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In Giveaway! August 16, 2020

IDEA World Virtual 2020: Get Your Mind Right

Disclosure: I am attending SHINE and IDEA World Virtual August 21-22, 2020 as a guest of IDEA. I was not asked to write this blog post. The associated giveaway is NOT sponsored by anyone, and was my idea. Per usual, all of the opinions expressed in this post are mine, and I wrote the entire thing myself.

Given that there’s a worldwide pandemic on, having a massive fitness conference that fills an entire convention center and all of the nearby hotel space (including ballrooms, bedrooms, and restaurants), seems like a terrible idea. Thousands of people depend on IDEA World to earn the continuing education credits they need to stay certified, and to stay on top of the latest developments in exercise science and programming. Because it is. So IDEA World did what any essential part of the fitness industry would do: it moved online.

I’ll be attending IDEA World Virtual and the SHINE social media event, which is the successor event to BlogFest. I’m not sure what it’s all going to look like, since the event had to pivot quickly. IDEA World ordinarily has four jam-packed days of multiple sessions going every hour, including workouts on the expo floor–in past years that’s included the “mega circuit” with more workout stations that you’ve ever seen–and sessions featuring workout equipment both new and old. Obviously you can’t recreate the entire live event virtually. I mean, I own a TRX and some Lebert Equalizers, but I don’t have all of the cool things I’ve gotten to try at IDEA World over the years, and I certainly don’t have a team to do group and partner-assisted workouts.

One Thing That Won’t Change: T.D. Will Be There!

Todd Durkin is the owner of Fitness Quest 10, a gym in San Diego. That’s always stood out to me: the man owns A, singular, gym. Yet his impact is felt all over the world and not just because he was one of the trainers on NBC’s Strong TV show. Probably not because he was one of the first fitness professionals to partner with Under Armour either. If you’ve never been to IDEA World, you probably don’t know that Todd has been Personal Trainer of the Year, or that in 2017 he was awarded the Jack LaLanne award, named for the original fitness guru–he was teaching physical fitness and advocating healthy eating starting the in the 1950s–and Elaine LaLanne handed him the award. The first thing Todd did? Thank Mama Durkin. Next? Thank his family.

Of course Todd got to give a speech, and he’s GOOD at public speaking. He’s regularly booked for gigantic events, so it was super awesome when he came to talk to us about making an impact at Blogfest. Todd generously gave us all copies of The WOW Book, which was his latest offering at the time. The book consisted of 52 selections from his newsletter, “Word of the Week.”

Did you know Todd Durkin has a new book?

It’s true! While he hadn’t intended to release it in the middle of a pandemic, but it turned out to be just what the world needed. The new book, Get Your Mind Right, is all about mindset. The subtitle, “10 Keys to Unlock Your Potential and Ignite Your Success” pretty much explains the content. The ten keys are taken from Todd’s own life experience, and are broken into four quarters just like a football game.

First Quarter: Game Plan and Kickoff

This section is about getting your thoughts in line: dream big, get your thoughts under control, and don’t let the obstacles get you down. This is one of the fat sections, taking up a good 50 pages. Todd tells the story about his time on NBC’s Strong, and how he dealt with some of the setbacks and challenges on that show. He also shares about his upbringing and the truth that no matter what you have or don’t have, you’re going to have challenges thrown in your path, and you’ve got to have the mindset to overcome. You’re only as strong as your own mindset thinks you are–so you have to plan in advance. That plan includes giving back to your community and giving to others, and Todd makes that clear too. How could he not? He’s given so much back to all of the communities that have helped to raise him up.

Second Quarter: Execution of Key Plays

Twenty pages is pretty short for a section in this book. But how many ways can you say “control your habits or they will control you?” Okay, so maybe Todd doesn’t say that, exactly, but once you have your mindset it is your habits that control you–how you spend your time, energy, and focus matter. There are definitely books that hammer this point home in a more solid way, such as Charles Duhigg’s The Power of Habit. Todd gets the point across though: if you want the freedom to succeed, you’ve got to discipline yourself, and that means committing to habits.

