't notice a 10% decrease in food volume. It is easy to over serve a plate, so purposely take a little less.

No Second Helpings - After preparing a meal, take out what you intend to eat right then and put away the rest. Don't make it easy to take just a little more.

Eat Slower - It can take 10-20 minutes for the body to register being full. Slow down. Enjoy the food. Racing to shovel down everything almost guarantees overeating. Take smaller bites. Chew a little longer.


Remember consistency is how goals are reached. Building better habits are the foundation of long term success. If you need help reaching your health and fitness goals, come see us at Cascade Peak Performance.

Thanksgiving Hours

We will have regular hours this week, except for Thursday. Which will be from 9am to noon. Have a happy and safe holiday!

November Update

Core/Torso/Ab Training Workshop - Thursday, November 12th at 5:30pm. This free 30min workshop will cover core training beyond crunches. This will be hands on, so come ready to workout. Bring questions and friends.

Lift Off is Back! This is the event where we get the members together and test progress on a the main barbell lifts. Talk with your coach if you are interested. See you Saturday, November 21st at 11am!

Here are some of the burppes from the check-in challange:

Holiday food tip: If you can't get away from the junk, use smaller plates/bowls/glasses. It will help with portion control. A small plate will have the appearance of a full serving, vs a large plate with the same size serving looking mostly empty MORE INFO

In the gym challenges are back. In the old gym we had a few sled challenges. Next week the challenge will be doing a bear crawl the length of the gym.

Office Worker's Daily Stretches

News articles have now declared "sitting is the new smoking." While it is a sensationalist headline, sitting all day can leave the body tight and de-conditioned. Here are a few things those who work at a desk probably already know or can feel:

1. The hip flexors get tight. These muscles are on the front of the pelvis and lift the leg. Because they are shortened in a seated position all day, they adapt to become shorter altering pelvis position and function.
2. The shoulders roll forward. Arms out in front of the body at a keyboard will produce another adaptive shortening of the chest, and often this new position causes the upper traps to tighten.
3. The head moves forward. This partly comes from the tight neck from point #2, but also from staring at a computer screen or leaning into read.

The best thing to do is engage in a corrective strength training program specifically designed to address these issues. And might I add, at Cascade Peak Performance we do a very good job of this. Even with such a program, during the workday one should do the following things:

Chest Stretch: this can be done sitting or standing. Get the spine tall. Spread your arms wide causing the shoulders blades to come together. Keep the palms facing forward.

Kneeling Hip Flexor Stretch: Keep posture tall. Squeeze the glute on the down leg to stretch the front of the hip and thigh.

Forward head position.

To stretch the neck muscles, make a double chin by pulling the chin into the neck. When done correctly a stretch can be felt at the base of the skull. Standing against a wall can help to learn the position.

Also, get up and move whenever able. Going for a walk on breaks and lunches can help counter the de-conditioning effects of not moving at work.

Our Favorite Conditioning Equipment

At Cascade Peak Performance we are big fans of movement, specifically people up on their feet doing exercises which burn plenty of energy and have benefits to real world activities. While we do have a few cardio machines, most conditioning work will be done out on the turf. Here are some of our favorite toys in the gym.

Sleds: Pushing or pulling sled work can be done with heavy loads or shorter and faster with moderate weights. We love them because when pushing against a load the whole body has to brace to apply force to the ground.

Battle Ropes: This is a low skill/high effort activity which can be used by virtually anyone to work hard day one in the gym. Many exercises take practice for full effort to be safe. Ropes are just shaken violently til the round is over.

Heavy Medicine Balls: These are wonderful for developing whole body coordination and athleticism. To throw a ball farther/harder the entire body must work together, and the quicker and smoother this happens the bigger the throw.

Straps: These get thrown into nearly every conditioning circuit at Cascade Peak Performance. There are many great exercises to do with the straps, but the best part about them for conditioning circuits is how easy it is to change intensity. Just step in or out to adjust. The more vertical posture is, the less pressure there is on the hands making the exercise easier.

