Today I have a video to share with you, that might be one of my favorites of all time.  It is a story of a client/friend of mine named Jennifer, who over the course of about a year has lost 100 lbs through Fit Fun Bootcamps and MamaTone. I knew Jennifer a little bit in college, and 4 years later our paths crossed again and she joined Bootcamp and MamaTone.

Check out this video

Jennifer before

The reason why this is one of my favorite videos, because it does much more than talk about the 100 lb weight loss and the physical changes she has gone through, it talks more about how she is different as a person.  Seeing the increase in self confidence, and the deep down conviction that anything can be accomplished in life, are some of the best rewards I get as a trainer.  This is far greater to me than any number on the scale.

Jennifer is one of the 31 woman featured in my book that is coming out this summer and I couldn’t be happier or prouder of her!

If you are inspired by Jennifer’s story or have a question for her, share your thoughts below using Facebook or the comments tab, and she will answer them.  To learn more about Jennifer’s photography business check out http://jenniferledwardsphotography.com/

If Jennifer’s story has wanted you to take action, I encourage you to take two action step options.  If you are in the Madison, WI area, check out our Fit Fun Bootcamp or MamaTone schedule. If you aren’t in the area my Fit Moms For Life monthly DVD program might be a great option.

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Check out this video I did on CBS showing some of the exercises that can be done with kettlebells.

She did a great job demonstrating the exercises.  Click here to check out a previous post I did about Sue’s transformation.  She followed that up with a part 2 on what she eats, click here to check that out. I have trained Sue for about 2 years in my small group training (which I don’t offer anymore due to a long waiting list), as well as my Fit Fun Bootcamps and Got Core DVDs.  She is in the best shape of her life right now and heavy resistance training and a lot of hardwork on Sue’s part is to blame for the transformation.

Kettlebell exercises:

-One arm kettlebell swings

-Two are kettlebell swings

-Alternating arm kettlebell swings

-Lunge through the leg transfers

-bicep curl to shoulder press

-Oblique triangle  hold

If you haven’t heard about kettlebells yet, I am pretty confident that in the next couple years they will build more momentum up in the next few years.

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Have you ever noticed when you receive a compliment from someone you immediately down play it and try to not make a big deal about it?  Have you been told you looked really skinny in a certain picture and you say something like, “Well the lighting was really good, black made me much skinnier, and I was posed at the right angle.”  Why is it so hard for us to accept compliments?  Or another question… Why is it so hard to let others know about our successes?  I think we don’t want to come off as arrogant or braggish (not sure if that is a word, but it is now).  We all know some of the most annoying people to be around are those who always talk about themselves and brag about what they have done.  I believe it is ok, once in awhile to tell others what you have accomplished.  It helps us celebrate our successes, if we just kept them up all inside and never did anything about them, I don’t think the successes would mean as much to us.

So be sure to post your response to the question at the bottom of this article.

This month I reached a big goal for me, and a huge honor.  I was featured on the cover of my favorite magazine Personal Fitness Professional.  This is the magazine I picked up 6 months before I decided to become a personal trainer, and to be featured on the cover was a huge honor.  I was also told that I was the youngest trainer ever to get on the cover for the “Success Journey” story.  To be acknowledged amongst my peer trainers, who I respect and love so much means a lot.  If you are interested in reading the article, I have included it below.

Here it is!

Being called a “Mama’s Boy” is not something most people take kindly to. Dustin Maher, however, wears the label proudly… and has already turned his self-proclaimed identity, as well as his unique connection with moms, into a growing empire.

Maher’s strength comes from the fact that he knows who he is and where he’s going. The confident son of a stay-at-home mom who sacrificed a lot for her four children, Maher loves working with moms. With a handsome grin and the youthful charm to make any mama proud, Maher (who isn’t married and is nowhere close to busting out of his 20s) proudly proclaims his goal to be America’s Trainer to the Moms.

Maher is blazing his own trail through the fitness world, with three thriving MamaTone classes and an iPhone app developed from pieces of his core training DVD, 300 boot campers enrolled in his 12-location Fit Fun Boot Camp and more than 1000 moms from nine countries having purchased his monthly DVD program, Fit Moms for Life.

But it didn’t start out that way. Maher, from the first grade on, had dreamed of being a weatherman. It was his passion. That is, until his freshman year in college, when his love for fitness clouded over his weather aspirations. He had been studying exercise and nutrition on his own, and Maher began teaching anyone who would listen — which often times was his mom and her postmenopausal friends — the benefits of moving your body and eating right.

So Maher, a student at the University of Wisconsin, switched his major to kinesiology with a minor in business. He also picked up a job at the university recreation center, where he cleaned weight machines and answered questions. Soon, Maher applied to teach a circuit class and got the job. It was his first boot camp style class. He then recognized the need for a 30-minute core class, which Maher felt was his specialty. His boss asked him to write a curriculum for his proposed class. Soon thereafter, Maher and eight other trainers were teaching his core class, which became the most popular class on campus with more than 400 weekly attendees.

