http://blogs.fitconnect.com FitConnect.com -- It's OK To Brag! Copyright 2007-2008 FitConnect LLC davegleason on 12/2/2008 (0 comments)

Who?

Most have heard of the 80/20 rule as it applies to sales. Vilfredo Pareto’s (1848 - 1923) law of income distribution was and still is ridiculously predictable.

Pareto’s brilliance dictates that 80% of sales come from 20% of customers. After closer inspection most businesses find this not only true but sometimes skewed even further – 90/10, 95/5 or even 99/1.

It stands to reason that when the 20 percent is defined, you strip away as much of the fat in ...]]> Tue, 02 Dec 2008 20:23:14 GMT davegleason on 11/26/2008 (1 comments)

With one holiday under your loosened belt, you're gearing up for many more celebrations...and piles of seasonal comfort food. If you don't mind, I'd like to be totally candid with you today.

Sure, I could write you a 'feel good' article about cutting back a few calories and exercising a few minutes each day, but I'd rather be perfectly frank (and truly helpful).

Here's the real deal: You abuse food.

That's right. Most likely if you're overweight it's bec...]]> Wed, 26 Nov 2008 20:09:06 GMT davegleason on 11/26/2008 (1 comments)

Hi everyone,

First of all I want to say thanks for the emails, comments and prayers as they gave me great encouragement as I dealt with a the symptoms associated with Lyme Disease.  Quick Update:  I am happy to say that the second round of antibiotics is working!  I am looking forward to working out...soon and I'm psyched to start posting again on FitConnect!

I  want to let all of you know that while I have been down and out...I have totally redone m...]]> Wed, 26 Nov 2008 02:37:04 GMT davegleason on 11/20/2008 (5 comments)

I have been pretty inactive posting on FitConnect and my main blog and webites lately.  As some of you know I was diagnosed with Lyme Disease just about one month ago.

It was early detection, which is good for any infection, and I was treated with antibiotics immediatlely.  Much to my surprise the first round did not completely wipe out the infection and I began a downward spiral - again.  Now I am on another round of antibiotics!

When I first posted abou...]]> Thu, 20 Nov 2008 15:10:20 GMT davegleason on 11/20/2008 (4 comments)

Blueberries, Raspberries and Strawberries - Do you love your berries?

Awesome, because your favorite berries are actually good for your healthy balanced meal plan.

They contain plan nutrients called anthocyanidins. These are incredible antioxidants and some have high levels of resveratrol, which helps fight heart disease and cancer. The next time you want something sweet, juicy and good for you; reach for blueberries, raspberries or strawberries and Eat Guilt Free! Thu, 20 Nov 2008 14:44:33 GMT davegleason on 11/13/2008 (4 comments)

Sugar, Sugar, Sugar - Often people think by drinking fruit juices or eating low fat fruit made snacks, that they are cutting out or eliminating sugar in their diets.

The facts are that some fruit juices have more sugar than a soda. Reduction of sugar is important for good quality health and weight management.

So many of us check the food label and look at calories and fat - only.  Always check out the sugar content of anything you put in your mouth; even if you t...]]> Thu, 13 Nov 2008 15:26:36 GMT davegleason on 11/13/2008 (5 comments)

Almost 3 weeks ago I was diagnosed with Lyme Disease.

I've just finished my antibiotics and like most human beings that take a prolonged absence from exercise - I'm having a bit of motivational crisis.  I have not been able to workout as directed by the doctor for the first week.  From there, even though most of my symptoms have subsided, fatigue has not and I just "don't have it".

I'm going to attempt one of my 10 minute whole body workouts today and see how ...]]> Thu, 13 Nov 2008 13:31:16 GMT davegleason on 11/11/2008 (0 comments)

This past weekend I attended a men's retreat with my church. I have put it off, finding an excuse not to go for the last seven years. Without a doubt one of the best decisions I have made in my adult life was to go this year. I won't miss another one.

We were in the woods of southern NH. We stayed in lakeside cabins with nothing to do except what all 150+ men set out to do - increase our relationship with God and learn how to be better men, husbands, and dads.

One of th...]]> Tue, 11 Nov 2008 13:44:54 GMT davegleason on 11/6/2008 (5 comments)

…and again, and again, and again.