Kettle Bells and Dumbbells: Can't leave these out, very good tools for loading almost all lifts used in conditioning circuits.

Barbells: You are only wondering why this is here if you haven't had the pleasure of doing a barbell complex.

Bonus Toys: The tractor tires and sledge hammers have a brought smiles to many people after a day at work.

Also sandbags and water filled implements are great for carries (literally picking something up and moving it across the gym) because they are "live" objects. The sand or water moves, changing the center of gravity.

Stop by the gym and try them out!

October Update

Ribbon Cutting with the Springfield Chamber of Commerce

Last month we had the ribbon cutting for our new location. Thank you to the Springfield Chamber of Commerce and Mayor Lundberg for coming down to help us with the ceremony. See the pictures HERE

Next Thursday the 8th we will be hosting Fat Loss Fundamentals. This free talk will cover exercise, nutrition, and mindset of effective fat loss programming. Bring your questions and a friend. Find out more HERE

Tomorrow Saturday the 3rd, Cascade Peak Performance coaches will be doing our burpees from last month's check-in challenge. Chris will be at 9am, Alex at 10am, and Karan batting cleanup at 11am.

October 12th - 17th is Bring a Friend Week. As a Cascade Peak Performance member you are welcome to bring a friend to any of your workouts at no cost- we just want to share what we do with more people.

Improve Your Workouts With a Foam Roller

Most everyone needs some soft tissue work. A massage therapist is going to getting in deeper than what can be done in the gym. However, the frequency might be lacking. Few people are going to get a massage every week. What can be done in place of, or better yet, between massages?

In the gym when we talk about soft tissue work it refers to pushing on knots with a variety of tools. The most common used at Cascade Peak Performance are foam rollers and lacrosse balls. Massage sticks, vudu bands and softballs are often thrown in the mix.

Soft tissue work fits well to start a workout. It will help to relax tight muscles. Increase internal temperature and blood flow to those muscles. This also allows the muscle to go through a better range of motion with reduced chance of strain. Many chronic issues can be managed/lessened with the right soft tissue program.

There are two general ways to apply pressure to muscles and the knots in them; moving across the area repeatedly, or holding on a moderately painful area for 10-20 seconds. Overall soft tissue work should be the first 3-5 minutes in the gym. Going beyond this can take away for the actual workout.

Staying too long on any one area has the potential of effectively bruising the muscle. If the soft tissue work is being used to help a chronic issue frequency is more important than intensity, i.e. a little every day is better than one big session once or twice per week.

Post workout can be beneficial for large muscle groups. Moving back and forth over the muscle will produce the desired effect of improved recovery. However, this should be done sparingly because the total amount of time foam rolling a particular area increases the chance of bruising it. Non-training day soft tissue work is great for problem areas and recovery. It only takes a few minutes to get the desired effect.

The firmness of the roller or ball matters. Start with a low density large surface area tool and overtime work into a firmer/low surface area for detail work. Causing pain is not the goal. Moderate pain is a good guide of where to work, but sometimes a low pain area can still be highly productive for blood flow and range of motion purposes.

There are common spots most people need to work, upper back and hips. There are also techniques which are only needed for specific issues and mobility limitations. At Cascade Peak Performance we can develop and teach a program specific to your needs and goals.

September Update

Labor Day Hours (9/7/15) - 8am to 6pm, regular hours for the rest of the week.

6am FitCamp is cancelled for Labor Day week 7th-11th

10am Monday Yoga will be moving to Tuesday at 10am

No evening Yoga Labor Day week, but will return the following week.

In partnership with the Springfield Chamber of Commerce, we will have a Ribbon Cutting Friday the 25th at 10am for the new location. This also marks 3 years in business.

August Update

Lift-Off Saturday August 22nd at 11am
It's back! We missed one because of the move. The Lift-Off is a chance for members to test their strength and progress on a couple of barbell lifts every 3 months. If interested, talk with your coach and get your name on the sign-up sheet at the gym.

