Body Beast Results

 

90 Day Body Beast Program results.

Here are how my measurements turned out.

Weight: 257-270 lbs.

Arms: 15-17 inches

Chest: 44-45.5 inches

Thighs: 22-24 inches

 

I absolutely loved the Body Beast Program.  I will definitely be doing it again.  If you would like more information about it or would like to purchase it, please contact me and I can help get you set up and guide you through the program.

Tony Horton Checks Out Shakeology

Geigerrig Hydration Engine Review

Let me start by saying that the Geigerrig Hydration Engine is the best Hydration Bladder that I have ever used.  It is way better than any Camelbak, or any other kind of hydration bladder backpack combo.  I have 2 Camelbakbrand hydration packs and my Geigerrig is a vast improvement in all aspects.

I have the 3 liter 100 oz Bladder.  I didn't buy one of the full rigs as I already had multiple Camelbak and Nike bags that the bladder would fit into. I also found a great deal at TheClymb.  Check them out and use this affiliate link if you want to get access to the site.  If you just go and register you will have to be put on a wait list before they give you access to the site.   I have since purchased just a Geigerrig 1600 bag with no bladder off of a user on ebay because I love the product and company so much.

The first thing that I love about this bladder is the fact that it is pressurized and the water actually sprays into your mouth and you don't have to suck on the straw to get the fluid out of the bladder.  This sounds super lazy but for anyone who has ever had to suck on their camel straws about 20 miles into a run or in the middle of an all day bike trip or hike then you know that every bit of energy is crucial.  This saves you that extra energy.  In addition the spray feature allows for you to spray yourself off with a mini-shower or allows for you to hydrate your dog friend on a hot day.

The second thing that I love about the Geigerrig is how easy it is to clean.  The design is genius.  When you are ready to clean the rig you take the bladder, remove the straw, and turn the bladder inside out (which is impossible with any other bladder on the market.)  Once the bladder is inside out you can wash it off and hang it to dry.  Although I have never needed to do this, you can even put the bladder in the dish washer. This makes this thing so much easier to clean and dry out.  And unlike the other bladders on the market, this will prevent the bladder from growing mold.  Before this bladder, I can't tell you how many times I have had to clean out the mold in my other bladders.  It takes forever, and then you still forever feel like you are drinking mold...not cool.

Another Super Rad feature of the Geigerrig is the optional In-Line Filter.  This allows you to fill up your bladder in a river lake or stream and will filter out all the bad junk that would normally make someone sick.  I have actually been in a desperate situation where I was seriously contemplating drinking from a small creek because we had run outta water and did not know how soon we would be able to find water.  Luckily we forged ahead and found a gas station nearby and we were able to purchase some Gatorade.  I never want to be in that situation again so I purchased the In-Line Filter just in case I am ever in that situation again.  There have even been some people who actually urinate in their bladders and then use the filter to stay hydrated.  Hopefully it never comes to that but it is nice to have that piece of mind that I have the option of using the In-Line Filter if I need to do so.

I also purchased the optional insulated drink tube.    I like the spray nozzle on the insulated tube better than the one that came with the bladder.  The original one had a twist knob to open the valve.  The insulated drink tube has a tip that you pull out to open the valve.  It is much easier to bit the nozzle and pull on it all in one motion than to say take your hands off of the bike handlebars and twist the knob of the original tube.  I also really like that the insulated tube has a large plastic cover to cover up the mouthpiece.  I don't anticipate having to use this for my purposes but I can see how it might come in handy in a beach or desert situation where sand could potentially get on the mouthpiece and then make its way to your mouth when you drink. It's another feature that is "nice to have" for me just in case.  Also the main reason for getting the Insulated tube is so that the water in your tube doesn't freeze or get really hot depending on what your surroundings happen to be.  The neoprene insulation works great to regulate the temperature of the water in the tube.

In the end, I pieced together my Geigerrig.  Mainly because I had previously spent a lot of money on the other Hydration systems and didn't want to waste them.  If I had it to do again I would just go all in on a new Geigerrig.  I will definitely purchase another for my wife soon and I have and will continue to recommend their products to all of my mountain biking and running friends.

