
female working out with weights
I recently was on NBC talking about weight training for women and the myths that are out there regarding bulking up with weights. Lifting weights, and heavy weights at that, will build long lean muscle and won’t bulk a woman up. Female fat loss is something that has been greatly misunderstood. Watch the video and see for yourself.
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I get asked all the time what my viewpoint on organic foods. I believe that I have a well-balanced approach to it, not being on one extreme or the other. One observation that I find interesting (and to me comical) are those individuals who are hard core extremist when it comes to buying ALL organic, yet they still eat lots of high sugar, high fat foods and are overweight. Buying all organic will not ensure healthiness by any means! There are so many things in this world that aren’t good for you (ie toxins) that it is impossible to avoid all of them. I believe in a balanced approach that finds the fruits and vegetables that are most susceptible to pesticides and try to buy those organic and skip on those that have very low levels of pesticides.
So here is a list of 43 fruits and veggies that have been rated for their amount of pesticides. I would recommend to buy accordingly. This study was done by Environmental Working Group (EWG) you can visit their site at www.ewg.org
|
RANK |
FRUIT OR VEGGIE |
SCORE |
|
1 (worst) |
Peaches |
100 (highest pesticide load) |
|
2 |
Apples |
96 |
|
3 |
Sweet Bell Peppers |
86 |
|
4 |
Celery |
85 |
|
5 |
Nectarines |
84 |
|
6 |
Strawberries |
83 |
|
7 |
Cherries |
75 |
|
8 |
Lettuce |
69 |
|
9 |
Grapes – Imported |
68 |
|
10 |
Pears |
65 |
|
11 |
Spinach |
60 |
|
12 |
Potatoes |
58 |
|
13 |
Carrots |
57 |
|
14 |
Green Beans |
55 |
|
15 |
Hot Peppers |
53 |
|
16 |
Cucumbers |
52 |
|
17 |
Raspberries |
47 |
|
18 |
Plums |
46 |
|
19 |
Oranges |
46 |
|
20 |
Grapes-Domestic |
46 |
|
21 |
Cauliflower |
39 |
|
22 |
Tangerine |
38 |
|
23 |
Mushrooms |
37 |
|
24 |
Cantaloupe |
34 |
|
25 |
Lemon |
31 |
|
26 |
Honeydew Melon |
31 |
|
27 |
Grapefruit |
31 |
|
28 |
Winter Squash |
31 |
|
29 |
Tomatoes |
30 |
|
30 |
Sweet Potatoes |
30 |
|
31 |
Watermelon |
25 |
|
32 |
Blueberries |
24 |
|
33 |
Papaya |
21 |
|
34 |
Eggplant |
19 |
|
35 |
Broccoli |
18 |
|
36 |
Cabbage |
17 |
|
37 |
Bananas |
16 |
|
38 |
Kiwi |
14 |
|
39 |
Asparagus |
11 |
|
40 |
Sweet Peas-Frozen |
11 |
|
41 |
Mango |
9 |
|
42 |
Pineapples |
7 |
|
43 |
Sweet Corn-Frozen |
2 |
|
44 |
Avocado |
1 |
|
45 (best) |
Onions |
1 (lowest pesticide load) |

I thought for today’s post I would pose a question. Please answer this question as a comment on this blog. From these comments on the post I will begin to answer them in the upcoming weeks.
Question: If you could ask me 3 questions that you might have about fitness, nutrition, motivation, or any other health related topic, what would they be? This could be questions that you have heard different answers to or questions that you have never heard asked. I look forward to answering or finding the best answers that science and real life experience have to offer!
Keep moving,
Dustin
There are very few times in a mom’s day that allows for her to exercise (or do anything else for herself for that matter) This is especially the case when the kids are very young. Sometimes it is just best to multitask (I know you as a mom are already good at that!) and exercise WITH the baby. I am not talking gentle yoga though, I am talking exercises that will burn fat and tone muscle. Here is a clip of three exercises that you can do with your baby to tone up those muscles!
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I just wanted to quick thank everyone for their overwhelming support of my fitness modeling contest that I just competed at in Vegas. There were over 400 competitors from around the world and over 50 guys in my class. I don’t know where I placed, but it wasn’t in the top 10. After having done a few of these shows now, I can honestly say I don’t really care too much where I place. I am more concerned about how much fun I could have through the process and the deeper understanding I have with how my body works. I believe I accomplished both of those things! I met some amazing people and look forward to competing again!
Six and a half weeks ago I started out the journey by going into a pre contest diet. I started at 194 lbs and 9% bodyfat. I ended up losing 27 lbs and weighed in at 167 lbs. I couldn’t believe that weight myself and made the hotel get me another scale to double check. I lost over 3 inches in my waist and 2 inches in my hips. I was very happy this year to keep my muscle much better and came into the show more muscular and stronger than prior years.
In the upcoming weeks I will share videos and tips that I learned from speaking with the competitors. I was so inspired by all the moms who competed. There was one women who was 52 and competing in bikini, she had a six pack, oh did I mention she has 8 kids! No that isn’t a typo 8 kids! The women who won overall bikini and beat out over 100 women happened to be a mom of a 4 month old! I couldn’t believe how fit she looked after having just given birth. These amazing women show that anything is possible when you combine proper eating, with exercise, and a strong and relentless determination to be their best! The second picture in this blog is of a 46 year old woman and her 2 sons all competing in the show. She won her age group for bikini. She has competed in over 80 shows!
I will be uploading new video in the next couple days showing you the behind the scenes and what it takes to get in competition shape. If you have any specific questions about the show, please post a comment!

As Thanksgiving approaches, it is a great time to reflect back on the past 6 months to a year and reflect on all the great things that have happened to us. You might be someone going through tough times right now, but even those who are going through tough times have things to be thankful for.
I have been called by some, a forever optimist and been asked if I ever get sad. The answer is yes I do, but I try not to stay in that place of sadness. Just remember, there is someone else out there in the world that has it worse than you, and life has its seasons, and everyone will experience some winters, but spring and summer is just around the corner!
I am asking you to do me a favor and reply to this post and give me 5 things that you are thankful for. This will not only help you realize all the great things that you have, but will also be an encouragement to everyone who reads the blog.
I will lead by example and give you 5 things I am thankful for!
#1 I am thankful that I have a career that I am so deeply passionate about, in which I get up each morning at 5 AM excited for the day, knowing that I just might be that one bright spot in a person’s day, or knowing that I have had an impact in a person’s life by helping them get in great shape. I am thankful for the times I lay in bed thinking of the next program or idea that I can create to help more and more people get in shape.
#2 I am thankful for a family and parents that speak the truth and isn’t afraid of offending me. (my mom has told me when she doesn’t think a blog post of mine is appropriate
) I am also thankful that they support me in my endevours and support me as I take the path less traveled.
#3 I am thankful for a body that can take me where I want to go and allow me to experience all that this great world has to offer. I am thankful for the enormous amount of knowledge I have been able to learn about the body the past 8 years and how I am able to apply it to myself.
#4 I am thankful for my spirituality that gives me a deeper and more lasting perspective on life on earth.
#5 I am thankful for everyone of my clients that I get to see each week. They motivate me, inspire me, and keep me pumped up and encouraged! I look forward to so much more with everyone!
It was hard just to narrow it down to 5, but now it is your turn! Reply to this message and share what you are thankful for!
Keep moving,
Dustin Maher


