Now you have to bear in mind that Todd is specifically laying out what has worked for him. So, for example, he’s big on getting up before the sun, because it works for him–he’s got a family and a business to run, so the early am is when he gets his “me time.” There’s nothing magic (in general) about that hour, it’s just what works for Todd. If you don’t have a spouse and kids, or you do shift work, your own magic hours might be another time slot for you. Todd lays out his morning routine and his evening routine, and while they work for him again, YOUR mileage may vary. For example, one of Todd’s points is “no caffeine after 2:00 p.m.” While he vaguely refers to a study about consuming caffeine close to bed-time, he doesn’t even tip a hat to some very important known science about caffeine: we know there are genes that code for caffeine metabolism! I have had a genetic test so I know I’m a fast metabolizer (I can have a triple mocha and then take a nap without any issues), and afternoon caffeine isn’t a big deal for me. I mean, I’m usually going decaff for after-dinner-coffee, but a 4 p.m. latte isn’t going to do jack to my sleep.

Third Quarter: Performing Optimally

I’m going to be honest with you: this section is the worst part of the book. When I say that, I mean that Todd is not in his lane here–but if you’ve been paying attention, you know I feel very strongly that the vast majority of the fitness industry (certified personal trainers, yoga instructors, group fitness instructors, barre teachers, strength and conditioning coaches) needs to NEVER give out nutritional advice. Why? Most of it is absolute rot.

When Todd recommends breaking a sweat most days during the week, that’s pretty non-controversial, establish best-practice that is evidence-based. Like there’s actual science to support it. Added bonus, there isn’t any harm in following this advice.

Hydration, also relatively non-controversial, though Todd’s endorsement of “Himalayan salt” really should have been an endorsement of a full spectrum electrolyte (and I’d prefer that accompanied by an quickie explanation of how electrolytes work to regulate hydration, and how it is possible to drink water when dehydrated and STAY dehydrated if your electrolytes are out of whack).

Then Todd goes off the rails and states definitively that you should “consider going gluten-free to get rid of brain fog and bloating,” as though these are universal problems for all people. News flash: they’re not, and the evidence does NOT support going gluten-free for the vast majority of people. (If you have Celiac Disease, of course you must stop eating gluten. But most of us do not.) This section basically regurgitates pop-diet-advice about “gluten sensitivity” that is not established as fact. Personally, I really wish fitness professionals would let the RDs and PhDs in nutrition science give evidence-based recommendations.

Similarly, his recommendation that everyone, regardless of their current health status and without any evidence to support it, take supplements is basically garbage. His first two recommendations have to do with specific amino acids. The science is far from consensus on amino acids, with some evidence showing that taking branched-chain amino acids leads to less serotonin in the brain, as the BCAAs limit uptake of tryptophan (which is a serotonin precursor). There are also a number of studies that show taking BCAAs actually REDUCES muscle protein synthesis. Todd recommend fish oil for omega-3 fatty acids, MCT oil, and a multivitamin–all of these are popular magazine and blogger recommendations without a hard basis in fact. Todd cites no evidence for these suggestions (other than that they work for him), and he doesn’t talk about the alternatives either. So long story short, do your homework on supplements. Don’t rely on Todd, or any other fitpro. Instead, look to the peer-reviewed research (try a PubMed search) and consult an evidence-based registered dietitian.

Fourth Quarter: Finishing Strong

Like any good motivational volume, this one ends with inspiration. The two chapters in this section are “tap into the whispers” and “live a live worth telling a story about.” Great advice even without the content. Now I knew this book was being published by Baker Books, which is a Christian book publisher. If you are a Christian, you’re probably thrilled that a famous fitness professional is openly writing to witness for Jesus. I’m cool with that too, even though I’m not a Christian. Who can argue with allowing your faith to play a role in your life? I mean really, if a god/goddess/higher power (by whatever name) plays a role in your life, why shouldn’t you pay attention to what s/he (or they, or it) have to tell you? Personally, I celebrate that. If you’re not Christian, I don’t think you’ll find the book “too much” (unless you happen to offend easily, in which case I don’t know how you get on in the US these days). You can just sub your personal beliefs for Todd’s as you read along.

Win Your Own!

To celebrate going to IDEA World Virtual and SHINE this year, I’m giving away one copy of The Wow Book (softcover) and one copy of Get Your Mind Right (hardback) to one lucky winner. But first, if you’re interested in attending IDEA World Virtual, you can register using this link. Use code SHINE20 for $20 off your registration. If you can’t attend, you can still check out the virtual expo for free! Just register here.