Overall Rating:  2 thumbs up, 5 stars. 10 out of 10 and all that jazz.

I LOVE THIS THING! Great Design, Great Product, Great Company!

*It's important to note that I do not work for Geigerrig or have any affiliation with the company.  I am just someone who discovered their great products and became an instant fan!!

Shakeology Review

A guest post from 12 Star Diamond and founding coach, Traci Morrow

When Shakeology was added to our exclusive Beachbody Coach store, it made a lot of sense to me: the idea of a meal replaced with a shake that in effect, filled in the large gaps of my present diet’s nutrition. An unhealthy accumulation of days – even years - stacked up where my body wasn't getting what I was needing and I felt it. Tired, feeling run down from my busy life, and out of time to prepare what I thought I needed – or did I even know what that was? Fruits that don't taste all that great anymore because they’re pulled from the trees or vines too early for mass crops, vegetables that came from a frozen bag and devoid of flavor as well. I’m a terrible pill taker, so my multivitamin consumption was more hit than miss. A shake that “acted like a salad but tasted like a dessert” is what it said, and as a protein shake consumer, I was game!



Shakeology turned out to be far more than I knew to hope for. A complete system: two workouts (30 and 50 minutes), a month of recipes for both flavors, and a meal plan (through the Club) for how to incorporate the shake into my day? This wasn't just a meal replacement shake that was going to require me to figure out how to incorporate it into my day - this was a lifestyle shift and one I desperately needed if I wanted to LIVE healthy.

I love being able to speak from personal experience of how the Shakeology system has helped me regain energy, and have everyone I love on it! My 70+ year old parents, my 86 year old father in law, my siblings, my teenagers, and my 6 & 7 year olds love it too. All ages, both genders; experiencing health in a shake and a lifestyle shift that helps “End the Trend” of obesity, fast food diets, and highly processed foods that harm our generation..starting with us. ☺ If you’d like to try Shakeology for free, ask for a free sample and I’ll be happy to send you one!

Hungry For Change Movie

This great documentary is free for a limited time.  It is chocked full of great information on health, fitness and the state of our Nutrition in today's world. Check it Out!

"FREE ONLINE SCREENING of the Hungry For Change Film starting today (October 3rd 2012) until midnight this Saturday October 6th 2012

Now is your chance to watch the film and get motivated to kick-start your health transformation!!!

www.HungryForChange.tv/book-free-screening

We're making the film available in this way so that no-one is excluded from getting access to this life changing information and sharing it with their family and friends."

P90x iPhone App free for a limited time

Get the X app for FREE for a Limited time (normally $4.99). To take advantage of this offer, go to http://beachbodycoach.com/dustinhaywood 

and click Join & Sign up free membership 1st, then go back to the same link & click on the P90X App banner!  Then you can take P90X anywhere you go. Use it for tracking your progress and charting your weights and sets. You get Ab Ripper X for free with the App.

 

If you decide you want the whole she-bang, you can order the DVD Program through the app with your Team Beachbody account that you created here http://beachbodycoach.com/dustinhaywoodand you will fet FREE SHIPPING!

Jog.FM Website and App Review

So I have been on a roll lately with the fitness app reviews and I thought I would keep that trend going. Jog.FM.

Jog.fm started out as a website.  And, now it has an app.
At the website you can type in what your desired running pace per mile is and the site will give you songs have a corresponding BPM rating.  In theory when you listen to a slow song while running, you run slower.  The same is true when you listen to a fast paced song you probably run faster.  Jog.fm will take your desired pace and give you songs that should make you run at that pace when you listen to them.

Another awesome feature is that people can upload their personal playlists. So if you happen to be looking for a half marathon training playlist that has you running at a certain pace, you can probably find it.

The App is very  similar in that it will analyze your music library on your iphone and only play certain songs while you are running that correspond with your running pace.  It will also track your run using gps and tell you how far/long you ran etc...  The app can also be used in the gym or for walking cycling etc...

