Unlike many active young gentlemen, I can proudly say that I had the chance to train like a pro and I have Promax to thank for that opportunity. After winning the Promax Train like a Pro contest, I knew that my training methods would have to take a few turns and crank up the intensity in certain areas in order for my body to be fully prepared to tackle the challenge that was presented before me. Therefore, after completing the Rock N’ Roll Vegas Marathon on December 4th, 2011, I had to kick it into gear and change my entire workout regimen. I knew I had the endurance and my cardiovascular system was top notch. Hell, after running for 3 hours straight at a 7 minute pace, my endurance was the least of my worries.

It was my strength and muscles that I was more concerned about. Sure, I can run forever, but am I going to be able to lift what these guys lift and keep up with the high intensity, blow and go workouts they were accustomed to? It changed my workout dramatically and yet, I still wasn’t fully prepared for the type of workouts I was exposed to on the field and at Billy Miller’s Elite Performance Factory on February 9 th, 2012.

Winner Joe Willy Walker (left) with his guest and Billy Miller after a tough day of training.

Upon my arrival that Thursday morning, it was exciting to meet Billy Miller, Maurice Greene and all the young, energetic combine athletes who had more drive and determination than I could’ve ever imagined. At the age of 28, I look at myself as being very young, but these guys that were running around at 21 and 22 years old just proved to me that 6 years makes a significant difference. Haha! We were able to train with Maurice Greene, which was a pleasure in itself.

To get training tips from the two-time world’s fastest man isn’t exactly something you come by every day. After running drills at the field, we headed over to the Elite Performance Factory to join some of the veteran football players during their off-season workouts. There was no off time. We jumped right in there with them and did all the drills to our max intensity and still managed to keep smiling. All the players were super nice and very welcoming, making it a much more enjoyable experience. Although I was breathing heavily and my muscles were screaming, I was having so much fun that I couldn’t help but smile.

After a quick lunch break and a nice visit with Billy, we hit the gym again to join the combine players for their afternoon workout. This is when exhaustion really started to show its face. Working out with the vets and the combine players for their workout….. phew! It kicked my butt for 7- 8 hours. However, I loved every minute of it. Never had I experienced such an extensive full body workout in my life. Although my entire body was sore the next day, I woke up saying, “Damn, yesterday was an amazing day!” Therefore, I would like to send one more special “Thank You” to Promax and all the people involved. It was an experience not to be forgotten!

Sincerely,

-Joe Willy Walker

Promax Nutrition™ (promaxnutrition.com), a pioneer in the fitness nutrition business, announces their collaboration with celebrity trainer, Joel Harper, Dr. Oz’s famed fitness expert. Harper has been a die-hard fan of Promax nutritional products and will now officially speak on behalf of the brand sharing his enthusiasm for its products and the Life is Go philosophy.

Harper will act as a liaison for the brand with the media, engage the Promax community with fitness related insights, as well as educate the broader community of fitness enthusiasts about Promax’ nutritional offerings and product benefits.

Expect to see Harper popping up through various social media platforms, providing workout videos/tips and health-related content on behalf of Promax Nutrition.

Harper has over a dozen popular fitness DVDs ranging from his Fit Pack workouts to the You Series, incorporating workouts for any age or fitness level. His expertise in the business has resulted in him being a preferred guru for eveyone from new moms to busy Broadway performers to athletes.

Harper is available for interviews, quotes, and nutritional tips regarding all of the Promax Nutrition products, as well as other fitness/workout-related inquiries.

Check out JoelHarperFitness.com, and @joelharperfit on Twitter for more exclusive content from advice to specialized workout videos.

These six DOers were either hand-selected by Promax for their outstanding dedication to fitness, or they worked hard to win their 2012 Promax DOer title — regardless of how they got it, they are all pushing their physical limits to the max and spreading their infectious enthusiasm for health and well-being on and off the field/studio/gym. Each is an expert in his/her field and all are die hard Promax fans.

You can catch the 2012 DOers blogging, providing tips and exercise routines on behalf of Promax, and at various events across the country – maybe you’ll even get to dance alongside the Blanks or skate with Kacie on her cross country tour!

