Success Plus New Toys

I would like to recognize Ashley for her success and all the hard work she has done in her time at Bridge Point Elementary Relentless boot camp. She wakes up at 5:30am for boot camp three days a week and goes to school as well. So nobody can question her dedication to her health. She also brings me her food log every Friday and is committed to changing her life. In four months she has lost 12.7 inches, 9.2 pounds, and 3.2% body fat. She is a testament to hard work and a willingness to change. Good job Ashley and keep up the good work!

Ashley is crushing it!

I also wanted everyone to know that kettle bells are now a part of the Bridge Point and Relentless boot camps and are a great addition to help put on muscle and create explosive energy. I KNOW that holiday parties are coming up and I KNOW you want to get a jump on your new years resolution. Boot camp is a great way to crush the holiday blues and to keep the weight away.The new month just started and the weather is good outside. Come check us out!

5:30am Bridge Point boot camp

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Organic food can be more costly than its conventionally grown alternative, but your payoff of good health should more than make up for it – and reduce your overall health care costs in the future.

CDC and ADA Now Advise to Against Using Fluoride

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Come Rain or Shine

As many of you know last week was just a little bit rainy. Do you think that stopped 5:30AM Bridgepoint boot camp from getting it on? Hell No! If you have been to Bridgpoint Elementary they don't have a massive parking garage for a parking lot. So we just improvise and move on over to a parking garage not more than 100 yards from the school. So, rain or shine we can get a killer workout in!

If you didn't know I also coach boot camp. It's not something I often talk about on my blog but it is something I enjoy very much. I got my start with boot camp and think that I will always want to coach one. If you have never been to one of our Relentless boot camps I would suggest you try one. We are Relentless in our effort to get fit, and Relentless in our pursuit to be better athletes, be it weekend warrior or the consummate marathoner or triathlete. I also have several athletes from my crossfit classes that have made the jump to also include boot camp into their workout regiment. Some boot camp coaches incorporate kettle bells, and dumb bells. Some of us just like good ol fashioned body weight to get the job done. We all have our own style and that is what makes it fun. I find myself more keen on the body weight style while also incorporating med balls. It is a cardio delight!

If you want to give my Bridgepoint boot camp a try just contact me at zacharythiel@crossfitcentral.com I will let you try one free boot camp to see if it's for you.

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Athlete OF The Week

Scott performing Lateral Lunges

Scott has been with me for a year and a half at Bridgepoint Boot Camp and has rarely missed a workout. He is dedicated, hard working and continuously gives it everything he's got. Since I started thinking about recognizing and doing these posts about the athletes I train; I have come to the conclusion that I am truly lucky and honored to be around so many amazing people and athletes, with Scott being one of them. Here is a quote from Scott about what role boot camp has played in his life.
My name is Scott Voelker, I am 26 years young and since I started a year and half ago I have lost 35 lbs. and I love my boot camp. I am in the 5:30am (MWF) Zachary Hell Boot Camp, so you know right off the bat I must be a little wrong in the head to endure that kind of pain that early in the morning. No, but seriously the first day I stepped into this shocking experience I puked my guts out and every day since I have grown stronger and more confident.
Boot camp is my chance to release, whether I have aggression or something on my mind, I can release it while being competitive with my fellow boot campers. I feel like each session is another challenge or task to overcome, and another chance to improve my speed and/or strength. I love going to my early morning class because it starts my day off with energy and allows me to be able to spend time with my wife and friends in the evenings. In closing boot camp has altered my life in a way that I can’t help but appreciate!

Much love Scott and it is pleasure having you in boot camp!

Plyo Push Up's

This month at Relentless Boot Camp we are recognizing boot campers that stand out and do an amazing job. We are also creating workouts in their honor. So Scott's workout is as followed:

Three rounds of
20 Over Head Squat Jumps
60 Total Yard Lateral Lunges Holding a Med ball Out in Front of You
50 PVC Pip Shoulder Press
20 Plyo Push Ups


Paleo-Libertarian Spirit
It makes you fit, and lifts the spirit too, says Saul Weiner.