Just make sure you have a good waterproof case for your iphone if you sweat as much as I do.

The app is $2.99 and available in the Apple App store.  As of right now there is no Android version

Zombies, Run! App Review

Have you ever thought about what it would be like if Zombies were real?  Well this is about as close as you can get to being chased by zombies other than a walk on role in The Walking Dead.  This app is available for $7.99 on iPhone, Android, and Windows Phone platforms.  Now you might think that $7.99 for an app is a little pricey.  I know I did at first and I debated on whether or not it would be worth the purchase.  After using it the first couple times I was glad that I decided to buy it.

Without spoiling to much of the plot line of the game, you basically are trapped in a Zombie apocalypse.  You are "Runner #5"  You were picked to be a runner because well, you are good at running and evading zombie attacks.  Also, the previous Runner #5 was no longer and they needed someone to take your place.  So, you go around and do missions.  You might go out and search for gas for vehicles, or go on a rescue mission to save other members of your clan.  You even go on super secret intel missions to gather data that might lead to a cure for the Zombie Disease.

The game play works like this;  you start up the app on your phone, select a mission, and select whehter or not you would like music and if so which playlist.  You pop in your headphones and are given audio cues about what today's mission will entail.  You take off running.  Then your playlist will begin and as you run you hear audio cues whenever you pick up an item.  In between songs you will get more mission details and updates on your progress from a guide that is telling you where to go and what to do.  Also the fun part comes in when you get an alert that zombies were detected nearby and you need to sprint in order to avoid them catching you.  And, this just randomly happens throughout the run.  I like to call it ZIT.  Zombie Interval Training.

Another fun add on to the app is that those items that I mentioned that you can pick up along the way are stored and when you get back to base you can assign them to the different areas of your base that you think may need them.  For Example if you pick up a bandages you can assign them to go to the Medical Tent.  You can then build your base up, and as a result open up more missions and challenges.

The app also tracks your route via GPS and can give you running data at the end of the run that you can share on Twitter and Facebook.

As a runner I really like this app because it can shake up your workout occasionally.  I would not use it everyday as you would probably get burnt out on it but for an occasional run it is a nice change of pace.

Here is a video from their website.

Check out Zombies, Run! at https://www.zombiesrungame.com/

 

Book Review- Push by Chalene Johnson

You have probably heard me talk about how much I appreciate Chalene Johnson's workouts (such as Turbo Fire, Turbo Jam, Chalean Extreme).  As you know, I am currently in my 2nd month of Turbo Fire and loving it. Well, I recently started reading Chalene's book "Push". I love the layout of the book.

 The first part of the book is a 30 day challenge to read a chapter for 30 days and each day do the exercises they suggest. Now, these are more mental exercise, not physical. She refers to them as your daily Push. For example,  the first  Push exercise has you thinking about and writing out your priorities. 

 The next section of the book after the 30 day PUSH shows different exercises to do, and then the final section of the book has tons of great, quick recipes. The books has pictures and it is an easy read. It feels more like reading a magazine lay-out rather than a book. Trust me, after my long days it takes a special type of book (like this one) to keep my attention and not make me fall asleep! 

This book has really, truly been the extra PUSH that I need to stay encouraged to stick with my Turbo Fire series. I have only completed three days of the push challenge exercises and I  appreciate the way they help me self-reflect and stay motivated to continue to make positive changes in my life. 


If you are interested in finding out more information on any of Chalene's Work-out DVD's follow this link and sign up for a free account.

Fit Radio Review

Anyone that works out and listen's to music should download Fit Radio.  This is a great smart phone app.  Unlike Pandora or Spotify or the like, Fit Radio is great for workouts because it supplies a continuous mix of high BPM music straight to your headphones.  It is easy to use.  All you have to do to get started is go to Fitradio.com  and you can use it right on your computer and it is great here.  However, the awesome sauce comes into play once you download it to your android or apple smart phone.  Having the app on your phone gives you your very own personal traveling workout DJ.