“Although this year’s Promax DOers all pursue different sports/fitness regimens, each exemplify the core values of the brand,” says Simon Goode, CEO of Promax Nutrition™. “For them, life really is go both on and off the field!’’

About DOers – DOers are everyday warriors for who live lift to the fullest. Each day is a new opportunity, a blank canvas on which to tinker, to try, to learn to live, to DO. For the DOers, Life is Go. You can learn more about the Promax 2012 DOers and stay up-to-date on all their fitness endeavors on the Promax website, http://www.promaxnutrition.com/meet-the-doers.

About Promax Nutrition™ – Promax Nutrition™ has been making high protein energy bars since 1996 and has built its reputation by offering the highest quality, great tasting bars. After more than a decade in business, more and more people recognize and trust the Promax® name for good nutrition. Today, with a wide range of products, Promax Nutrition™ is more committed than ever to developing innovative, convenient, and portable nutrition products for active people striving to achieve a healthy and fit lifestyle.

Join Promax’s online community by visiting the new website at www.promaxnutrition.com, and connect with Promax through Facebook, www.facebook.com/PromaxNutrition and Twitter @PromaxNutrition.

In the summer of 2005 I finished my second year of college at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, and had just turned 21. At that time I was in the best shape of my life and was training for the heptathlon on Cal Poly’s Track and Field team. One Saturday afternoon, I went for an easy run by myself only to wake up in a heap on the sidewalk about two miles away from my house. My heart was beating so hard I couldn’t think; I was scared and confused to say the least. That was the first time I collapsed from heart failure.

I continued to pass out at unexplainable times over the next couple of months, waking up on the ground or having a sudden loss of energy that would last for days. I went through months of tests and assessments by a local cardiologist who eventually told me that something was seriously wrong; however, he couldn’t find the problem. Before releasing me he advised me to stop competing and training, warning me that the next time I had an episode, I most likely wouldn’t wake up. I don’t know if I was in denial, being stubborn or just plain stupid but I kept all of this a secret from everyone and continued training. After collapsing in front of the track team during an intense workout, I knew I had to stop and really start assessing my health.

My body had a domino effect of symptoms over the next two years including blood clots, external compartment syndrome in both of my legs, and a destroyed immune system. I was still having tests done for my heart, hearing a different story from every doctor, each telling me something new. I was told I may need a heart transplant, I may need a heart defibrillator, my heart might be “dying”, and I might have twisted arteries, yet I received no concrete answers. I wore a heart rate monitor for almost a year with my highest heart rate recording at 255bpm; and a low of 27bpm; still with no answers. I was having trouble walking because of the compartment syndrome, but the worst was when I eventually had to see a therapist to help accept the fact that I was dying. Most people would give up at this time.

Everything changed for me in February 2008 when I decided to take myself off of the birth control medication I had been taking due to lack of regular menstrual cycles. A prescription every doctor knew I was using, yet encouraged me to continue taking. One month later I felt like my life restarted. I still could not use my legs due to the compartment syndrome and was told I needed a surgery that would put me in a wheelchair for 6 months. Attempting to avoid surgery, I taught myself how to swim with a floatation support between my knees, swimming only with my upper body, gradually regaining control of my legs. As my legs grew stronger I took up biking and joined a local bike club cycling more than 50 miles every day. I eventually beat the compartment syndrome with no surgery or medication, and was able to introduce my legs to running again; leaving the doctors baffled and dumbfounded. I believe that refusing to be inactive and sedentary saved my life. In November 2008, less than 9 months after I was told I was “never going to run again” I completed my first marathon, where I also qualified for the Boston Marathon which I completed in April of 2009. I not only had my life back, but I set out on a journey to do and try as many things as possible, especially the ones everybody said would be “impossible”.

Since then, I have competed in multiple adventure races, half marathons, triathlons, a 24 hour mountain bike race, and recently won Camp Pendleton’s World Famous 10k Mud Run. I compete professionally as a tower climber, where we enter tall buildings and race up stairwells as fast as possible. In the last two years I have been ranked in the top 10 in the United States and top 20 in the World for tower climbing. To keep things more interesting I am training to skate more than 4,000 miles across the country to raise money and awareness for Special Olympics in 2012 while also attempting to break a couple world records.