First I would like to draw a comparison so you can see for yourself what make sense…and what doesn’t.

So you can see what is a quick fix, dangerous, unmotivating, fuel of incorrect concepts about fitness, and what is now apparently infecting the out of shape and overweight youth of the world as well.

Exihibit A

Mom in her mid 40’s who enrolled in a Biggest Loser Challenge at her local gym for 8 weeks. First wha...]]> Thu, 06 Nov 2008 16:43:14 GMT davegleason on 11/5/2008 (3 comments)

Last night the U.S. made history by electing Barack Obama as it’s first bi-racial President. I am a republican and did not vote for Senator Obama. However it sickens me to hear all of the cry babying this morning.

What he did is inspirational and he led people to believe that truly - ANYTHING is possible if you set a goal, stay focused on it and never, never give up.

I congratulate Barack Obama for overcoming, perservering and in the end winning.

Have you ...]]> Wed, 05 Nov 2008 13:36:06 GMT davegleason on 10/23/2008 (3 comments)

Made ya look!

The headlines are every where. Some people are paid exclusively to write “great” headlines for companies selling you the latest and greatest potion, workout, or miracle machine. They are playing on your emotions and desires.

But most of us still fall for it. Why?

    4 Weeks to the Perfect Beach Body!

    Smaller Thighs in 2 Easy Moves!

    Six Pack Abs the E...]]> Thu, 23 Oct 2008 14:34:08 GMT davegleason on 10/22/2008 (4 comments)

I must admit, sometimes I get my ideas from places that you wouldn’t think possible. If you read my posts often you know I draw parallels between things in life and fitness. That’s because I believe fitness is a life thing - not a “I need to lose weight” thing.

Right now I’m reading a terrific book. It’s called The Shack, by Wm. Paul Young. Last night I was really taken by some of the lines I read:

“…I will take a verb over a noun anytime.”

Now I don’t want...]]> Wed, 22 Oct 2008 17:48:34 GMT davegleason on 10/21/2008 (5 comments)

I’m feeling a bit under the weather today - head cold galore! I have to expect it now that we are in the full swing of the school year and my kids are bringing home colds and most of my clients kids are sick now too. With all that said, I try not to take any meds whether it be over the counter or prescription.

What does this have to do with you?

Most of the time the junk we put in our bodies is meant to treat the symptoms not take care of the cause. As I think about thi...]]> Tue, 21 Oct 2008 19:05:22 GMT davegleason on 10/17/2008 (5 comments)

Are you suffering from the same malady as millions of other people around the world? It’s called Lowincomitis (noun. Low-income-itis).

To many people are feeling the effects of having too much month at the end of their money. With that in mind, I have come up with a short list of low cost fitness solutions. This list is by no means exhaustive and before you leave your comments - yes I know I am not listing the obvious freebies:

*Body weight exercises
*Exercise Tr...]]> Fri, 17 Oct 2008 20:16:54 GMT davegleason on 10/16/2008 (3 comments)

Most people are completely confused when the word diet or nutrition is used. Your body needs to have nutrients replaced, whether through foods being eaten or supplementation. Do you remember what you learned in elementary school about the four major food groups?

About the fact that food is a fuel?

As an adult, eating balanced healthy meals from these four food groups still applies. It is extremely important to remove the “junk food” from your meal plan and stick with he...]]> Thu, 16 Oct 2008 20:44:00 GMT davegleason on 10/16/2008 (2 comments)

Don’t be fooled by advertising, claiming high in whole grains or FAT FREE. Get into a good habit of reading labels on the foods you are ready to buy.

While they may have messages such as Low Fat or Reduced Calorie written all over them, when you read the ingredient statement and label more closely, you may be Un-pleasantly surprised. Look for hidden sugars, preservatives, and saturated “bad” fats.

Taking just a bit of time to look at what is in the food you are buying ...]]> Thu, 16 Oct 2008 20:23:37 GMT davegleason on 10/16/2008 (1 comments)

I finally finished my report and I want you to have access to it first!  You can check it out here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rxMwLDDShs

In this report you will learn the real reasons behind fat loss goals as well as the process you must take to never have to start a weight loss program again.  Pass this on to as many friends, family and loved ones you can.