Just A Friendly Reminder

Just want to remind everyone that it's hot outside. Oh.......you new that already. Well think about this, on average, you lose about one liter (about 34 ounces) of fluid per hour of exercise. Extreme heat and humidity can raise that amount to three liters in one hour. I bet some of you barley even drink that much water in a day. Also, think about this, it's the weekend and you are bbqing with the crew. How much water will you be drinking that day? Not much unless you actively think about it. Some of you will be pounding beer or another adult beverage of your choice. So....what you do on Saturday or lack there of will affect what your workout will look like on Monday. Especially if it's during the hottest part of the day and outside. Trust me, I speak from experience. So with all that said, drink plenty of water not just the day of but days before the WOD or boot camp. It will save you from cramps or possibly worse.

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Throw Down!

5:30AM Bridgepoint Boot Camp

The 5:30AM Bridgepoint boot camp gets the chance to experience the garage style workouts only when we inclement weather. But on June 19th they will get the chance to do on a nice mid morning weekend day! I hope everyone comes out and represent Relentless Boot Camps at the Garage Gym ThrowDown! Let's let the other Austin boot camps know who's boss!

GARAGE GYM THROWDOWN
9:00-11:00am @ LCRA Parking Garage on Lake Austin Blvd.
Fun & Challenging Partner Throw Down scaled to ALL fitness levels
Limited to only 50 teams
Open to the public
Current CrossFit Central clients get half off ($50) of the registration price!
Partner workout will include medicine ball exercises, kettlebells, running, partner assisted exercises, and body weight movements
Top 3 places win prizes
Coed, All Male, or All Female teams allowed
Vendors: Snap Kitchen, Daily Juice
DJ to provide music
Reserved spot at Abel's on the Lake following the competition from 11:30-2:00pm
Are you ready to throwdown and show how fit your training program is compared to others? Register HERE.

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Dedicated

Dave and Deb celebrated their two year boot camp anniversary this past January and are still going strong! The two of them have been married for over twenty years and decided they needed to get into shape together, and that's when they came into my life. Dave is one of the top dogs in boot camp and continuously raises the bar for everyone and Deb is constantly improving and pushing herself to new heights. It has been a pleasure to watch the two of them grow in their physical fitness journey and to get to know them as friends as well. Congratulations Dave and Deb!

For many of you that don't know I coach boot camp four days a week in west and central Austin. It is where I got my coaching start and have grown to love and enjoy it greatly. It allows me to be creative in the many ways I enjoy kicking peoples butts into shape and has also allowed me to meet many wonderful, hard working and dedicated people.
Many of the people I coach at Central ask what boot camp is all about, so I will try to explain a little, IT'S TOUGH! We start with the universal warm all of our boot camper and gym athletes do with a few different twists. And then the fun stuff starts! Boot camps are an hour long and a least 50 minutes of it are non stop body weight movements along with med ball work, sprints and stairs thrown in the mix. If you want to get into tri shape, marathon shape or duathlon shape this is the training for you. Many of my boot camp athletes participate in these sports and use Relentless boot camps as their training method. So, I think that should tell you something right there. If you want to try one of my fun and challenging boot camps, or any one of our boot camp's visit www.relentlessbootcamp.com for more info.

Advocare

This past weekend a team of Crossfit Central coaches attended Advocare Success School in Ft. Worth. As many of you know we at Crossfit Central endorse, share, and use Advocare supplements. Not only is Advocare used to enhance your athletic performance in a safe and natural way but it is an essential way to get the minerals and vitamins your body needs. Over time our foods have lost the vital minerals and vitamins we need to live a long and healthy life because they have been depleted from our soil and bred out.

"It's a fact. Our soils are depleted and depleted soils do not produce healthy, nutrient-rich plants." Straight out of the mouth of Dr. Richard Drucker, PhD. The answer "If our soils and crops are lacking essential minerals, it's necessary to supplement our diets if we are to achieve true wellness." This is where Advocare steps in. I'm not saying it is the only supplements you should be taking, but Advocare is high quality and I have actually met the men and women who formulate the supplements. I'm also not saying you can eat what ever your little heart desires and take Advocare and all is good, but with a well maintained diet and exercise along with Advocare you will be ahead of the pack.


(Carey Kepler, Tommy Hackenbruck, Lindsay Smith, Jeremy Thiel)

This pic was taken this past weekend of some of the top Crossfit athletes in the world. 2009 women's third place finisher Carey Kepler and fifth place finisher Lindsay Smith. 2009 men's second place finisher Tommy Hackenbruck and sixteenth place finisher Jeremy Thiel. All of these athletes use and believe in Advocare and what it does for there performance. Not only can it enhance your athletic performance, above all else, it can improve your overall health and wellness. I strongly suggest you do your research on the benefits of nutritional supplementation along with a healthy diet.