I was introduced to CrossFit by my fiancé about a year and a half ago, which opened up a whole new world of sport and exercises I was absolutely horrible at. CrossFit is completely different from any other sport I have been a part of and had too many challenges for me to pass it by. I currently coach at CrossFit Balboa in Newport Beach with the founder of CrossFit Football and former NFL offensive linemen John Welbourn. One philosophy CrossFit has is to train for the unknown and to be prepared for the unknowable, which is the philosophy I live and coach by. I avoid specializing my training by mixing up my competition schedule; following a sprint stair race with a half marathon, then I start focusing on my next 60-mile skate. I would rather be good at everything, than great at one thing.

Through overcoming my health issues and losing the ability to exercise and compete, I gained a deep appreciation for new challenges. I will continue to see obstacles as vehicles for improvement and will face them eagerly as they come. CrossFit helps prepare me for these challenges.

Needless to say, it was imperative to take care of my spine. Shortly after I started fixing this injury, I was playing in a game with Ajax of America and in a collision felt a pop in my knee. Being that I had two previous operations: ACL, MCL, meniscus reconstruction and an arthroscopic meniscus repair I knew immediately something was wrong. So I went in for my second MRI only to discover I had two holes in the cartilage of my femur at the knee joint and both menisci were torn. The news was disheartening.

As an athlete, turned fitness model, turned coach, turned reporter, the realization of needing my mobility for activities off the pitch were setting in. Who has time for surgery, 6 weeks of crutches, and 6 months of rehabilitation? Conversely, I couldn’t afford not to have the procedure. So I bit the bullet and the day before Thanksgiving I had my third knee surgery. I entered 2012 on crutches, with a beautiful new 3 inch scar, and a greater appreciation for my physical health. I was entering into this new year with optimism and on a mission to do things – big things. I’m on the road to recovery, which takes commitment, hard work, and determination, and my goal is to be in the best shape of my life on my 30th birthday. Of course that means making a return to game that has shaped my life… maybe not as a pro, but for fun and for my extreme love of soccer.

Embrace life’s challenges and use them to propel you to do what’s next. Be a DOer.

For the love,
Temryss

When it comes to the word “diet”, it should be avoided and not tossed around lightly like it normally is. It is about making healthy and informed choices that will allow you to function and perform at your optimum level in everyday activities. Planning out a healthy grocery list and never going shopping when you’re hungry are just two of the many tips that you will read about. The truth is that it is no one food that is inherently “bad”, but a continuous pattern of poor choices that leads to poor state of health. Use the internet regularly to find healthy versions of the food that you would normally cook or order. That way you never feel like you are giving up anything. Also don’t be afraid to have a bad meal once a week or so. It will make you appreciate it that much more, if you eat high calorie foods less often. Also, always have a small healthy snack with you.

I recommend the PromaxLS (lower sugar) bars, so you never feel starving. Try to eat every two to three hours. This will keep your body in a balanced state.

Whey-Walnut Muffins!

2 cup oats
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 scoops vanilla Scivation Whey
2 ripe banana (mashed)
1/4 cup egg whites
1 tsp cinnamon
60g chopped walnuts
6 packets Splenda
Couple chocolate chips on each (optional… but delicious)

Preheat oven to 350.
Mash up bananas in a bowl.
Combine and mix all ingredients in bowl.
Fill a 24 mini muffin cooking sheet with dough.
Bake for about 10 mins.

Macros per Muffin (24)
Protein = 7g
Carbs = 12g
Fat = 3g

— Alex Bandanza, B.S., A.C.E.-CPT

I wanted mention how cool it is to be partnered with Promax Nutrition to help spread the message of “getting it done” in fitness, life, or whatever gets thrown your way. Just remember that fitness can make everything life throws at you easier to deal with. As I say, training is sometimes tough but it always makes life easier!

Promax has been supplying me with the quick nutrition and energy I have needed over the years to stay competitive and reach my goals, personal and professional.

My training philosophy is simple- if you invest the effort, make it count. I like this motto because it can be applied to every other aspect of life, not just fitness. Fitness just happens to be the best example! Clearly define your goal and go about applying the best knowledge to get it done. As a matter of fact, Bruce Lee used to say “Knowing is not enough, we must do!”