You can access this report AND a 100 Calorie Snack Guide written by the author ...]]> Thu, 16 Oct 2008 00:50:58 GMT davegleason on 10/14/2008 (5 comments)

Do you think your health and fitness would be a whole lot better if you simply made better choices during the day? We are all faced with decisions and some seem easy and some seem difficult.

If you had tracks to run on - that is you had enough truthful information on how to make BETTER choices - You could make informed decisions that would add up to SUCCESS! I bet you would see faster results. You would see more fat loss in less time.

So what if you took just one day a...]]> Tue, 14 Oct 2008 11:24:56 GMT davegleason on 10/13/2008 (1 comments)

Last week I started a new FitConnect Group - "Trainers against The Biggest Loser".  You can access it here:

http://groups.fitconnect.com/davegleason/Trainers-Against-The-Biggest-Loser

This is not an effort to smear or insult any contestant on this show.  What the contestants go put themselves through should be acknowledged as inspirational and in some cases miraculous.

The motivation for me to start this group is the frustration felt by not only ...]]> Mon, 13 Oct 2008 11:42:10 GMT davegleason on 10/10/2008 (2 comments)

I often get asked why I created HomeOfficeWorkouts.com

Some think it’s because my expertise is in delivering exercise to people their homes. They are partly correct, but not completely. Does this look familar to any of you:

Feed the kids
Load backpacks and lunches
Drop oldest at school
Run errand to OfficeMax
Read and return emails
Fold clothes and put them away
Put another load in the wash
Make beds
Process order ...]]> Fri, 10 Oct 2008 01:03:37 GMT davegleason on 10/9/2008 (1 comments)

How many times have you heard “if you don’t have your health…what do you have”?

I personally would rather be fit and broke than fat, unhealthy and broke. Why not be in shape and have money?

If you are unhealthy and unfit, all the money in the world won’t matter in the grand scheme of things. Fitness professionals have been pressing this and similar points for years. In this economic environment many people are “feeling” the money crunch and just praying they are not hit...]]> Thu, 09 Oct 2008 15:56:20 GMT davegleason on 10/8/2008 (3 comments)

Thanks to all of you for allowing me to “vent” my fustrations as I see more and more people set up for fat loss failure and or injury. As a follow up to yesterday’s post, as promised, I am going to talk about what to do to combat over aggressive short term fat loss programs.

In order to set yourself up for success you need to have a workout program that is designed to coincide with the long term strategy you are developing. This will guarantee your fat loss will happen as quickly a...]]> Wed, 08 Oct 2008 16:59:49 GMT davegleason on 10/7/2008 (3 comments)

The Biggest Loser and all the contests that have spawned off the popular “reality” show at your local gym have placed people who are desperate for fat loss in a very bad situation. Fat Loss at all costs, training for symptoms and dieting/exercise extremism can cause injury while confusing people into believing that what they always hated about exercise still reigns true.

Long, boring and ineffective cardio.

Working to absolute exhaustion during every workout.
Tue, 07 Oct 2008 15:43:09 GMT davegleason on 10/6/2008 (4 comments)

Fitness is all around us. There are lessons everywhere we look - if we are looking. How much exercise is right vs. too much, what are the best exercises for fat loss, etc.

Saturday morning I was snuggling on the couch with my boys, Trevor and Andrew, during their usual wake up ritual of cuddling and watching TV. I was thinking about my next fit tip, or fitness blog entry and my plan for my womens bootcamp at 10am.

We stopped channel surfing when the popular Bob the Buil...]]> Mon, 06 Oct 2008 12:22:47 GMT davegleason on 10/3/2008 (2 comments)

If you are already consistently working out in an effort to lose fat weight than it’s time to turn up the heat - keeping your intensity high and eating well as we hit the holiday eating season. If you are not - don’t wait another single second. Don’t wait until your New Year’s Resolution to give you a reason to start.

Yes the holiday eating frenzy starts now - not at Thankgiving as most people believe. In the U.S. we are all trying to find the best deals on Halloween candy. Again, i...]]> Fri, 03 Oct 2008 13:39:01 GMT