Now if I managed to do this right, you’ll see a Rafflecopter widget below. If not, click on “a Rafflecopter giveaway” to find out how to enter.

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In DVDs, Apps & Media December 26, 2018

Enter the Fitness Circle

Disclosure: Merrithew Health & Fitness sponsored Sweat Pink’s BlogFest at IDEA World Convention for several years, and I am thankful for their sponsorship and for the programming they provided. The prizes for this giveaway were provided to me by Merrithew Health & Fitness as part of Sweat Pink’s BlogFest with no strings, no compensation, and no requirements (e.g I was not asked to write a blog post, host a giveaway, or do anything else). The entire contents of this post, including all words and opinions, are my own honest opinions.

Hey, it’s time to celebrate the Twelve Days of Christmas! “Wait,” you may be asking, “wasn’t Christmas yesterday?” Indeed, it was! The Twelve Days of Christmas are actually the twelve days in between Christmas (the First Day of Christmas) and the day Christians celebrate as the day the magi (the three wise men/three kings) arrived, also called Epiphany. Traditionally, the last of the twelve days was the day you took down the Christmas decorations (I swear, I am not making this up). You know Shakespeare’s play, Twelfth Night? That’s about the twelfth night of Christmas. But enough of the history lesson…On the SECOND day of Christmas, I offer you this review and giveaway!

Merrithew Fitness Circle Lite (image from Merrithew website)

The Pilates Fitness Circle. If you’ve ever looked at a Pilates Fitness Circle and thought, “that’s a weird gadget that I can’t imagine doing much for me,” I’m with you—I used to think the same thing. (Pilates Fitness Circle Resistance Ring is a trademark of Merrithew Health and Fitness. You may also have seen a similar gadget called by another name: Pilates ring, magic circle, exercise circle, exercise ring.) Even in my Pilates classes, the Fitness Circle was largely used to help with body placement and awareness. It never occurred to me that the Fitness Circle had a role to play in athletic conditioning.

Workout. I took the DVD “Athletic Conditioning with the Fitness Circle” for a test drive, using the Fitness Circle lite. (The Merrithew Fitness Circle also comes in two other models, flex and Pro. Flex provides less resistance and has a unique handle design that differs from the lite and the Pro. Pro is similar in design to lite, but is made of steel instead of plastic; as a result, the price for the Pro is $65.00 while the price for the lite is $34.99. It’s also a bit heavier than the lite.) This workout is part of Merrithew’s CORE line, focused on athletic conditioning and performance training, so it is not strictly Pilates. According to Moira Merrithew, who introduces the workout, the 27 exercises in the workout are focused on strength, alignment, and efficient biomechanics. I now have an entirely new outlook on the Fitness Circle (and I’m glad I have one of my own!).

Athletic Conditioning with the Fitness Circle (image from Merrithew website)

The workout is led by John Garey, a Master Instructor Trainer for Merrithew Health and Fitness. Two additional Merrithew Instructor Trainers (meaning they train teachers to teach the classes) demonstrate all of the exercises. John’s instruction is clear and detailed, carefully explaining body positioning and movement step-by-step. If you have never done any Pilates or mat-work style exercise before, you’re in good hands with John—just follow his instructions. Of course it is a video, so if you miss an instruction, you can take a look at the movement on the screen and follow along. That said, if these exercises are new to you, there are some exercises you may have a difficult time performing at the same tempo/speed as the DVD. I found this true of the hinge-back with rotation exercise.

The warm-up uses the Fitness Circle to assist with some stretches that may already be familiar to you. Throughout the workout, the Fitness Circle acts as a replacement for a yoga strap in some stretches, which limits both the range of motion (in a good way—making the stretch more stable) and the amount of tension on the wrists and forearms.

DVD and Fitness Circle lite — CORE Athletic Conditioning with the Fitness Circle (and a Fitness Circle lite)

I was skeptical of the “Level of Difficulty” rating, which is four out of five. That is, until about five minutes into the workout, when there is a series of kneeling hinge-backs that incorporate the Fitness Circle. (A “hinge-back” from the kneeling position involves keeping everything from your knees to the top of your head in a line, and taking that line straight back to a 45 degree angle.) Holy quads and abs! Several of the exercises involve using the Fitness Circle either between your ankles (pressing in on the Fitness Circle) or with both feet inside the Fitness Circle (pressing out). I found these more difficult than they looked, as one of my legs is clearly bossier than the other! I enjoyed the variations on classic Pilates exercises, including a modified version of The Hundred and a version of Shoulder Bridge where you press one arm behind you on the Fitness Circle.