So how do we make it count with regard to fitness and getting results we really want? For me, I use the most potent methods I have learned over the years to force the results I really want. As a matter of fact I use the same methods I did almost ten years ago when I landed my first cover of Men’s Fitness magazine. I like to stick with what works and expand on it for continued progress.

As a fitness professional, I see it almost every day: people having the goal but not applying the most effective measures to make them a reality – this is where I come in. Since we are all different, having different body types, metabolisms and goals, we all sometimes need a different approach to our goals in our fitness program and nutrition. Listen up: It’s not complicated. We can all pull from the same methods. It is simply a question of how we do things vs. what.

I can give an example of this by how I train, day in and day out.

I was an active, skinny kid growing up. As a matter of fact I was a twig that got picked on a lot. Over time though, I figured out how to “program” my body to put on lean muscle; for my specific goal. I still train with the same methods today, only now they are refined and tweaked to my current needs. I guess you could say I’m in sort of a maintenance phase of my training.

Like my motto, my training methods are simple. Compound movements (multi-jointed) at a quick pace, great form and usually combined with an isolation movement (single joint) which is called a superset or stack. Training performed this way definitely challenges me to “make it count” and no time is wasted. My nutrition is the same; basic and focused on my goal, which is to stay in “cover model” shape, or close to it. For me this means enough calories per day to sustain my current shape.

For someone just wanting tighten up and shed inches or pounds, they could also use the same effective methods I use, just performed in a different way. Superset compound movements, a little bit lighter weight, and less rest time between supersets. There is more to it than that but that’s it in a nutshell- not complicated by any means. Of course their caloric intake would be a little different but pulled from the same “clean” foods for results. Nothing complicated, just done a different way.

I know what my body needs; I can tell by how I feel and how focused I am. This is just something that comes with time. You learn what your body’s trigger points are with regard to calories and training. You can then cater your program around this feedback. The bottom line though is this: when you know what you want, find the most effective way to achieve it and set your path to get there. You go beyond talking about it or wishing for it, you DO it.

For details on how to make your goals a reality with the most potent fitness methods out there, check in right here periodically or visit me at http://www.robertmarting.com for more detailed posts on training and nutritional strategies. With the right information, all you have to do is turn the key.

It’s time to make it happen!

If you spend any time “floating around” — the Internet, the news, fitness magazines — you know that strength training is a buzzword and foremost fitness concept. “Yeah, yeah, yeah — I know,” most of my clients say, because they too have heard it many times. And while I know every detail about why strength training is so revolutionary, I continue to be reminded about how powerfully effective proper strength training can be. I hope you’ll find this article on a day when you have the peace, clarity and time to really absorb what I’m about to say, because this article can change your life in very positive ways.

Most women, in an attempt to lose weight and tighten up, spend way too much time doing cardio. I call it “cardio-ing yourself to death.” If you want a healthier, more resilient, more energetic body, you must strength train. Yes, I said must.

Cardio can only do two things for you:

• Burn calories in an effort to burn body fat.
• Improve your cardiovascular fitness if you do it right.

My Strength Training Program

Most women fear that strength training will make them bulky. While this is absolutely possible, there are a few ways to build muscle without adding size to your overall circumferences. In my 16+ years of experience, I have found that if I stick to a few basics, I can transform any body without bulking up. Now that I have made my case for strength training, I’ll give you the know-how to create a proper strength training program that will get you to your goals. There are a few principles that you need to understand:

• Strength and size are not synonymous. You can be strong without being muscular.
• Progressively heavier weight loads will eventually lead to larger muscles.
• Your body fat is layered over your muscles.
• You should assume that your muscles are weaker than you think they are.
• Perfect muscles develop from perfect technique.

In the first 4-6 weeks of a strength training program, your body will go through a transition phase. During this time, your muscles are responding to a new stimulus and may “plump up” temporarily. This is the time when most women freak out and think that they are bulking up, but don’t worry this is simply a transitory phase where the muscles are swelling slightly.