If you have any questions about Advocare and what it can do for you please contact me www.zacharythiel@crossfitcentral.com. If you are ready to dive right in and get started go to www.advocare.com/04011094.

Wisdom

Wisdom is a deep understanding of people, things, events or situations, empowering the ability to choose or act to consistently produce the optimum results with a minimum of time and energy. Wisdom is the ability to optimally (effectively and efficiently) apply perceptions and knowledge and so produce the desired results. Wisdom is comprehension of what is true or right coupled with optimum judgment as to action. Synonums include: sagacity, discernment, or insight. Wisdom often requires control of one's emotional reactions (the "passions") so that one's principles, reason and knowledge prevail to determine one's actions.

I don't think I'm quit there yet, but it is something I am striving for. Today I turn 32, my wife is due in six weeks or so and I am looking at growing my business to new heights. I feel like I am at a crossroad. Not because I'm turning 32, but because it's a new year, I'm about to be a dad and I have to make some choices about the growth of my business. I have great people around me to help with this growth but I need some wisdom of my own. I am focused on the task at hand and look forward to this challenge and the opportunity to gain some wisdom and hopefully have a strong influence on the people around me. When I learn to control my "passion" I can only imagine what I am capable of.

Staying Warm

Just so everyone knows it's supposed to be cold this week. Maybe not as cold as the pic with us standing in the snow, but cold none the less. A bit of advice for all you newbies....and some of you veterans, DRESS WARM!!!! Layers, gloves and a hat! You can find them on the cheap at Dollar General or even Target.

Just like the 5:30Am Bridgepoint boot camp below, by the end of boot camp you will have lost much of what you started with. These lady's and gentlemen brave the cold three days week with out even a little peep. Good luck braving the elements this week and happy Crossfitting!

One More Time

5PM and 6:30PM LCRA boot camps getting one more workout in before the Christmas Holiday. My gift to them for being dedicated, hard working and just great friends and clients. I just have to thank everyone that comes and takes an active role in my life and inspires me to push forward and to make changes in my fitness and every day life. I hope everyone has a great Christmas break and and awesome New Year!

Success Is Sweet!

Holly is truly a success story! When she first came to boot camp she showed the desire and hunger for a better life. She is one of the most consistent dedicated boot campers that I have. She has followed every direction that I gave her without question and put her confidence in me 100%! I am so proud of Holly and feel blessed to have her as a friend and client. Way to go Holly!!!

My initial struggles with food and body image started in the 7th grade. My best friend and I decided it would be smart to starve ourselves during the day satisfying our hunger with only hard candy and then for dinner have a bagel and a huge Mountain Dew. I’m positive this actually stunted my growth as I should probably be a lot taller than I am now. I played all of the typical sports in high school but was never really taught about nutrition or the importance of exercise beyond two-a-days. During college I joined a women’s only gym but hardly ever ended up going; I also would resort back to the same old starvation habits when I felt the scale was creeping up too far.

At the beginning of 2007 I had foot surgery and was basically getting no activity for three months during the recovery period. Over the next few months my weight slowly crept up and up, leaving me with no choice but to buy pants in a size I thought I would never be. In February of 2008 I joined Weight Watchers and ended up dropping 13 lbs but wasn’t really doing anything for exercise. Then I decided to join a small gym and hire my own personal trainer for 10 sessions; which was great as I dropped another 12 lbs. However, I felt like I was at a point where I could go no further, even if I added more weights to the machine I wouldn’t see the scale budge which was very frustrating. A few months after my final trainer session, I began to see the scale start to increase by 1 then 2 lbs. I knew I needed to do something different this time.

My friend Ashlee convinced me to join her at a CrossFit boot camp with Coach Zach. She told me he was one of those trainers that wouldn’t let you get by just giving it 50% - he wanted 150% and by the end of class you would know you had pushed yourself to the max as you would leave a complete ball of sweat. I initially thought it was something I would not be able to afford but she told me to stop buying the clothes I wasn’t happy with and spend that money on the program. She said before you know it you’ll be back in to your old clothes which were already the smaller size I was after. I took that advice and now I’m back in to my favorite pair of shorts from high school (even though they are a bit dated I love knowing I can still fit in them).