Trial Membership
The trial membership is an easy way to get started in the gym. For $49 dollars a new member gets 3 coaching sessions and unlimited group training classes (Yoga, FitCamp and Guided Lifting) for 30 days. Our goal is to give someone a full sampling of everything the gym has to offer.

Check-In Challenge
Starting Monday the 17th and running to the end of the month, every post workout Facebook check-in will cause a coach to do a burpee. We will keep a total and at the end of the month then the coaches will get to work.

Adding More Yoga Times
We are adding Monday and Wednesday at 6:30pm to the schedule with the help of our friend Natacia. Learn more about her HERE

Wes is 1!

 

6am FitCamp Starts Monday!

Start Your Day at Cascade Peak Performance

Monday June 22nd we are launching 6 am FitCamp. This group training class is a fast paced workout that is scalable for most fitness levels. It will start with a Monday/Wednesday/Friday schedule.

This is a great fit for people who need an early morning workout. It is circuit training for the whole body. Cascade Peak Performance training systems utilize progressions and regressions to ensure a great workout. The workout will be done by 7 am so you can get to the rest of your day. Also, we have showers if you need them!

Conditioning workouts are better with friends, so we are offering a special until the end of the month: 3 months of Unlimited Group Training for $149 (regular price $297). Not only does this get you into FitCamp, but Yoga and guided strength training too!

You can get the special at our website www.CascadePeakPerformance.com or coming into the gym at 303 S. 5th Street #140 in Downtown Springfield.

Check out our new location and come workout!

We are all moved into the new location at 303 S. 5th Street #140 in Downtown Springfield. Please help us break in the new gym and come to our first classes! Join us Saturday at 9am for our fast-paced group conditioning class FitCamp. Or come in Sunday at 11am for Yoga with Karan. Next week we will start after work FitCamp Tuesday at 6pm. All classes are scalable for most fitness levels.

The best part? For the next 2 weeks the group training classes are free!

We Have Moved!

We are now at the new location. New equipment will be showing up  today (Tues 5/26/15) and tomorrow. There will be some work on the front walkway which may requires us to use the back door today. Additionally internet and phones won't be up until tomorrow.

New Location

It's finally here! It may have taken longer than originally planned, but work is finishing up, and soon the equipment will be over there. Here is what you need to know about the new location.

This is how we found it in September

Where is it?
303 S. 5th Street #140, this is in the Booth Kelly Center over the railroad tracks from
the bus station.

What is different?
Size, it is nearly 4 times the size of the original gym. This will allow for many group training options we are unable to offer. More restrooms with showers and a drinking fountain. We are also bringing in new equipment to improve your workout experience.

Will my membership change?
Nope, you will be able to keep what you currently have. There will be new membership options (group training) for new members.

Will the hours be the same?
Yes, but expect us to expand hours in the future.

When will FitCamp be offered?
Tuesday at 5:30pm, Saturday at 9am to start. A Thursday evening and early morning options will be added next.

What about the other classes?
We are working to put that schedule together. Expect mid morning options for Yoga and Fundamentals, and an after work time for each.

April Update

Pre-Launch of FitCamp

We are starting our fast paced group conditioning class before moving into the new location. Right now we are considering Monday at 11am and Friday at 6am. The class will be an hour, and will be open to members and non-members. Please let us know which time works best for you if you are interested in FitCamp.

New Gym Software

We have added MyVolo software for account management and scheduling. Some of you may have received an email notification when entered into the system. This will be a great tool for everyone as we grow.

Congratulations

Bryan won last month's Facebook pic contest from the top of Spencer Butte. Later this month there will be another opportunity to win. Like us on Facebook to stay up to date.

Weeknight Mini-Workshops

We have usually put on Saturday workshops, but it doesn't fit everyone's schedule. Tuesday the 28th at 5:30 members and non-members are invited to attend a 30 min workshop. This month's topic: More Than You Need to Know About Squats.