What really kicked my butt, however, were the single leg bridge variations. The gist of the exercise is to press up into a bridge pose, then lift one leg while pressing the Fitness Circle into that leg. My other hamstring was ON FIRE. So much so that I couldn’t do even half of the set on either leg. WHOA.

While I am currently not at my optimal level of fitness, I found this DVD very accessible with an appropriate level of challenge. Given my experience teaching yoga to very muscular men, I strongly suspect that serious athletes (like CrossFit junkies) would find at least parts of this program very useful in conditioning smaller muscles that don’t get much love during a typical workout, such as the multifidus, and for the range of motion and movement principles.

Brand new to Pilates type movements? The DVD includes a tutorial on the Five Basic Principles (Breathing, Pelvic Placement, Rib Cage Placement, Scapular Movement & Stabilization, and Head & Cervical [spine] Placement).

Merrithew yellow soft hand weights — Soft hand weights can be incorporated into many yoga and Pilates exercises

Merrithew also offers additional DVDs that use the Fitness Circle as the only prop, including Fitness Circle Flow, the Fitness Circle Challenge, Power Paced Fitness Circle, and Precision & Control: Pilates with the Fitness Circle. If you prefer a workout that incorporates a reformer or more props, you can find more titles on the Merrithew website. Finally, there are a variety of other brands/companies/individuals that produce video content that incorporates the Fitness Circle and you can find many other options online.

This prize pack includes:

Merrithew Fitness Circle Lite in black (MSRP $34.99)
Athletic Conditioning with the Fitness Circle DVD (MSRP $16.95)
Merrithew Soft Dumbbells 1.65 pound each (MSRP $23.99)
Miscellaneous treats and surprises

Bain's cat checks out the goodies — Professor Nick Sterling has thoroughly inspected the prizes!

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In Giveaway! December 21, 2015

Happy Nuun Year!

Disclosure: I am a 2015 Nuunbassador. This post is not sponsored by Nuun in any way. The giveaway is not sponsored by Nuun. All opinions are my own. Many thanks to Briana of Mat, Miles, Medals for the image above.

December is more than half over, and the new calendar year is almost upon us. (I know, I know–I have to keep saying it to myself over and over, because I barely believe it!) I was fortunate enough to be selected to be a Nuunbassador in 2015, and it’s time to celebrate that adventure coming to a close.

By the way, I decided not to reapply for 2016. That decision had nothing to do with Nuun–which I still drink all the time and am just shy of obsessed with–or my experience (it was great!). So many of my friends were really excited to apply, and really deserved a chance to represent Nuun in 2016. They wanted it SO badly! Since I already had the chance to represent Nuun, and I have my fingers crossed that I’ll be chosen as an ambassador for the Detroit Marathon, I decided to step aside this year. (Hey Nuun, maybe let’s get together again in 2017?) No need to be greedy, and I want to continue to do an excellent job for BibRave in 2016.

So, let’s talk Nuun!

Nuun’s major innovation is to separate hydration from fueling. Most sports hydration drinks are designed to do both, which is why they are filled with sugar–simple sugar can be readily broken down for use as fuel. Unfortunately, many endurance athletes find that consuming too much sugar while hydrating leads to…let’s just call it unpleasant digestive side effects. Nuun decided to separate the hydration (and and accompanying electrolyte replacement) and fueling.

Morning? Night? #Nuun is the best! I want to win @nuunhydration

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Nuun Active is the original, and comes in the widest variety of flavors. Nuun Active contains the optimal blend of electrolytes because you need more than sodium when running (this is why salt packets are not the best electrolyte replacement!). Nuun has sodium, calcium, potassium, and magnesium. Here’s the nutrition facts and ingredients for my favorite flavor, tropical.

Some advantages to choosing Nuun Active for hydration:

light flavor
highly portable tablet format
easy to change or mix flavors
thin, non-sticky consistency
add more/less water to adjust taste and consistency

Nuun fizzes a bit as it mixes itself. Only add a half tab to champagne.) Image courtesy of Mat, Miles, Medals.