It was at the Rec Sports Center that Maher earned his ACE certification and trained more than 30 students and faculty members his last two years of college. During his senior year, a local health club hired Maher. He initiated his core class there, as well as doing general fitness assessments. After graduation, Maher knew he had the tools to begin focusing in on his niche — mothers. He wanted to develop an exercise class for stay-at-home moms, somewhere they could get a great workout, have free childcare and socialize with other moms.

MamaTone Fitness was born. Women in the community responded overwhelmingly, and soon the program had a following of 60 moms. Maher was also training one-on-one with clients, working about 50 hours per week and moving toward burn out. He knew he needed to begin leveraging his time better. Maher shifted all of his clients into groups of four, which cut his hours in half, and began eyeing boot camp model. At the same time, Maher had received requests for a program similar to MamaTone for working moms. He decided to create some early morning workouts but made them co-ed. Two years ago, Maher formed Fit Fun Boot Camps with two different locations.

Within a year, the boot camp grew to eight locations. By the second year, it amassed 12 locations, 16 different start times and about 250 campers. Always looking forward, Maher knew that he needed to develop a program to reach more people in a way that would further leverage his time and expertise. Maher found a mentor who would help him transfer his knowledge and expertise to DVDs, with his help, Maher created Fit Moms for Life, a monthly DVD program.

Each of the 12 DVDs featured Maher training a different mom at her home, along with nutritional segments and interviews. “I tried to keep it very personal,” says Maher. “Like me training you in your home.” Maher and a buddy who videoed weddings produced the first four DVDs. Then, two months later, after some evaluation and improvements, they produced the remaining eight, plus two bonus core DVDs, completing a total of 10 DVDs in two days. Going low-budget allowed Maher to learn along the way.

Maher is used to being in front of a camera, however. A master at generating publicity, he’s been on TV or radio more than 80 times, leveraging that exposure to build his classes and boot camps and sell DVDs.

In fact, he now trains five reporters on an ongoing basis. And most of them are moms.

Beyond being critical in building his business, his ability to garner TV and radio spots led Maher to partner with another of his mentors, Steve, and launch a coaching program to teach other trainers how to do the same. In August, Maher will release Fitness Media Dominator Coaching Program. But what drives Maher forward is his mission to reach one million moms.

“I”m most excited about creating a movement for moms to come together in a healthy way,” he says.

With a strong online community (his blog gets 1,000 visitors per day) and more DVDs in the works, Maher is now aiming to create a grassroots organization in which moms across the country and around the world can meet in small groups and use his programs within their homes to get fit while holding each other accountable. Also called Fit Moms for Life (the name of his DVD program), these communities are based on the Body for Life model, which still has support groups meeting today.

“It’s about creating a vision,” says Maher, “and the ability to communicate your message within a system.”

And Maher’s vision is clear.

“In Fit Moms for Life, I see a very large, brandable community of moms who are seeking to put themselves first and become better role models for their kids.”

Maher’s mother is, no doubt, very proud.

What’s Your Favorite…

…workout equipment? plain old dumbbells

…healthy snack? ants on a log — celery, peanut

butter and raisins

...quote or saying? “The greatest discovery of my

generation is that human beings can alter their lives

by altering their attitudes of mind.” –William James

So here is the question of the day:  List your top 3-5 health and fitness related accomplishments that you are most proud of.  These could also include mental and emotional components. Lets celebrate everyone’s successes together!

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The possibilities of different exercises are endless if you have a knowledge of the body and how it moves in addition to a little creativity.  In this CBS episode I show some exercises you can do on a picnic table.  My guest today is Emily a Fit Fun Bootcamp veteran of over two years.  Like we mention in the video, she is 48 years old, but doesn’t look a day over 35.  Her positive energy and enthusiasm is contagious and we are very blessed to have her in our bootcamps.

Question of the day:  What are some fun workouts you do outside?

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Mary Before Fit Fun Bootcamp

I know there are people from all over the world who read this, but for those of us in the Midwest United States, it has finally gotten warm—with highs getting into the 80′s!  With summer nearing, getting workouts in outside is very desirable.  After a long winter, the fresh air and bright sun are all we need to lift our spirits and brighten our day.

Fit Fun Bootcamps always get very popular in the summer because people just don’t want to be inside any longer.  Today I want to share with you some great exercises you can do outside with a medicine ball.  Medicine balls are one of the most popular tools I use to train my clients because they are very simple, inexpensive ($20-$50 depending on weight), and easy to transport.

Mary has lost a couple of jean sizes and, at the age of 40, is in the best shape of her life.  I am very proud of everything she has done and the extreme intensity she brings to each workout.  She definitely deserves the results.