After the trial boot camp I went home and debated overnight and by Sunday I had decided to sign up for a 6 month term. A few months in to the program I met with Coach Zach on a one-on-one basis, he went over the Zone diet with me and told me if I wanted to see results I had to change my eating habits. It was hard for me to not count calories and fat since that was what I’d been trained to do. I put a lot of trust in the information he had given and it has worked. Since joining CrossFit in February of 2009 I have lost a total of 43 lbs since I had surgery with the last 22 lbs since joining CrossFit and 3 (almost 4) pant sizes.

The first three weeks of class were tough; I remember having to stop and catch my breath quite a bit but Coach Zach never made me feel bad – he just encouraged me to push it and keep going. I can now keep up with the ‘fast kids’ in my class and I actually use them to push myself harder. This past July I began taking three different supplements from the Advocare Trim line and around the end of September I began to notice the scale nudge down at a much steadier and greater pace. I feel like the supplements give me more energy without any of the caffeine highs other weight loss supplements give you.

I have a new sense of self esteem which I don’t think I’ve had since back in high school. My entire body has lost inches and I feel I can now wear tank tops since my arms have a bit of definition – I never knew girls had those outer upper arm muscles. My legs have also lost inches and I am wearing shorts again instead of suffering through the TX heat in my jeans.

I look forward to each CrossFit boot camp because I know how energized they make me feel. The workouts are different every time so I never get bored or feel like I’m at a gym. Plus the extra weekend boot camps and kettle bell classes are amazing!

ATTENTION!!!!

FREE workout on Wednesday at 9:30AM @ Town Lake Under the Bridge on the Hike & Bike Trail (Map)

The Pay Off

I just have to share this with you! First, Roz has been coming to boot camp for 1 Year exactly. She is consistent in coming to boot camp and takes advantage of the UTB's and challenges we are always putting on. She is currently a participant in I AM CROSSFIT and because of her hard work, determination and constant positive attitude she is reaping the benefit's. Here is her story.
As a kid, I was athletic - a competitive dancer. But then high school, college, the years after... I still did yoga and dance/movement in my theater practice, but nothing too strenuous and my diet was a joke-- the pounds piled on and I was quite chunky at 180lbs. In 2003 I was in a car accident that left me with chronic shoulder and neck pain. I stopped being physical in any way. I took daily pain meds, was on anti-depressants, and even endured steroid injection therapy that caused me to gain 20lbs in a month!
So, by December 2006 I weighed over 200lbs, was barely squeezing in to my size 14/16 and Plus Size 1 clothes, and my body fat was 34% -- officially obese. A few days before New Year's, I went to a free Crossfit workout at the old gym location. It killed me! But I was hooked. I loved the challenge and everyone -- Jeremy, Zach, the other people working out -- was so supportive; even when I couldn't jog 400 meters, strangers would pat my back and say "Keep it up, Roz!" as they flew by me.
So I started boot camp in January 2007. Coach Zachary has hounded, inspired, pushed, challenged, and transformed me. In the past year, I have seen drastic improvements to my health, happiness, appearance, and wardrobe! As of today, I've lost 50lbs --I'm at 157! My body fat percentage is under 24%. I just bought my first EVER size 8 pair of jeans. I am a stronger, more confident, more assertive person. I have severely cut back on my pain meds and no longer take anti-depressants. My chronic pain is not cured, but it is much more manageable and boot camp has helped me gain strength, flexibility, and range of motion in my injured shoulder and neck. And my butt got its first legitimate compliment in 10 years... albeit from my younger sister!
This year, my goal is to get my body fat percentage under 20% and to get stronger and faster! And learn how to do kipping pull-ups. And stop drinking Diet Coke.
I just have to say, I am so proud of Roz and it has been a pleasure to seeing her progress and change her life. Way to go Roz!!

Partner Up

Dave and Debb have been coming to 6:30PM LCRA boot camp for over a year now and have made great strides in their quest for younger healthy body's. The beauty of the whole thing is they hold each other accountable seeing how they are husband and wife. It has been a pleasure watching them grow in their performance and seeing Debb finally get her back side to the ball on her squats. Way to go guys!