One of the Fitcamp trainers posted this and I think it’s pretty awesome. Especially considering that we use a Bioanalogics shapescanner which uses BEI.

There were some questions about the hand held body fat measuring tool used at each bootcamp.  I wanted to provide some information that will help clarify some questions that you might have had and didn’t ask or clear up any confusion of how body impedance testing works!

Body impedance is measured when a small, safe electrical signal is passed through the body, carried by water and fluids. Impedance is greatest in fat tissue, which contains only 10-20% water, while fat-free mass, which contains 70-75% water, allows the signal to pass much more easily. By using the impedance measurements along with a person’s height and weight, and body type (gender, age, fitness level), it is possible to calculate the percentage of body fat, fat-free mass, hydration level, and other body composition values.

Using this hand held devise to estimate person’s body fat assumes that the body is within normal hydration ranges. When a person is dehydrated, the amount of fat tissue can be overestimated. Factors that can affect hydration include not drinking enough fluids, drinking too much caffeine or alcohol, exercising or eating just before measuring, certain prescription drugs or diuretics, illness, or a woman’s menstrual cycle. Measuring under consistent conditions (proper hydration and same time of day) will account for best results.  I will be testing my own campers the last week of fitcamp again, so keep in mind that you want to stay hydrated and be consistent with your morning routine in order to obtain the most accurate results!  I hope this helps

For quite a while now, we’ve been trying to figure out how best to implement the torturously fun movement of sled dragging into our classes- now we have it.  Sled pulling is a fantastic addition to our conditioning arsenal, as it strengthens the posterior chain muscles (low back, glutes & hammies mostly) without causing excessive soreness.

Dividing the class in half, we put leather belts and a rope resistance system on one group, while the other group partners up and provides bodyweight resistance to the sledders.  After a set distance walking forward, they walk backwards and sometimes even sideways.  Pulling partners get their workout simultaneously by squatting down and curling the rope handles while leaning back.  Usually after about 3-5 minutes, the belt changes waist and the fun continues.

Patrick came to me around december of this past year asking about training.  He was interested in getting his fitness back and trimming down the waist, so I took him through an assessment workout and we never looked back.  In just five months Patrick has lost over 20 pounds, leaned out his bodyfat percentage and has been posting some of the highest scores and times on our gym’s stat board.  He attends an average of 3-4 workouts per week EVERY week and as we try and tell everyone, that is the key to seeing results:  consistency.

Beyond all of this, Patrick is a very likable guy.  He has a great attitude and he gets along with everyone.  Oh, and he smiles through the pain   We like to see that.

To be pefectly honest, we are lucky enough to actually have quite a few people like Patrick at Fulcrum who continuously impress us, but we decided to single him out today.

Keep up the great work!!!

Whew, 1500 pounds of concrete “backerboard”, 1100 pounds of sheetrock, 900 pounds of slate tiles and 1200 pounds of hardwood floor planks is what my weekend workouts have been consisting of lately…all that up 2 flights of stairs.  I love it!!!  My girlfriend has bought a cabin up near Mt. Hood recently and we’ve been renovating it for about 6 weeks now.  New cabinets, new floors and new walls equal LOTS of hard labor, especially when you’re doing the delivering and installing yourself.  I’m definitely not a contractor, but after this project I’m guessing I’ll feel like one.

If there’s one thing I love, it’s real life fitness challenges, and this has definitely proved to be one.  In fact, its probably influenced my programming lately… haven’t I had you guys doing farmers walks and overhead stabilization up stairs lately?  Yep, I have.  Whats great about the “lifting & walking” genre of exercise is that it really targets 3 very useful and handy forms of real-life strength:  1)Core strength 2)Grip strength & 3)Shoulder stabilizer strength.  Personally, this kind of work has highlighted my strengths and weaknesses in a very clear and unforgiving way.  Motivation for sure!!

-Trevor