Please note that this video was filmed a couple of weeks ago.  We have bootcamp every Saturday at 8 AM at Elver Park, which is free for current bootcampers and a $10 drop in for everyone else.  We will be doing another big kickoff in a couple of weeks because the weather was very bad the first time around.

Here is the list of exercises we did with the medicine balls.

-2 ball squats

-2 ball squat jumps

-2 ball high knee running

-Sit-up ball toss

-Med ball slamdowns

What is your favorite medicine ball workout?

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For some of you this post is going to be too late for spring break, but I was recently on NBC sharing some last minute tips you can do to get ready for that spring break vacation you may be taking or if you need to slip into a small sized dress.  I try to get my clients to go on a low carb, low sodium diet, while drinking plenty of water.  I have found this to be the best way to get rid of water retention and bloating.  I get them toconsume plenty of lean proteins and healthy fats and just eat enough complex carbs and fruit to give them enough energy.

Check out the video!

What are your favorite last minute tricks before you go on vacation?

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I have an amazing person named Alicia helping me with the demonstrations.  Alicia is one of our all star Fit Fun Bootcampers and is definitely the life of the party.  She enjoys setting singles up together as potential matches and really does a great job of supporting the bootcampers.  She is also an AMAZING sprinter when you get her outside running.  Watch out!

Be sure to pay attention to how flat she keeps her back on the exercises that require her to be bent over.  This is one of the hardest positions for myself and my trainers to get across to some people.  For those who have had poor posture for many years and have muscle imbalances, it is very tough to keep the back flat instead of rounded.

So today as you sit in the office, grab a coworker, don’t actually grab your coworker though, and go through some of these exercises!

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If you were impressed with what Sarah was able to do and want to begin to build your strength up, my Fit Moms For Life DVDs do just that!  Workout with moms just like Sarah as they sweat and work hard towards their way to a very fit, and toned body!  To encourage you to start, I am giving my first months CD and DVD away for FREE, just pay shipping.  http://www.fitmomsforlife.com/thankyou.html Join the nearly 1000 moms who have taken the challenge!

Question:  For those of you who have been following my advice and lifting heavy, please share with me how it has worked out?  Do you feel differently?  What are the benefits?

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It was great to be back on NBC and it was awesome to have Sarah Carlson herself demonstrate the exercises.  Sarah is an amazing person and has achieved a killer body while facing a lot of adversity the past two years.  If you have been following our segments throughout the past 18 months, you will notice that she has lost over 25 lbs and about 6 inches off her belly.  Sarah works extremely hard at MamaTone, and with the Got Core DVDs and all the results she has gotten have been well deserved!

Here are some great core exercises you can do at home!

Here are the exercises (what each is working):

1.  Front ball plank (deep transverse)

2. Single leg ball plank (deep transverse)

3. Single leg ball plank with arm movements (deep transverse and shoulders)

4. Oblique crunches on the ball (obliques)

5.  Foot to hand transfers (transverse and rectus abdominus… 6 pack muscle)

6.  Squirms (deep transverse, obliques, and rectus abdominus)

7.  Pushups on the ball (transverse, chest, front shoulders, and triceps)

If you have yet to get yourself a copy, or if you are loving your copy you have and want to get another for a friend, here is the link to grab your copy! Only $29.99 for both DVDs, 2.5 hours worth of workouts and content, plus you get a bonus meal plan with it!.

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Click here to see part 1 Getting Started

Click here to see part 2 Motivation

Click here to see part 3  Nutrition

Click here to see part 4 Thanksgiving

Click here to see part 5 Exercise

Before I agreed to this, I wanted to make sure she was committed, because the last thing I wanted was for me to take before and after measurements on TV to 10,000′s of people and not have someone who was committed.  After meeting with Kim, I could tell she was going to give it 100% and make me look good!   And boy did she ever!

Here were her actual stats:

Thigh 20.5                 18.5

I want to make a couple points about these #s.

1.  You can’t spot reduce: notice she lost pretty consistently in ALL parts of her body, not just in one area.

2.  She gained 3 lbs of lean weight (muscle) through this process.

3.  Although she lost 7lbs, she actually lost 10 lbs of fat.

4.  She lost 3.25 inches in her abdomen.

5.  She lost an astounding 7 % bodyfat total.

For exercise Kim didn’t do any traditional cardio instead focused on heavy weight training and interval cardio training.  She worked out about 4 times/week for 45 minutes each time.  She did a combination of my Fit Fun Bootcamps, MamaTone Fitness, and Fit Moms For Life DVDs.

She followed a higher protein and fat diet and lower carb and no sugar eating plan and no carbs after 3 pm.  She drank 1 gallon of water each day and eliminated all processed foods and fake sugars.  She ate about 1400 calories per day.

If you want to read Kim’s blog and journey and more about how she did what she did in much more detail, I highly recommend you to click here and check out her stories!

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