Cascade Peak Performance is Expanding!

Pre-renovation pic of new 9200 sqft location (4 times the size!)

Cascade Peak Performance is in the process of moving to the Booth Kelly Center in downtown Springfield. We expect to be open by the end of April, but do not have an official opening date yet. The new space is huge compared to the current Q street location. What are we going to do with the increased square footage? Launch a group training program:

Fundamentals - A beginning level class designed to teach the exercises used in CPP’s programs.

FitCamp - A fast-paced group conditioning workout focusing on functional movements. Prerequisite: Fundamentals or CPP coach approval.

Yoga Foundations - Our introductory level, great for any fitness level interested in adding yoga to an exercise program.

Hatha Yoga - Focusing on using postures and breath as a way to realign the body. Classes typically begin with a flowing sequence of poses to warm the body up and finish with deeper stretching and relaxation.

Guided Lifting - Strength training supervised by CPP’s coaches. Follow the posted workout or an individualized program created specifically for you.

Construction on the new space has already started! Currently, due to space limitations we have only been able to offer Yoga on Sundays. To get Yoga on a regular schedule we are building a dedicated exercise room.

Conditioning workouts are more fun with friends. The new building is twice as long, and we are planning FitCamp to take full advantage of it. Instead of cramming this into a corner, it will run end to end on a 100ft stretch of turf.

Personal training has been the foundation of CPP, and to enhance our coaching area we will add in plenty of new equipment. A few other pinch points are being addressed; significantly more parking, and additional restrooms with showers.

We are very excited about the expansion. It will increase our ability to help the community live active and fit. Our existing gym will stay open until the new gym is ready for business.

What should you do to lose weight and get in shape?

There are numerous programs and experts on weight loss. Many have seeming contradicting recommendations. Here are a few concepts to help sort through different plans.

Four main components

Cutting Calories – This will lead to weight loss, but not necessarily body composition changes. It also has the potential of reducing the body’s daily energy expenditure.

Improving Food Quality – This will improve body composition, but not necessarily decrease weight.

Cardio Training – This can lead to weight loss if nutrition is controlled, but it might not have a large effect on body composition.

Resistance Training – This has the strongest effect on body composition. In the short term it has limited effects on weight loss. In the long term is has a large effect on maintaining weight by increasing daily energy expenditure.

Definitions

Cutting Calories – eat less

Weight Loss – decrease on the scale

Daily Energy Expenditure – how many calories your body burns each day

Improving Food Quality – reducing consumption of processed foods (fast food, pre-made) in favor of natural whole foods (veggies, lean proteins often prepared at home)

Cardio – elevated heart rate for an extended period of time via a repetitive activity

Resistance Training – applying strain to the body to cause an adaptive overload

Body Composition – Lean tissue (bones, muscles, organs…) compared to fat. Improving body composition would include one or both of the following; increase lean tissue, decrease fat mass.

Putting it together

When planning a program to get healthy it is important to know what each component does. Ideally doing all four would lead to the best results for most people when they decide to get in shape. However it can be easy to fall into a of couple common combinations:

Cut calories and do cardio – This can produce quick results with the scale. Unfortunately because neither has a strong effect on body composition results might not be satisfactory. The scale results are not necessarily long lasting and require continued intervention to maintain. Additionally if changes are too aggressive (eat very little and lots of daily cardio) muscle can be lost to a greater extent than fat.

Lift weights and eat better – Body composition will improve, but because calories are not necessarily controlled the scale may not change much. This can be a common recommendation from fitness professionals because for general health and long term weight control it is very effective. Because this combo does not produce quick results on the scale it can be discouraging. However, it is common the waist circumference will decrease even with limited changes in bodyweight.

Where to start

Pick one and do it. Cutting calories and doing cardio produce better scale results in the short term, whereas resistance training and food quality are essential to long term success. Add an additional component when you are ready. A complete program for weight loss will include all four. Once target weight is hit, normalize calories to support your daily activity level.