You can pick from all different categories of music.  They have it all from Classic Rock, Indie, Hip Hop and even Dubstep and Top 40.  Keep in mind that all of these genres are mixed into one continuous stream of music that doesn't stop playing until you turn it off. There is even a Party Category that is a mix of all types of songs.  It is my personal favorite. I haven't tried it for running yet, but I plan on it and I have a feeling it will make running really enjoyable.  (I hate having to skip through slow songs that come up on your shuffle list while running.)

In addition to sorting by Genre, you can also select favorites and add them to your list as well as sort  by DJ if you find one you love.  (They are all pretty good in my opinion.)  Overall I love this app and highly recommend it.  Check it out at Fitradio.com or search for it in your preferred app store.

The Best Workout Headphones Ever

I have searched high and low to find a good pair of headphones to wear mainly for running.  It seems that every time I think I have found "THE" pair that will end the search, I am always disappointed after using them a couple times.  By Far the very best set of headphones that I have found are.... Drum roll.....

YURBUDS

I heard about Yurbuds a long time ago and I decided to order a pair. So I ordered the Ironman pair because Ironman stuff is just super cool.  This is the version that I ended up with.  They were really cool red buds with black headphones with the ironman logo on them.  They also came with this cool pouch to store them in.

They send you two separate sizes.  You pick the one that fits your ears best, and if neither fit you can contact them and they will send you the correct size. The ear pieces are made of silicon and can be attached to any regular sized ear bud set of headphones.

They fit into your ears great and do not move around all the time causing you have to adjust them like other ear buds.  This is crucial when running.  With other brands of ear buds I found myself constantly having to press them back into my ears.  I did find that the actual ear buds wore out due to sweat.  They are sweat proof.  But apparently not Heavily Sweat proof.  I sweat A LOT so it was bound to happen.  The cool thing was that I just popped off the silicon ear pieces and added them to my apple ear buds and had a brand new set.  I ended up leaving them dangling from my neck at a race last year and I lost one of the ear pieces...bummer.  So I ordered a new pair from Yurbuds.com  This time I went for a different style.  the over the ear Ironman buds with the built in microphone.

Big Mistake!  I cannot stress to you how much I hated having the over the ear clip.  Maybe it is just my ears but in my opinion they take all the brilliance and functionality out of the design.  The silicon ear piece is meant to be sticky and grip your ear hence not falling out during exercise.  With the over the ear addition, all it did was make it difficult to fit the ear pieces into your ear canal correctly.  Another down side of this design was the microphone.  In theory it was a good idea but when I took it our to run and tried to use it, it just ended up getting on my nerves.  First, it is kind of bulky and it sits right in the middle of your chest.  Well, when you run it ends up bouncing off your chest mile after mile.  It gets really annoying.  Second, the one time I actually got a call while wearing them on a run and tried to answer, the person on the other end said all they could hear was wind and I had even stopped moving at that point to try to correct the situation.  To solve all of this I ended up just switching the ear pieces back onto my apple ear buds and it is a perfect combo.

All in all Yurbuds are the best ear buds for exercise, specifically for running, but I also wear them when I lift and bike.  My advice is to go for the cheapest model so you can get the ear pieces and don't worry about getting the upgraded microphone attachment and definitely stay away from the over the ear design.  Oh yeah, and don't be a dingus and just let them hang around your neck while they are not in use.  Put them in your pocket or the pouch that they come with so that you don't lose the ear pieces.

You can check out yurbuds online at http://www.yurbuds.com/

Energy Drinks-Are they good for me?

Are they good for me?

Short Answer- NO!

Long Answer from:

Mike Geary - Best Selling Author of Truth About Abs

"Are these "energy" drinks really any good for you? Do they actually work? Do they

really have some sort of magical energy formula? Will they help you?

First of all, let's look at what most of these energy drinks are usually made of.
Most of them are simply carbonated water loaded with gut-fattening high fructose
corn syrup, caffeine, the amino acid taurine, and a few random B-vitamins thrown in
for show to trick you into thinking there's something healthy about these concoctions.