There are many, many ways to execute a strength-training program with success. I have found, in my experience, the following protocol to be foolproof. You will see that my approach utilizes traditional gym workouts with dumbbells and weight machines. Follow these steps and in 6 weeks you’ll be looking and feeling strong, lean and invincible:

Programming:

Choose one of the two programs. For best results follow Plan 1. You’ll want to consult a pro, fitness magazines or the internet to select exercises for each group of muscles.

Assume you are weaker than you think you are and begin with very light weights. Learn PERFECT technique for each exercise by using mirrors and watching for symmetry in movement or by working with a pro.

Complete 3 sets of each exercise for 12 repetitions using the same weight for all 3 sets. Every single repetition should have perfect technique with no compensation in movement. For the first 2-3 weeks don’t increase your weight loads. This will allow your muscles, ligaments and tendons to adapt to the new activity with limited swelling.

After the initial 2-3 weeks, you can increase your weight loads by a small amount for each exercise. It is very important that you maintain perfect technique. If an increase in weight load causes you to lose good form, return to the original weight load and complete each set for 15 repetitions. Then after 2-3 weeks you can attempt to increase the weight loads again watching for perfect technique. For example, if you are using 3 pound dumbbells for shoulder exercises, you can increase to 4 or 5 pounds. If you are using 40 pounds on a leg press machine, you can increase to 45 pounds by using a ½ plate increment. Maintain these weight loads for 2-3 weeks before increasing.

PLAN 1, 4 days each week of strength training.
Day 1: Legs and Shoulders
Day 2: Back and Biceps
Day 3: Chest and Triceps
Day 4: Legs and Abs

PLAN 2, 3 days each week of strength training.
Day 1: Legs, Back and Biceps
Day 2: Chest, Shoulders and Triceps
Day 3: Legs and Abs

It’s become apparent to me that strength training really is the key to most fitness goals for most people. What are your goals? Better energy and stamina? A faster metabolism? A healthy, resilient body to carry you through life? Make a commitment for 6 weeks and follow my suggestions here. I hope that you too get to experience the magical benefits that come from consistent strength training.

So what are the successful goal setters doing that the unsuccessful aren’t? There are a few methods that help make the goal attainment process much easier, which I will share here:

1. Keep your goals to yourselves
Sounds counterintuitive right? Well, when you start to talk about your goals to others, you begin to start getting a false sense of achievement. This is especially true for when you receive praise for merely stating your goal, before it has been attained or before you have started working towards it. The only exception to this is to only tell people with the caveat that they let you know when you are not working towards the goal.

2. One thing at a time
Research has shown that we only have a finite amount of will power; so trying to simultaneously achieve many goals will leave you mentally exhausted. Instead, focus on one goal at a time, whether it is nutrition, exercise, or reaching strength or running goals. Trying to accomplish multiple goals at the same time will result in achieving minimal to none of them.

3. Be Specific/Use metrics
“Eat healthier”, “Exercise more”, “Get stronger” are all common goals, but how do you objectively measure those? Instead of vague goals, be specific to exactly what you are trying to accomplish using metrics that will give you reliable numbers to see if you are making progress. How many minutes of cardio did you do? At what intensity? How many calories did you eat today? If you can measure it, you can manage it.

4. Contingency plan
What do you do if an emergency comes up that affects your plan? If you haven’t thought ahead, you will likely do nothing and effectively lose all progress you’ve made towards your goal. Instead, think ahead to what you would do if situation X arose so that when the inevitable twist in your plan happens, you are prepared and can adjust. Sprained your ankle on a rough trail and can’t run for a couple weeks? Swim or ride the bike instead of doing nothing.

5. Break it down
Many goals can seem absolutely daunting from the outset. Maybe you want to lose 25 lbs, shave 30 seconds off your mile, or increase your deadliest by 50 pounds. All of these goals can seem insurmountable at the beginning, but by breaking them down into much smaller sub goals you make them much more realistic and achievable. So if losing 25 lbs is your main goal, break it down to 4 pounds after two weeks, 8 pounds after four weeks, etc., and only focus on the next benchmark, not the end goal.

Employing these five tips will make a remarkable difference in your ability to achieve your goals. Making health related changes is a difficult process, so making use of these techniques can make it much more manageable.