Since Nuun ships as tablets in a recyclable tube, I suspect it also has less of an environmental impact, at least on the consumer side–no water is shipped so you can move more Nuun with less fuel, and using your own bottle means no disposable plastics. Finally, while the tube is recyclable, many people wash and re-purpose the tubes.

Repurposed Nuun tube. Photo courtesy of @cratina. Follow her at http://fabulosi-t.blogspot.com/

They are just the right size to carry Energy Bits, or store change for parking meters. If you travel as much as I do, you might also use the tubes to pack cotton swabs, part of a Lush bubble bath bar, or earrings.

Nuun Active is what I used all year for running. (Nuunbassadors do get a product discount, but frankly the expo special is a better price so I rarely used it.) In addition to my regularly scheduled events, this year was also the first virtual run co-sponsored by Nuun (with Motigo and the website now known as FitFam). Only Nuunbassadors and Team Nuun members could participate, and the run included a cute fitted shirt and medal. Athletes representing Nuun also had the opportunity to purchase specialty Nuun apparel twice during the year. Pactimo prints the Nuun team gear, which is quality technical gear. Most of Pactimo’s styles are for cycling, not running. So, for example, there weren’t running tights, or singlets. I opted for a pair of cycle shorts (encouragement to go to FlyWheel more often!) and a cycling jersey. (It’s got pockets on the back, so I know it wasn’t made for running.)

Andrew--find him on twitter @smartwatermelon--uses Nuun Plus in tri training — Andrew–find him on twitter @smartwatermelon–uses Nuun Plus in tri training

Nuun Plus is the newest Nuun invention. It contains electrolytes and sugar (dextrose and sucrose). Basically, it’s a way to add the fuel into your Nuun. You can easily adjust how frequently you fuel by adding Plus to some bottles, but not to others. I haven’t tried it yet, but my friends who have tried it do like it.

Nuun Energy is my favorite product, especially the cherry limeade. Like Nuun Active, it contains an optimal blend of electrolytes. Unlike Nuun Active, it also contains a B vitamin blend and caffeine. I keep a tube of the cherry limeade on my desk at work, so I have a low-calorie, less junky, option when I need an afternoon boost. (My non-Nuun choices are coffee drinks and sodas.)

Nuun All Day is a multi-vitamin disguised as Nuun! My favorite flavor is the blueberry pomegranate. The flavors are a little different, in part because the vitamin/mineral content is different. I’m not a huge fan of all of them, and as a friend of mine observed, it tastes a little “vitaminy.” I like the blueberry pomegranate all by itself, but you can easily mix it with another flavor (say half tab of each) or mix it into a beverage other than water (such as iced tea).

Finally, there’s U Natural. I’ve never tried it. U Natural is intended for use as hydration in less intense physical activities. (This is not the marathon runner blend.)

You can buy Nuun online, but buying it at your local sports or running store helps them to keep the doors open. The best price for Nuun right now is always at a race expo, where the expo special is two tubes for $10 plus a free refillable bottle.

Speaking of those bottles, I’m a bit of a water bottle junky. I came across an impressive photo of a Nuun bottle collection that essentially took up an entire kitchen cabinet. While I don’t have that many Nuun bottles, I do have quite the collection of other bottles too. When I started this year, I had two Nuun bottles: one Rock ‘n’ Roll, and one Active. I seemed to have crummy luck, and missed all the specialty bottles–the Rock ‘n’ Roll Vegas, the Kara Goucher…but really, how many do I need??

The Nuun Vegas bottle, courtesy of @crantina

Throughout the course of the year it became clear I was going to end up with MANY more bottles, so I made a rule: I can only keep one in each design. I haven’t used any of the rest of them–that’s where the giveaway comes in!

I’m giving away my extra, brand-new, un-used Nuun bottles! I’ll also put some Nuun samples inside for the lucky winners! Important Note: the samples are not the Nuun-factory-sealed samples. They will be untouched Nuun tablets, poured directly from the Nuun tube into a fresh snack-sized Ziploc bag. (Remember, this isn’t sponsored by Nuun! Cut me some slack, since I’m paying for the product and the shipping; I’d hate to send you a tube and it turns out you hate that flavor.)

Nuun bottles! There will be at least 3 prizes! — Nuun bottles!
There will be at least 3 prizes!

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