Let's start with the high fructose corn syrup. Well, here we've got empty calories that
will go straight to your belly fat, and that are actually even WORSE for you than plain
old refined sugar.

Ok, so you say that they have low-sugar or sugar-free varieties as an alternative to
the HFCS-laden energy drinks. Yes, but now you have the problem of the harmful
chemicals in the artificial sweeteners.

Another problem with artificial sweeteners is that there are some researchers that
believe artificial sweetener use leads people to inadvertently consume more calories
and gain more weight in the long run. I won't go into the details on that because that
would fill up an entire discussion by itself. Just trust me that artificial sweeteners and
artificial chemicals in food in general, are all bad news for your body!

What about the caffeine? Well, first of all, caffeine in itself doesn't provide "energy".
Technically, the only substances that actually provide energy are calories (from carbs,
protein, and fat).

However, caffeine can be an aid for livening or waking some people up, by means
of stimulating the central nervous system. Keep in mind though, if you're a regular
coffee drinker, you're probably addicted to caffeine and probably wouldn't receive
too much benefit from the caffeine in an energy drink anyway.

Besides, instead of caffeine added to some carbonated drink, I'd rather get my
caffeine from a natural source like green, white, or oolong teas, which actually
provide healthful antioxidants too!

Now what about that so called magical blend of taurine and B-vitamins that they
load into these energy drinks? Well, big deal...you can get taurine in almost any
protein source. And the vast majority of those B-vitamins are simply coming right
out into the toilet in your pee. Vitamins are best obtained naturally from real food
sources, not artificially added to some carbonated drink. Your body just doesn't
use fake sources of vitamins as readily as natural sources from real food.

So as you can see, in my opinion, I give all of these energy drinks a big time
THUMBS DOWN! You're better off mixing up your own homemade energy drink
with some iced unsweetened green, white, and oolong teas, a little bit of 100% pure
berry or pomegranate juice, and maybe a touch of a non-denatured whey protein.

Well, I hope this article cleared up some of the confusion about these energy drinks
that are being so heavily marketed these days, and will help you make more informed
decisions for your health."

THE BEST PRE-WORKOUT DRINK EVER

If you feel sluggish and that you need a pick me up before you workout, Beachbody offers a great alternative to an energy drink. It is called E&E or Energy and Endurance, Check out the video here. It is made with better, more healthy ingredients than any other Pre-workout Energy Drink I have found. Check out the Nutritional Info below.

If you would like to give E&E a try, Click Here.

If you would like to make me your Coach for Free, Click Here.

Energy & Endurance Formula

Best Pre-Workout Energy Drink Ever

If you would like to give E&E a try, Click Here.

If you would like to make me your Coach for Free, Click Here.

Getting Ready to Start Body Beast

So, I am getting ready to start a new workout program.  It is called Body Beast.  Check it out here.

The Program is designed to increase strength and help you build muscle.  Most of the people that have gone through the program report gains of at least 10lbs of muscle.  One of the reasons I really am looking forward to this program is that you get to EAT.  In order to pack on all that muscle you need to fuel your body.  I haven't looked over the nutrition plan yet but from what i hear, you get to eat around 3000-4000 calories per day.  That's what I'm talking about!  Keep in mind that it is not empty calories.  You still need to make smart choices when it comes to your nutrition on this plan.  You can't just grab a bag of Cheetos and go wild.  In addition to eating healthy and LIFTING LIKE A BEAST....I am also going to take advantage of the Body Beast Supplements.

The Equiment needed to complete the program are as follows.

Dumbbells or Resistance Bands

A Bench or Swiss Ball

Chin up Bar or Bands

EZ Curl Bar or Bands

Optional Equipment

         -Push Up Power Stands

         -Chin Up Max (Chin up helper)

          -Lifting Gloves

See all of the BODY BEAST Related Equipment Here.

To order the BODY BEAST program Click Here.

The program is 90 days long 6 days a week and the workouts are around 45 minutes long.  Here are some other videos about the program.

As always if you need help with your fitness journey and would like free coaching Click Here to make me your coach for free.